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!
I don't mean to offer too vehemently a counter view to our esteemed colleague, Dr. Fanstone, but...
Cortisone shots, like any kind of anti-inflammatory treatments, inhibit by definition the inflammatory process, which is part of the body's healing response to acute trauma.
Our bodies have evolved this response over milions of years of evolution. Interfering with it, it seems to me, is like thumbing your nose at Mother Nature. Not that she doesn't deserve it sometimes, but it's something you should consider advisedly.
The other thing is that most chronic shoulder injuries, it turns out, are NOT inflammatory. They are tedinopathy as opposed to tendinitis. I personally would try the following first, then try them again, and again, till they work. Only if they NEVER work would I revisit the idea of cortisone shots:
Ice--20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, repeat. Put a wet paper towel between your flesh and the ice bag to prevent frostbite
Rest--avoid provocative motions, but don't avoid all motions. You want to slowly move the joint through its natural range of motion. Sometimes this is easier with heat--i.e., in a shower or hot tub.
Rotor cuff and other stabilizing muscle exercises--with stretch cords and very low weight (2 lb. max) dumbbells. The main one, if you do no other ones, is external rotation--elbow at side, forearm at right angle to upper arm, fingers start out pointing straight ahead, rotate forearm out till finger tips pointing to the side.
Keep in the pool--use fins to kick and eventually let your arms go thru the motions of pulling but without actually putting much force into it. As the shoulder starts to feel slowly better, increase the amount of force. Just be gradual.
Good luck! Oh, and get one of those ball thrower things for your border collie! No reason he or she needs to rest!
I don't mean to offer too vehemently a counter view to our esteemed colleague, Dr. Fanstone, but...
Cortisone shots, like any kind of anti-inflammatory treatments, inhibit by definition the inflammatory process, which is part of the body's healing response to acute trauma.
Our bodies have evolved this response over milions of years of evolution. Interfering with it, it seems to me, is like thumbing your nose at Mother Nature. Not that she doesn't deserve it sometimes, but it's something you should consider advisedly.
The other thing is that most chronic shoulder injuries, it turns out, are NOT inflammatory. They are tedinopathy as opposed to tendinitis. I personally would try the following first, then try them again, and again, till they work. Only if they NEVER work would I revisit the idea of cortisone shots:
Ice--20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, repeat. Put a wet paper towel between your flesh and the ice bag to prevent frostbite
Rest--avoid provocative motions, but don't avoid all motions. You want to slowly move the joint through its natural range of motion. Sometimes this is easier with heat--i.e., in a shower or hot tub.
Rotor cuff and other stabilizing muscle exercises--with stretch cords and very low weight (2 lb. max) dumbbells. The main one, if you do no other ones, is external rotation--elbow at side, forearm at right angle to upper arm, fingers start out pointing straight ahead, rotate forearm out till finger tips pointing to the side.
Keep in the pool--use fins to kick and eventually let your arms go thru the motions of pulling but without actually putting much force into it. As the shoulder starts to feel slowly better, increase the amount of force. Just be gradual.
Good luck! Oh, and get one of those ball thrower things for your border collie! No reason he or she needs to rest!
