Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Cortisone WorksSide EffectsPros and ConsAlternatives
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Cortisone Works
Side Effects
Pros and Cons
Alternatives
Cortisone injectionscan be bad for you if overused. By only giving them for the occasional, short-term relief of severe joint pain—typically when more conservative treatments have failed—healthcare practitioners can protect you from thecartilageandtendondamage that these shots can cause.
Receiving too much injected cortisone and/or getting it too often can also adversely affect bones, nerves, and skin, as well as cause your blood sugar to rise. When this treatment is used appropriately, however, the risk of these side effects is low.
This article describes how cortisone injections work, the possible risks and side effects, and the pros and cons to consider if your healthcare provider recommends treatment.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
When given to a joint space—referred to as anintra-articular injection—the shot delivers an ample dose of the drug to the exact location of the inflammation (such as the knee joint or spine).
Cortisone injections are among the most commonly prescribed treatments inorthopedics, as they are able to treatarthritis,tendonitis,bursitis, and a wide range of other conditions.
Cortisone shots can also treatautoimmunejoint diseases, likerheumatoid arthritisorlupus, in which the immune system launches an inflammatory assault on normal joint tissues.
Side Effects of Cortisone Injections
As beneficial as cortisone shots can be, they can cause side effects. In part, this is because of how they can impact the immune response.
Common side effects of cortisone injections include:
Uncommon side effects, which are more significant and typically associated with the overuse of cortisone, include:
How Many Cortisone Shots Can I Have?
Are Cortisone Shots Right for You?
As effective as cortisone shots can be, they have their appropriate uses and are typically prescribed when conservative treatments (likeover-the-counter painkillers,ice and heat applications, andphysical therapy) fail to reduce joint pain and swelling.
Cortisone shots are also sometimes used to delay the need for joint replacement surgery. Because the lifespan of an artificial joint is limited, orthopedists will rely on cortisone and other intra-articular injections to sustain you for as long as possible.
Benefits of Cortisone Injections
Cortisone injections can be an excellent treatment for many inflammatory conditions. Sometimes even one small dose can eliminate the inflammation at the site of the problem and alleviate pain.
The benefits of cortisone include:
Disadvantages of Cortisone Injections
The same may not be true if you are a young athlete who, say, is being given high-dose cortisone shots to “keep you in the game” after an injury. In such cases, the overuse of cortisone can cause tendons to soften and snap, causing an even greater orthopedic injury.
This is especially true for cortisone injections around the Achilles tendon. Therupture of the Achilles tendoncan require surgery and cause you to be laid up for months at a time.
There are similar concerns when cortisone is used to treatplantar fasciitis(the inflammation of a thick band of tissue under the foot). Even in non-athletes, a rupture can easily occur when pressure is placed on softened tissues while walking, jogging, or climbing stairs.
In the end, the decision to use cortisone injections is an individual one in which you need to weigh the possible harms against the possible benefits.
Alternatives to Cortisone Injections
Even in the best of circumstances, cortisone shots should be used sparingly and in limited doses.
If you need more frequent injections, such as to delay joint replacement surgery, your doctor may want to intersperse cortisone shots with other intra-articular injections, including:
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wernecke C, Braun HJ, Dragoo JL.The effect of intra-articular corticosteroids on articular cartilage: a systematic review.Orthop J Sports Med. 2015;3(5):2325967115581163. doi:10.1177/2325967115581163Marin CL, Browne JA.Intra-articular corticosteroid injections for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: what the orthopaedic provider needs to know.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019 Sep 1;27(17):e758-e766. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-18-00106Vallone G, Vittorio T. CompleteAchilles tendon rupture after local infiltration of corticosteroids in the treatment of deep retrocalcaneal bursitis.J Ultrasound.2014 Jun;17(2):165–7. doi:10.1007/s40477-014-0066-9Lee HS, Choi YR, Kim SW, Lee JY, Seo JH, Jeong JJ.Risk factors affecting chronic rupture of the plantar fascia.Foot Ankle Int. 2014 Mar;35(3):258-63. doi:10.1177/1071100713514564Ayhan E, Kesmezacar H, Akgun I.Intraarticular injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma) for the knee osteoarthritis.World J Orthop. 2014;5(3):351–61. doi:10.5312/wjo.v5.i3.351
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wernecke C, Braun HJ, Dragoo JL.The effect of intra-articular corticosteroids on articular cartilage: a systematic review.Orthop J Sports Med. 2015;3(5):2325967115581163. doi:10.1177/2325967115581163Marin CL, Browne JA.Intra-articular corticosteroid injections for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: what the orthopaedic provider needs to know.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019 Sep 1;27(17):e758-e766. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-18-00106Vallone G, Vittorio T. CompleteAchilles tendon rupture after local infiltration of corticosteroids in the treatment of deep retrocalcaneal bursitis.J Ultrasound.2014 Jun;17(2):165–7. doi:10.1007/s40477-014-0066-9Lee HS, Choi YR, Kim SW, Lee JY, Seo JH, Jeong JJ.Risk factors affecting chronic rupture of the plantar fascia.Foot Ankle Int. 2014 Mar;35(3):258-63. doi:10.1177/1071100713514564Ayhan E, Kesmezacar H, Akgun I.Intraarticular injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma) for the knee osteoarthritis.World J Orthop. 2014;5(3):351–61. doi:10.5312/wjo.v5.i3.351
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Wernecke C, Braun HJ, Dragoo JL.The effect of intra-articular corticosteroids on articular cartilage: a systematic review.Orthop J Sports Med. 2015;3(5):2325967115581163. doi:10.1177/2325967115581163Marin CL, Browne JA.Intra-articular corticosteroid injections for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: what the orthopaedic provider needs to know.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019 Sep 1;27(17):e758-e766. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-18-00106Vallone G, Vittorio T. CompleteAchilles tendon rupture after local infiltration of corticosteroids in the treatment of deep retrocalcaneal bursitis.J Ultrasound.2014 Jun;17(2):165–7. doi:10.1007/s40477-014-0066-9Lee HS, Choi YR, Kim SW, Lee JY, Seo JH, Jeong JJ.Risk factors affecting chronic rupture of the plantar fascia.Foot Ankle Int. 2014 Mar;35(3):258-63. doi:10.1177/1071100713514564Ayhan E, Kesmezacar H, Akgun I.Intraarticular injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma) for the knee osteoarthritis.World J Orthop. 2014;5(3):351–61. doi:10.5312/wjo.v5.i3.351
Wernecke C, Braun HJ, Dragoo JL.The effect of intra-articular corticosteroids on articular cartilage: a systematic review.Orthop J Sports Med. 2015;3(5):2325967115581163. doi:10.1177/2325967115581163
Marin CL, Browne JA.Intra-articular corticosteroid injections for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: what the orthopaedic provider needs to know.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019 Sep 1;27(17):e758-e766. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-18-00106
Vallone G, Vittorio T. CompleteAchilles tendon rupture after local infiltration of corticosteroids in the treatment of deep retrocalcaneal bursitis.J Ultrasound.2014 Jun;17(2):165–7. doi:10.1007/s40477-014-0066-9
Lee HS, Choi YR, Kim SW, Lee JY, Seo JH, Jeong JJ.Risk factors affecting chronic rupture of the plantar fascia.Foot Ankle Int. 2014 Mar;35(3):258-63. doi:10.1177/1071100713514564
Ayhan E, Kesmezacar H, Akgun I.Intraarticular injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma) for the knee osteoarthritis.World J Orthop. 2014;5(3):351–61. doi:10.5312/wjo.v5.i3.351
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