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Cortisone shots

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so tomorrow morning I am getting two shots in between my L4-L5 and S1-S2. My discs are protruding and impinging my nerves. Curious if any one else here has had this done and could give any experience.
 

kit_luce

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No first hand experience myself, but have several family members who have had it done. They all seemed to have fairly good relief for a while. But, take something to bite on because it will hurt like no other going in
 
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Yes I have had sedation. Usually makes me sick when I come out of full sedation though. Need to remember to let the, know that tomorrow morning,
 

Pennywise827

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I call cortisone "demon semen" cause it burns like the fires of hell going in...and well it appears like it might have come from a horned beast.

It will hurt alot for a bit, but will give shocking amounts of relief. Well worth it.

I have partial tears in each rotator....I reaggrivate them often, and cortisone keeps me from going under the knife and a long recovery.
 

Cigary43

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Cortisone brings relief but often the patient aggravates the condition because cortisone acts much like novacane does to mask the pain. It give us a false sense of relief to where the patient overexerts and causes a relapse in which case cortisone shots are repeated. Physical therapy is a must when using cortisone as an agent to help healing.
 
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I had a cortisone injection in my shoulder after a weightlifting injury. I wouldn’t say it hurts but it feels weird as shit going in. So weird to the point that I briefly blacked out immediately after. @Cigary43 is spot on though. Cortisone will not fix an injury. When you feel back to normal after a couple weeks... listen to your doc and wait at least ANOTHER 4-6 weeks before doing anything strenuous. not sure how physical therapy will be for your injury but best of luck to you.
 
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You’ll probably be limited to two or three cortisone shots, as it thins most of the structures in the wounded area. Best to get physical therapy and a permanent fix.
 
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I have had two series of cortisone shots in my back for two bulging (and one eventually herniated) disc in the same area as your shots. First, the shots do not hurt as much as some folk suggested here. They gave me a surface shot to dumb the injection area, and they include a numbing agent in with the injection. I had no IV. The shot itself itself is not really painful when going in - more like pressure with a little ache. When they pump in the cortisone, you will feel a burning sensation for just a few seconds. The more intense it is, the closer they are to the source of your initial pain. The whole procedure takes less than 15 minutes - I think my last one took about 10 minutes total. The numbing agent will give you a day or two of relief before it wears off. The cortisone can take up to 3-4 weeks to fully take effect.

My first set of injections was to deal with a herniated disc and related sciatica about 3 years ago. The first injection did nothing for me. It was also the least painful shot. I went back for a second injection 3 months later (they limit the number to four per year and a minimum of 3 months between injections). The second injection reduced the pain by about 50% over the next couple of weeks. I then started to do elliptical (which I hadn't done before) and almost immediately the paid was reduced by about 90% - literally while I was on the machine. Something about the movement seems to help. It may have been that the cortisone was finally kicking in and was just a coincidence. But I have been doing an hour of elliptical every morning since then and it is great for my back. And since then I have had no pain from the herniated disc (which eventually dried up and receded from the nerve).

The second set of injections was for a bulging disc at L4/L5 area about a year ago. The first injection again helped a bit but after a few weeks the effect wore off. Again I got a second injection after about 4 months and for the first three weeks it did nothing to help. But around the fourth week it was like a switch was turned on and I had almost total relief. Almost a year later and it still feels pretty good.

And also btw, cortisone does not mask the pain as mentioned above. It works to reduce the inflammation and swelling that is impinging on the nerve. This helps to relieve the vicious cycle of impingement leading to inflammation and swelling, leading to further impingement. It actually helps to eliminate the source of the pain, not mask it. That said, this just creates the ability to engage in the physical therapy required to prevent or mitigate the onset of more back problems and pain. I do 30 minutes of floor work for my back every morning followed by an hour on the elliptical. So far I'm still able to hike mountains every summer and Scuba dive every winter (in the warm climes) as I wander through my 6th decade on this earth.

And to put a cap on the issue, when the back does act up a bit, there is nothing like a good cigar in the back yard or on the beach to get me right.
 
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Thanks all. Everything went good this morning. I am pretty sore right now but that was expected. I am trying to not do a whole lot today, but with my daughters 9th birthday/sleepover on Saturday there is still ALOT to do.
 

Cigary43

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I have a two series of cortisone shots in my back for two bulging (and one eventually herniated) disc in the same area as your shots. First, the shots do not hurt as much as some folk suggested here. They gave me a surface shot to dumb the injection area, and they include a numbing agent in with the injection. I had no IV. The shot itself itself is not really painful when going in - more like pressure with a little ache. When they pump in the cortisone, you will feel a burning sensation for just a few seconds. The more intense it is, the closer they are to the source of your initial pain. The whole procedure takes less than 15 minutes - I think my last one took about 10 minutes total. The numbing agent will give you a day or two of relief before it wears off. The cortisone can take up to 3-4 weeks to fully take effect.

