Cortisone injections

Cortisone is a group of endogenous substances that are released in high concentrations every morning and then remain at a low level for the rest of the day.

Cortisone in tablet form can reduce general inflammation, for example in muscular rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis or other inflammatory diseases where an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate is seen in blood tests. However, if the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is not elevated, cortisone tablets usually have no effect on joint pain or other pain.

When cortisone is injected into a muscle attachment, into a joint or around a nerve root, it can sometimes provide long-term relief by reducing local inflammation. At our clinic, we mix cortisone with anesthetics during injections where we believe this can increase the chance of pain relief.

Long-term treatment with cortisone tablets carries a risk of side effects such as altered fat distribution and effects on the body's metabolism. With injection treatment, the risk of such general side effects is very small, but local side effects can occur. Therefore, it is important not to inject too large amounts of cortisone or repeat the treatment too often. As a rule, we never inject more than three times a year in the same place, which minimizes the risk of side effects.