One of the remedies we have used for decades in orthopedic surgery to treat a variety of injuries and conditions is the cortisone shot. We use them to treat pain from arthritis, tennis elbow, shoulder impingement and much more. In this Ask Dr. Geier video, I share my thoughts on the proper role of cortisone injections, when patients can consider using them, and how often you could get them.

Jamie asks:
How often can you get a cortisone injection? And what if the cortisone shot doesn’t work? What is the next logical step? Thank you.

Cortisone, a generic name for a variety of corticosteroid medications, is an anti-inflammatory that aims to decrease pain by decreasing or stopping the inflammation within a joint or in a tendon.

In the past, cortisone injections were very common. They are still used by orthopedic surgeons today, but we have realized some issues with them that have made us a little more cautious.

In this video, I explain some of these concerns. I share some alternatives to cortisone shots as well as conditions for which cortisone injections are perfectly reasonable treatments. Based on that information, I explain why the number of these injections you get are limited by the surgeon.

Also read:
Ask Dr. Geier – Injections for tennis elbow
Ask Dr. Geier – Return to sports after Achilles tendon injury

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