What is Cortisone?

WHAT IS CORTISONE?
- Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory drug, used by the medical profession as a way to reduce localised musculoskeletal pain. Most commonly administered by injection, Cortisone will be specifically targeted by your treating physician at the source of your pain.

WHAT IS THE AIM OF CORTISONE?
- Cortisone is not a cure.  Most often, Cortisone is used in weak areas where pain and inflammation have accumulated. Cortisone acts as a pain reducing/bridging treatment, which allows you to then commence an exercise program targeted at preventing the cause of pain occurring in the future.

WHY DO I NEED IT?
- After medical review with your physician, you may be advised that a cortisone injection is the best course of action in reducing your painful symptoms. Most commonly, Cortisone injections are used for conditions including, bursitis, paratendonitis, tenosynovitis, joint synovitis, osteo-arthritis and chronic muscle strain (Brukner and Khan 2012)

HOW DOES IT WORK?
- The cortisone injection has anti-inflammatory properties within its composition. Your physician will provide a localised injection accurately to affect the site of pain in your musculoskeletal system.

ARE THERE ANY SIDE-AFFECTS?
- Cortisone does not always work. This can be for a number of reasons. If the anti-inflammatory factors within the cortisone formulae do not accurately reach their desired target, then the inflammation causing the previous pain will remain.
- Cortisone is not a cure and is not always successful. Occasionally secondary injections can be trialled in an attempt to assist with pain reduction, however this is normally limited to a maximum of 3 per 12 months to prevent tissue damage (Brukner and Khan 2012)

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
- Cortisone is used as a bridging treatment to allow you to commence an exercise program targeted at re-building strength in the weak muscles and tendons which have led to your painful symptoms. If you do not wish to receive a cortisone injection, you can trial an exercise program using only Anti-inflammatory medication in conjunction with your physiotherapist and medical practictioner.

Josh Troy
Physiotherapist
B.Hlth.Sci/M.Phys (APAM)