My first set of injections was to deal with a herniated disc and related sciatica about 3 years ago. The first injection did nothing for me. It was also the least painful shot. I went back for a second injection 3 months later (they limit the number to four per year and a minimum of 3 months between injections). The second injection reduced the pain by about 50% over the next couple of weeks. I then started to do elliptical (which I hadn't done before) and almost immediately the paid was reduced by about 90% - literally while I was on the machine. Something about the movement seems to help. It may have been that the cortisone was finally kicking in and was just a coincidence. But I have been doing an hour of elliptical every morning since then and it is great for my back. And since then I have had no pain from the herniated disc (which eventually dried up and receded from the nerve).

The second set of injections was for a bulging disc at L4/L5 area about a year ago. The first injection again helped a bit but after a few weeks the effect wore off. Again I got a second injection after about 4 months and for the first three weeks it did nothing to help. But around the fourth week it was like a switch was turned on and I had almost total relief. Almost a year later and it still feels pretty good.

And also btw, cortisone does not mask the pain as mentioned above. It works to reduce the inflammation and swelling that is impinging on the nerve. This helps to relieve the vicious cycle of impingement leading to inflammation and swelling, leading to further impingement. It actually helps to eliminate the source of the pain, not mask it. That said, this just creates the ability to engage in the physical therapy required to prevent or mitigate the onset of more back problems and pain. I do 30 minutes of floor work for my back every morning followed by an hour on the elliptical. So far I'm still able to hike mountains every summer and Scuba dive every winter (in the warm climes) as I wander through my 6th decade on this earth.

And to put a cap on the issue, when the back does act up a bit, there is nothing like a good cigar in the back yard or on the beach to get me right.
I have a two series of cortisone shots in my back for two bulging (and one eventually herniated) disc in the same area as your shots. First, the shots do not hurt as much as some folk suggested here. They gave me a surface shot to dumb the injection area, and they include a numbing agent in with the injection. I had no IV. The shot itself itself is not really painful when going in - more like pressure with a little ache. When they pump in the cortisone, you will feel a burning sensation for just a few seconds. The more intense it is, the closer they are to the source of your initial pain. The whole procedure takes less than 15 minutes - I think my last one took about 10 minutes total. The numbing agent will give you a day or two of relief before it wears off. The cortisone can take up to 3-4 weeks to fully take effect.

My first set of injections was to deal with a herniated disc and related sciatica about 3 years ago. The first injection did nothing for me. It was also the least painful shot. I went back for a second injection 3 months later (they limit the number to four per year and a minimum of 3 months between injections). The second injection reduced the pain by about 50% over the next couple of weeks. I then started to do elliptical (which I hadn't done before) and almost immediately the paid was reduced by about 90% - literally while I was on the machine. Something about the movement seems to help. It may have been that the cortisone was finally kicking in and was just a coincidence. But I have been doing an hour of elliptical every morning since then and it is great for my back. And since then I have had no pain from the herniated disc (which eventually dried up and receded from the nerve).

The second set of injections was for a bulging disc at L4/L5 area about a year ago. The first injection again helped a bit but after a few weeks the effect wore off. Again I got a second injection after about 4 months and for the first three weeks it did nothing to help. But around the fourth week it was like a switch was turned on and I had almost total relief. Almost a year later and it still feels pretty good.

And also btw, cortisone does not mask the pain as mentioned above. It works to reduce the inflammation and swelling that is impinging on the nerve. This helps to relieve the vicious cycle of impingement leading to inflammation and swelling, leading to further impingement. It actually helps to eliminate the source of the pain, not mask it. That said, this just creates the ability to engage in the physical therapy required to prevent or mitigate the onset of more back problems and pain. I do 30 minutes of floor work for my back every morning followed by an hour on the elliptical. So far I'm still able to hike mountains every summer and Scuba dive every winter (in the warm climes) as I wander through my 6th decade on this earth.

And to put a cap on the issue, when the back does act up a bit, there is nothing like a good cigar in the back yard or on the beach to get me right.
When I said that it masks the pain... The cortisone shot will do as you said but at the same time the patient tends to overexert the area that is damaged which is prone to making things even worse because the shot does mask the actual pain... which often aggravates and makes the injury worse. A shot "helps" the injury heal as long as the patient doesn't over exert that particular injury...which is why rehab and PT is usually indicated as part of the program. A cortisone shot is just one step towards complete healing.

