Has anyone had cortisone shots in their back for chronis pain?

[KidsHappen]

Can you give me the lowdown? I am scheduled for my first on Wednesday and I have no idea what to expect. Will it hurt? How long does it take to start working? How long will it last? Will I be able to drive myself home? Will I be able to do anything else for the rest of the day? Are there any complications or side effects? Anything else I need to know? Thanks so much. I am very nervous about this.

[HRAAB]

My dh has had several. He has never had any problems with them. I always go with him, just in case, but he's always been able to drive and I usually get lunch out of it. ;) He did say they were uncomfortable, but he has a pretty high pain tolerance level. The cortisone shots were nothing compared to the nerve ablation or the lumbar epidural injection. That last one he said he didn't think he'd ever do again.

 

They've helped to a point for a few months, but none of them have given long term relief. That's just him though. We met a lady in the Dr.'s office who had almost total relief from her low back pain for over 6 mos. from a cortisone injection.

 

Best wishes.

 

Janet

[TravelingChris]

I have never had cortisone shots in my back. However, I have had them in my elbows and my toes. They don't work immediately. It takes a day or two and then the pain goes away. Now I don't know if they would do anything at all if you don't have arthritis or some other form of inflammation. I have an inflammatory form of arthritis.

[Jann in TX]

The first one can be pretty 'iffy'. It WILL hurt going in--if they numb the the area first the numbing shot WILL hurt.

 

IF you get relief it will start fairly soon. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. You can only have a few each year. It is only a band-aid for the problem--it will not cure anything.

 

My Orthopedic Surgeon has recommend this to me again--but I will NOT do it because I have adverse physical problems when I take high-dose steroids (think how much fun having a period that lasts for 3 months is!).

 

I have a bad disk (degenerative disk disease)--in fact that disk is 'gone' and my spine is tilted to one side. A chiropractor can temporarily relieve the pain--but it WILL return because the problem will always remain there.. I do not respond to most painkillers either--so my options are limited.

 

I will be having surgery as soon as my *&^* insurance company will provide the approval letter...argggg.. Strange that I'm actually looking FORWARD to surgery!

 

Jann

[LG Gone Wild]

I am very curious. I've had them in my feet and the experience was unpleasant but it did work. I had only one treatment and it has lasted years. I had it done to both feet, one time, ten years ago.

 

Of course the back is scary. I wish you the best (said a little prayer even if that's not your thing :tongue_smilie:). Hope you get a pain relief.

[elizabeth]

I had these two years ago the injections did sting as the needle went into the area around the upper trapezius(sp?) however my doc used a lidocaine spray while the shot was being given which helped. They sting and you must remain still as you do not want to get a punctured lung . They did nothing for me but oral steroid therapy for an acute episode was helpful. If you have not had an MRI I suggest refusing the injections until they have a pretty solid idea what is causing the pain. My back pain in the middle of my back between the blades was not gallbaldder disease but rather a rotator cuff injury compounded with c-4, c-5 neck disc degeneration without a compromised nerver root problem. I take Elavil and do massage therapy once a week. I am so thankful that I quit smoking(horrible for chronic pain) and have found relief. Start with your feet, if there is insufficient support and a disc is damaged every step sends shock waves through your central nervous system . Back pain is like a water leak in the home it is nearly impossible to trace it to its origin but that must be done or else everything else is a band aid masking the underlying problem. Keep us posted please. Naturally you are in my thoughts and prayers . Take dh if possible for the injections should you decide to have them. You need help getting home due to the tenderness and possible nerve damage at the injection site. The Medrol injections might give relief but they make ligament tears far more likely-nice choices- huh???!The shots are not without risk but far safer than epidural injections which I have never seen work on our clients and they are risky as heck.

[KidsHappen]

I had these two years ago the injections did sting as the needle went into the area around the upper trapezius(sp?) however my doc used a lidocaine spray while the shot was being given which helped. They sting and you must remain still as you do not want to get a punctured lung . They did nothing for me but oral steroid therapy for an acute episode was helpful. If you have not had an MRI I suggest refusing the injections until they have a pretty solid idea what is causing the pain. My back pain in the middle of my back between the blades was not gallbaldder disease but rather a rotator cuff injury compounded with c-4, c-5 neck disc degeneration without a compromised nerver root problem. I take Elavil and do massage therapy once a week. I am so thankful that I quit smoking(horrible for chronic pain) and have found relief. Start with your feet, if there is insufficient support and a disc is damaged every step sends shock waves through your central nervous system . Back pain is like a water leak in the home it is nearly impossible to trace it to its origin but that must be done or else everything else is a band aid masking the underlying problem. Keep us posted please. Naturally you are in my thoughts and prayers . Take dh if possible for the injections should you decide to have them. You need help getting home due to the tenderness and possible nerve damage at the injection site. The Medrol injections might give relief but they make ligament tears far more likely-nice choices- huh???!The shots are not without risk but far safer than epidural injections which I have never seen work on our clients and they are risky as heck.

