I have been in 8 weeks of PT for a mysterious and troublesome shoulder injury, as yet undiagnosed, making progress that amounts to 2 steps forward one step back, and the therapist is talking about referring me for a cortisone injection. I have had 2 cortisone injections in my spine and they did nothing for me. I am not excited and am quite dubious about the prospect of getting one in my shoulder. I have unstable joints in general and this shoulder is particularly unstable. I have read that cortisone can weaken tendons and ligaments and that seems like the last thing I need.
Can anyone share their experience with cortisone injections for shoulder problems? I am feeling very frustrated but am getting to the point where I might try this. I cannot do freestyle at all and my daily life such as personal care and home maintenance is greatly challenged by this darn shoulder. Plus my border collie is depressed because I cannot throw his frisbee. Things are getting desperate!
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Former Member
I had an injection with depo-medrol on my left shoulder about five years ago after a dirt bike event. I fell and forced my rotator cuff somewhere. Never bothered me since. This year for the first time I had some pain on my right shoulder. Eventually I got a ultrasound (I don't see doctors, I am one myself and we are bad at seeing specialists) which showed calcification on my supra spinal ligament (the top one on the shoulder). Next day I went to a radiologist friend and he infiltrated my tendon with one ml of depo-medrol. Next day I was pain free. Some months later I was goofing off and did some butterfly without warming up or whatever and the pain came back. And I went back to the same guy and had a second injection. This time I took off one month from swimming. I will try and do some specific shoulder exercises this year and wait till March after swimming two months before I attempt a butterfly. Hear this, my injury is not from swimming, but from years or decades of tennis playing. What was the question? Oh, yes I am all for cortisone injections. If you do an internet search you will see that most American Orthopaedic surgeons are for cortisone injections. Take care, billy fanstone
I had an injection with depo-medrol on my left shoulder about five years ago after a dirt bike event. I fell and forced my rotator cuff somewhere. Never bothered me since. This year for the first time I had some pain on my right shoulder. Eventually I got a ultrasound (I don't see doctors, I am one myself and we are bad at seeing specialists) which showed calcification on my supra spinal ligament (the top one on the shoulder). Next day I went to a radiologist friend and he infiltrated my tendon with one ml of depo-medrol. Next day I was pain free. Some months later I was goofing off and did some butterfly without warming up or whatever and the pain came back. And I went back to the same guy and had a second injection. This time I took off one month from swimming. I will try and do some specific shoulder exercises this year and wait till March after swimming two months before I attempt a butterfly. Hear this, my injury is not from swimming, but from years or decades of tennis playing. What was the question? Oh, yes I am all for cortisone injections. If you do an internet search you will see that most American Orthopaedic surgeons are for cortisone injections. Take care, billy fanstone
