cortison shot for shoulder bursitis - General Health Message Board

beanstock · 10-01-2008, 08:32 AM

I've been suffering from shoulder bursitis, and months of rest and anti inflammatories haven't helped, so it seems my doctor wants to try the cortisone shot. I'm afraid of this option, just because I've heard how painful they can be. Those of you who have had them, how bad is it? And does one shot tend to do the trick or is repetition needed? My doctor said he wouldn't do more than three shots total, so I do hope it helps!

feelbad · 10-01-2008, 09:08 AM

honestly,they are not that bad,really. i have had a few done into my knee and they were okay. its done pretty quickly. the ones i had done in my spine were much worse after than the knee ones. what i am wondering,since you have not yet seemed to even respond to all of the treatments with the anti inflammatories if what you actually have is much more in depth than just simple bursitis. i had bursitis in my right shoulder many years ago and it it responded really well to just naproxen and moist heat compresses,and keeping it in a sling for about a week. it eventually all went away within about a month.

thats one thing that makes me really wonder if you don't actually have some level of rotator cuff damage to a tendon or some other issue going on. you could also have bursitis but it is not clearing because of other underlying damage too,you know what i mean? i really do think at this point an MRI is what really is needed just to really see if this IS bursitis alone or something actually damaged inthere too. one thing i found out when i saw my ortho for my surgical consult after my MRI confirmed some pretty heavy damage in the rotator cuff(among other things found,a total complete tear of the very top tendon that runs across the top of the shoulder to the neck area?)he told me that rotator cuff tears are one of the most common ortho injuries in people. that shoulder area and that joint just do sooo much and over and over that it wears down and it just takes a beating thru out our lives,ya know?

just given that fact that you have not responded at all to the most common treatments for bursitis,i really would talk with your doc about at the very least,sending you for an MRI on that shoulder,just to really see for certain whats in there and if this even IS actual bursitis,or something else in there that could actually be damaged in some way. it would save you alot of hassle with treatments that are just not going to really work at all for you if there is actual damage in there. our shoulders just really do take alot of wear and tear and can be easily damaged over time. my initial tear in my rotator actually started(i know this is when it started just be symptoms i had)back in 1989 with a lifting injury. it just got worse and worse over the years til that top tendon finally snapped in half last nov on me. my MRI then showed alot of damage to areas that needed surgical repair, just did not have a clue it was that bad til the MRI showed it all. just getting an MRI will show for the most part what is the main issue or issues in there,then you just go from there,ya know? i just personally think you have much more than simple bursitis going on in there. i seriously would speak to your doc about that MRI,then at least you will kow what you are dealing with here. i do wish you luck with the injection and hope it helps you,but most just give temporary relief at best then you need to keep repeating. you will get to a point where you just cannot actually take anymore cort. it can cause its own types of damage if used on a repeated basis. i would push for that MRI hon. please keep meposted on how things go,K? FB

wakkochic17 · 10-01-2008, 11:17 AM

I wouldn't say the shot is comfortable, but it's not painful either.
I had a shot in my shoulder for bursitis when I had combination of that and rotator cuff problems. It didn't by any means solve the problem, but it did help. I still had to do physical therapy and anti-inflammatories for awhile, but it did take the edge off to help heal it. Good luck!

beanstock · 10-02-2008, 08:23 AM

Actually, it turns out that I've got frozen shoulder, which is what bursitis can become if it doesn't resolve. Tomorrow I'll get the cortisone shot (under X-ray guidance) and then in a week I'll begin physical therapy. I'm glad to at least know what it is, and to feel like there might be some relief in the near future!

bunnys4me · 10-12-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beanstock

I've been suffering from shoulder bursitis, and months of rest and anti inflammatories haven't helped, so it seems my doctor wants to try the cortisone shot. I'm afraid of this option, just because I've heard how painful they can be. Those of you who have had them, how bad is it? And does one shot tend to do the trick or is repetition needed? My doctor said he wouldn't do more than three shots total, so I do hope it helps!

I have had four shots so far and yeah it hurts like hell but it does only hurt for that second that they are giving it to you so far it has been one week and so far it has worked Just tough it up and go get them. I just wanted to tell you it does hurt but it has relief