 

 

I have had an MRI and know that it is a disc problem. I can't take Elavil but I can take pain meds. I was planning on taking another driver with me just in case. I am a wimp when it comes to pain and also have serious anxiety hence the nervousness.

[Twinmom]

Try not to be nervous. It only hurts for a moment, and no more than any other shot IMO. I've had lots of them for a nerve spasm in my back. If you are worried, ask them to numb the area first. It will definitely help.

 

Don't stress...just think about the pain relief you'll get over the next few days and the pin prick will be worth it all!

 

:grouphug:

[katemary63]

I had chronic sciatica due to a bulging disc for several years. I spent the better part of a year, on the floor in agony - totally unable to sit or stand for more then 2 minutes at a time. I tried the TENS unit - hated that thing. I tried meds, exercises, physical therapy. Two things have relieved most of my problem and kept me pain free for 7 years.

 

1. Cortisone injection. I had it once. The pain was gone with in a couple of days and hasn't returned.

 

2. A physical therapist FINALLY told me the secret to MY back problem. She told me to ENGAGE my abs and core muscles. I had been doing the exercises for YEARS! But I wasn't USING the right muscles at the right time. Why didn't SOMEONE tell me that sooner! I would have avoided years of pain. I had been told a hundred times by many PTs to strengthen my core and abs. But noone ever pointed out that I had to intensionally USE them WHEN I needed them. So, finally, my beloved, wonderful, life-saving PT, Mary, told me this:

 

When ever you take your body out of vertical, engage the core first.

 

Even after YEARS of physical therapy, I had NO IDEA I was supposed to be doing that! She said to slow down and do it with volition. Eventually, it will become second nature ( for some people, it just isn't.) So, when I am sitting at the kitchen table and need to reach for the salt - engage my core - THEN reach. When I am vaccuming, engage my core, THEN vaccum. EVERYTIME I take my body out of vertical, I engage my core, hold it tight, make my move, what ever it need be, THEN relax my core muscles when I am back in the verticle position. It took a while to get the hang of it. But now?? I run a farm. I lift bales of hay and bags of feed. I shovel manure and ride horses. And EVERY SINGLE NIGHT when I go to bed, I thank God for Mary. I NEVER would have been able to do these things before her enlightening lesson! I probably would have had surgery by now if it weren't for her.

 

As for the back injection. Mine was into the space that holds the sciatic nerve - can't remember what it's called? I don't know if that's the kind you're having. It wasn't very fun, but hey, if you are in that much pain, this is no big deal. My only problem is that the nurse TOLD me the medicine going in would not hurt. She said that I would feel a funny sensation down my leg, but that it would not be painful. Boy was SHE misinformed. I felt an electric type PAIN shoot down my leg. It was very intense. Now, If I had KNOWN it was normal, I would have been able to handle it fine. But I THOUGHT something was wrong because she told me it would NOT BE PAIN! So I paniced a little and yelled out. If you are prepared that it will hurt momentarily, you will be fine. I would have it again in a heart beat if I needed it.

 

Good luck. You'll be fine and I'm sure the injection will help. And maybe someone reading will be helped by Mary's advice also??

[G5052]

And you're supposed to take it easy the rest of the day.

 

DH has had probably a dozen over the years, and is having one into his tailbone tomorrow:001_unsure:. Some have worked longer than others, but he has neurological damage as well. For him, they're not a solution but a way to drop the pain down a little.

[Unicorn.]

My dad has had them. He gets a series of 3, 2 weeks apart I think. I have to drive him to and from. He can't eat for several hours before, and then only soft foods(eggs, potato) and liquids later because of nausea. They usually give him some anesthesia or pain killer that makes him sleep during the shots. He is not allowed to drive or anything for 24 hours after. They told him the shots would last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. W/ him it was about a year. As others said, the pain relief is not immediate, but they did help him. HTH