Cortisone Shot for knee pain??

Muscleflex79
Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Interested in hearing any experiences from people that have had cortisone shots for arthritic knees?? MRI came back showing advanced osteoarthritis (I'm only 35!) and the doctor wants to try other options before surgery. Got my first cortisone shot today - anyone else had this done? How quick did you get some relief and how long did it last?? I'm very active with weights and the pain and swelling (before the shot) has been severely limiting my workouts. Any experience/insight is greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Replies

  • manbeast706
    manbeast706 Posts: 8
    I have had those and 7 steroid shots in 37. It is a temporary relief. It shortened my career in the Army. They work but only short time.
  • manbeast706
    manbeast706 Posts: 8
    manbeast706 wrote: »
    I have had those and 7 steroid shots in 37. It is a temporary relief. It shortened my career in the Army. They work but only short time.
    I'm 37
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    I had one in my knee a few years back due to osteo. I had broken my right foot and was on crutches, but after a month and half the left knee swelled up due to putting all the weight on my left side. By the way, I wasn't obese, just bad knees (I weighted around 130-140 at the time). The ortho drained the fluid in the knee and gave me the shot. It was even more sore and swollen for about 48 hours, but then subsided, and while I have some knee pain, I haven't been troubled to that extent since. I have recently had a cortisone shot in my shoulder, which gave me temporary relief, but I did some shoveling this week and last week, and I'm almost as bad as I was before the shot.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    I have OA (38). No, I haven't had a shot. I've heard and read they can cause damage to soft tissues longer term.
  • jackiemarie3
    jackiemarie3 Posts: 8 Member
    I've done Synvisc and it helped me a lot. Series of 3 injections
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    thanks for the replies so far, guys. anyone tried synvisc AND cortisone (at different times obviously) that could offer a comparison between the two?? jackiemarie, how fast did the synvisc start working and how long did it last?? had you ever tried cortisone before?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    The biggest issue I see with athletes and lifters who use cortisone is that the "masked" pain threshold gives one the illusion that everything is back to normal and intensity gets increased which could thereby cause more tissue/injury damage.
    If you get it done, the idea would be to lay off for awhile. Of course for most people that work out, that advice usually goes unheeded.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • manbeast706
    manbeast706 Posts: 8
    Amen I used it as a mask. Lesson learned lesson earned
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    I get cortisone shots in my toes for a Morton's Neuroma (angry nerve). They worked very well three times, I recently got the 4th shot (each lasted about a year) and it's not working 100% - which is expected. Usually they kick in by the day after the shot.
    -
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
    I had a cortisone shot for shoulder problems, but what made the difference was physiotherapy and learning to use my shoulder/arm in ways that did not cause a flare up. I would choose physio over cortisone every time because of the potential soft tissue problems caused by cortisone. My problems were tendon based though, and I suspect arthritis is different.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    ninerbuff - anything you would recommend as an alternative to the cortisone shot??
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    charmmeth - i hear what you are saying, but my problem is my knee has been so swollen/inflamed that I am unable (most days) to do the physio exercises they want me to do. so i guess the hope is that the cortisone shot takes care of the swelling so I can at least bend my knee again and do the exercises.
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
    Sorry: only just found this again. That sounds agonising: I hope the cortisone reduces the swelling and frees things up for you. Good luck!
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