I've had treatments at Raleigh-Durham University hospital for two rotator cuff injuries... 1 core decompression in my left hip... and was told by the chief of orthopedics about the reality of cortisone shots... he was the one who told me about how the shots will "mask" the pain and how patients think that they have been healed and then would re-injure and sometimes make the injury even worse. Physical therapy in most instances is required to ensure that there is a lessoned chance for re- injury.
 
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I typically get two injections every 6 months in L3-L4 and L4-L5. It takes two for me to really feel good. I feel sensitive for a few days afterwards. The worst side effect for me is that it pops my BP for a couple of days and I have to avoid salty foods. This approach has helped me avoid surgery for over 7 years, which most surgeons really want you to wait until the pain is unbearable and shooting down your leg.



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When I said that it masks the pain... The cortisone shot will do as you said but at the same time the patient tends to overexert the area that is damaged which is prone to making things even worse because the shot does mask the actual pain... which often aggravates and makes the injury worse. A shot "helps" the injury heal as long as the patient doesn't over exert that particular injury...which is why rehab and PT is usually indicated as part of the program. A cortisone shot is just one step towards complete healing.

I've had treatments at Raleigh-Durham University hospital for two rotator cuff injuries... 1 core decompression in my left hip... and was told by the chief of orthopedics about the reality of cortisone shots... he was the one who told me about how the shots will "mask" the pain and how patients think that they have been healed and then would re-injure and sometimes make the injury even worse. Physical therapy in most instances is required to ensure that there is a lessoned chance for re- injury.
I agree - the injections just get you to where you need to do the PT for any lasting benefit. Good points. And don't forget the therapeutic effects of a good cigar :)
 
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Be sure to keep an eye out. If you start losing muscle mass in your arms or have tingling pains and needles. I don't know where in relation to your spine where those discs are.
 
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Be sure to keep an eye out. If you start losing muscle mass in your arms or have tingling pains and needles. I don't know where in relation to your spine where those discs are.
For me it would actually be my legs as it is my lower back. I have not had any of numbness or tingling in my legs. Hopefully it never gets that bad. Really weird though. Today, two days after the shots, my upper back has started bothering me.
 

Cigary43

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Be sure to keep an eye out. If you start losing muscle mass in your arms or have tingling pains and needles. I don't know where in relation to your spine where those discs are.
Injections in a general sense have their benefits but there are risks associated with them which is why a good Ortho Dr. will limit how many injections given ( usually 3 ),,,over time and depending on the location ligament tissue can be damaged in those areas affected ( shoulder and elbow and wrists ),,,,nerves in the spine can be affected and that begins a whole other problem. I was fortunate to get some of the best help from those Drs in Raleigh-Durham who are the best and when I had my first rotator cuff injury I went to my regular Health Plan Ortho people and they screwed my shoulder up from what they believed was appropriate care..it wasn't and it took a second injury for me to travel to Duke to get my procedure done the right way.,,,PT after the injection for a few months was given and made all the difference and for 20 years I've not had one episode from any joint/back where they gave me the best of care. It pays to get ALL information about who cares for you and getting the best ( under your Health Plan ) can be the difference from getting it fixed right or dealing with it for the rest of your life.

For all of us FOGs who deal with aches and pains.....most injuries come from simple things like bending over,,,,turning your body in a weird way.....etc. It was the Ortho Dr. at Duke who told me simply while under his care.... stretch every day you get up before going out to minimize risk to body parts. Old people tend to think they don't need to stretch....we do and 10 minutes of slow stretching exercising makes all the difference in the world as we let our bodies atrophy as we age and it's like rubber band he told me.....if you don't use your muscles in the right way it's like a dried out rubber band..they will stretch but at some point they WILL break and always at the worse time when your ability to rehab is compromised. 10 minutes in the morning is a small price to pay for being able to keep your musculo-skeleton in shape. Anybody with a bad back would tell you that ....."if I just would have listened and done those f'n exercises I'd be ok today."

Reward yourself with a daily good cigar for keeping yourself limber enough to do the things you used to do when you were 30.....and yes, your wife or G/F will benefit from your exercises.....ya know what I mean Vern?
 
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I typically get two injections every 6 months in L3-L4 and L4-L5. It takes two for me to really feel good. I feel sensitive for a few days afterwards. The worst side effect for me is that it pops my BP for a couple of days and I have to avoid salty foods. This approach has helped me avoid surgery for over 7 years, which most surgeons really want you to wait until the pain is unbearable and shooting down your leg.



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I've also had a 7 year struggle with three herniated discs in my neck. I have the injections every 1-2 years and they work well for me.
 
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