Are Cortisone Injections Safe?

“Health is the thing that makes you feel that now is the best time of the year.” Franklin P. Adams

If you suffer from ongoing joint pain, your doctor may recommend that you get a corticosteroid, or hydrocortisone injection. Common places are in the knee, along the lower spine, and in the shoulder joint. Because cortisol can drastically reduce inflammatory conditions, the synthetic form of cortisone is often used to treat several kinds of inflammatory conditions, ranging from an acute allergic response to chronic pain that can go on for years.

Your doctor will tell you that the effects of an injection into a joint are local and not systemic. If the effects of anything in the body are systemic, this means that it affects the entire body, as opposed to just one area. Is there any part of the body that is completely isolated from the rest? The entire body is a network of cells, all communicating with one another.

Within the joints, some tissues have no blood or lymphatic vessels. This means that there is very little space for red blood cells and white blood cells to enter into this tissue. It also means that this makes joint tissue more isolated. However, even in these cases, this tissue still receives nutrients from surrounding blood supply. This happens either through diffusion or through movement and exercise.

Hydrocortisone shots can improve quality of life, and they can drastically reduce pain. When used properly, the anti-inflammatory effect of a steroid injection will help to preserve tissue. This is because inflammation leads to tissue destruction.