Has anyone had cortisone shots for bad knees?

[garance]

One of my knees has finally said NO to step aerobics and impact. My doctor is trying me out on Voltaren, an anti-inflammatory, but it doesn't seem to be helping enough for me to do anything aerobic. It hurts to take stairs, to walk, to stand. I feel like a sedentary cucumber. The next step would be cortisone shots and then, if that does nothing, synvesic shots (not sure of spelling there), which apparently Foulk, the famed closer of the Red Sox bullpen, is taking for his knees. After that, I guess it would have to be knee replacement. Anyone here had experience with any of the above??? (excluding Foulk, of course, although that would be interesting)

 

[clothesminded]

I developed runner's knee after attempting to run 5 miles when I hadn't done anything for years. (NOTE: not a good idea!) It felt like a knife stabbing my knee when I would go downstairs. I eventually just laid off the high impact stuff and took a ton of advil. My doctor suggested not doing any squats, lunges, etc. but I just couldn't do that. I have found wearing a knee brace VERY effective when I do anything that is remotely high impact.
Aren't cortisone shots a temporary fix?

 

[garance]

My doctor says it's like putting out a fire for many patients. Once the inflammation goes away, it sometimes stays away for a long time. My husband had an epidural for chronic back pain after trying a lot of stuff, and it has lasted for over a year. I did wear a knee brace for awhile, but it did not help with the inflammation.

 

[toughYrun]

I know a few runners who have had cortisone shots for inflamation. Everyone of them has said that it took care of the problem.

Last fall I had some pain and inflamation in my left inner ankle area so my doctor gave me a cortisone shot. Not only did it not work but about 6 months later I noticed some very pronounced muscle definition in my lower left leg. An MRI revealed that the cortisone had caused major fat loss in and around the injection site. According to my MD that is a rare reaction and only the second time she had seen it in 16 years. My left ankle now looks much smaller than my right!

 

[sunnyside]

I tweaked my knee doing "The Bar Method/yoga booty ballet" type squats. It was very painful for quite a few months. I was positive it needed surgery again (had surgery on both knees 4 years ago).
I went to the docs and asked him to give me a cortizone shot before he took any Xrays and see if by chance it might help. Within a month the pain was gone and I was back to normal.

I've also had a cortizone shot in my shoulder, for a rotator cuff injury. My shoulder is fine now.

 

[ColleenM]

I've had about 6 cortisone shots for various injuries: runner's knee (2 shots), carpal tunnel, pf, neck problems...they were always a last resort and none of them worked long-term for me.

Colleen