Cortisone Injection (Corticosteroid Injection)
of Soft Tissues & Joints

Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• What are corticosteroids?
• Is a cortisone injection merely a pain reliever or temporary remedy?
• For what conditions are cortisone injections used?
• What are the advantages of cortisone injections?
• What are the disadvantages and side effects of cortisone injections?
• Are there special advantages in using cortisone injections for joint inflammation (arthritis)?
• Are there special side effects that can occur with cortisone joint injections?
• How are cortisone injections of soft tissues given?
• How are cortisone injections of a joint given?
• "I've always heard that cortisone injections are painful? Are they?"

What are corticosteroids?

Corticosteroids are a class of medications that are related to cortisone. Medications of this class reduce inflammation powerfully. They are used to reduce inflammation caused by a variety of diseases. Cortisone is one type of corticosteroid. For the purpose of this review, "cortisone" is used interchangeably with "corticosteroid."

Corticosteroids can be taken by mouth, inhaled, applied to the skin, given intravenously (into a vein), or injected into the tissues of the body. Examples of corticosteroids include prednisone and prednisolone (given by mouth), Solu-Medrol (given intravenously), as well as triamcinolone, kenalog, celestone, Depo-Medrol, and others (given by injection into body tissues). This article describes the role of cortisone injections into the soft tissues and joints.

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

Night Sweats - Night sweats have many different causes. A doctors must take a complete medical history and order tests to find the cause of the underlying medical condition that is responsible for night sweats. Source:MedicineNet Lower Back Pain - Get information on causes of lower back pain (arthritis, pregnancy, herniated disc, sciatica, spinal stenosis, endometriosis, ovarian cysts), treatment and diagnosis. Source:MedicineNet Arthritis - Read about arthritis causes, diagnosis, information, symptoms, and treatment. Symptoms of this type of disorder include joint pain, swelling, and inflammation. Source:MedicineNet Read 25 more Cortisone Injection related articles ... Docs Issue Guideline on Screening for Osteoporosis in Men Health Tip: Foods That Can Aggravate Heartburn Health Tip: Good Shoes Can Prevent Falls Hunger Hormone Makes Food Look More Tasty Several Therapies Show Promise for Vascular Depression Health Highlights: May 7, 2008 Virtual Reality Therapy May Help PTSD Patients Some Weight-Loss Drugs Might Disrupt Brain Growth in Kids Cleaner Air May Threaten Amazon Rainforest Researchers Publish Genome Sequence for Duck-Billed Platypus