# Anyone ever have cortisone shots in the knees?



## Ruthanne (Feb 10, 2017)

I am going to be getting cortisone shots in my knees this coming week.  The one knee hurts all the time when I bend it.  The other has hurt before and today after picking up some dog doo doo outside my knee almost locked.  I almost couldn't walk for a little while.  Hopefully my doctor will agree to put cortisone in both knees now that they both are hurting.

Has anyone had any good results from cortisone shots in the knees?  I have had steroids in the spine that worked wonders but never in the knees.


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## Lon (Feb 10, 2017)

Years ago I had cortisone shots in both knees to reduce pain and swelling due torn meniscus in both knees caused by playing Racquetball. 
Within a matter of a couple of months I had to have surgery to repair meniscus in the right knee and the following year the left knee.
The right knee was done in California and the left in New Zealand.


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## jnos (Feb 10, 2017)

Ruthanne, after having the same complaints as you, I was referred to an orthopedic surgeon, who ordered an MRI which showed a torn meniscus. Relatively easy surgery with four to six weeks of physical therapy. Now several years later I'm having similar pain but am putting it off. I've heard from others that it often reoccurs and has to be redone. For me one of the symptoms is tight muscles in back of leg from knee to ankle. 

I know others who routinely get cortisone shots for various issues. Never sounds good to me. I've never had them and hope I never will.

Good luck to you, Ruthanne, whichever way you go.


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## Don M. (Feb 10, 2017)

I haven't had any shots in the knees, but a couple of years ago, I tore a Rotator Cuff in my left shoulder.  The doctor gave me a Cortisone shot, and some gentle exercises to do.  The shot reduced the pain substantially, and within a month the shoulder was doing fine again.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Feb 10, 2017)

I have had the injections of cortisone mixed with hyaluranan (made from Rooster combs) or similar drug into my left knee after falling off a ladder and dislocating my knee and tearing through the meniscus about ten years ago. The doctor told me it is usually used for arthritis but to give it a try anyway. It didn't work but many people who have arthritis said it works great. I found that an evening or two spent with the heating pad works just as well. It all depends on what is causing the pain.


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## Lon (Feb 10, 2017)

Cortizone is no big deal.  I just had a injection last week by my Rheumatologist because of pain in my right hip and leg. I was just diagnosed last year with LATE ONSET RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS and cortisone is SOP for most of us with RA. Getting old ain't for sissies.


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## Butterfly (Feb 11, 2017)

I've not had these injections in knees, but know many people who have.  It helps some, and doesn't help others.  Most whom it has helped say it is very temporary.  The orthopedic surgeon (he specializes in knees and hips, and he's the one who replaced my hips) told my sister that whether or not it helps depends on what is actually wrong.  He told her that if knees are bone on bone, it won't do any good.


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## Marie5656 (Feb 11, 2017)

​I have had shots in my left knee and they worked quite well.  Much better than in my shoulder.  I only had to have it repeated once.  I guess it may depend on the underlying problem, too.  Good luck


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## dpwspringer (Feb 11, 2017)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I have had the injections of cortisone mixed with hyaluranan (made from Rooster combs) or similar drug into my left knee after falling off a ladder and dislocating my knee and tearing through the meniscus about ten years ago. The doctor told me it is usually used for arthritis but to give it a try anyway. It didn't work but many people who have arthritis said it works great. I found that an evening or two spent with the heating pad works just as well. It all depends on what is causing the pain.


I had bone on bone and was given a shog of hyaluranan (sp?), told to build up my muscles and lose weight. I wasn't in terrible pain at the time. That shot is suppose to act as a lubricant, WD40 for your joint, so to speak.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Feb 11, 2017)

dpwspringer said:


> I had bone on bone and was given a shog of hyaluranan (sp?), told to build up my muscles and lose weight. I wasn't in terrible pain at the time. That shot is suppose to act as a lubricant, WD40 for your joint, so to speak.


Yes,dpwspringer, in my case I think the WD40 would have worked better. I didn't have to lose weight but went for two rounds of physical therapy. My muscles are still weak in my left leg. Just aches now and then but no actual pain. Can't complain some folks have it a lot worse.


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## Ruthanne (Feb 11, 2017)

Thank you all for your replies.


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## jujube (Feb 11, 2017)

I have an appointment at the ortho on Tuesday for the knee I hurt last summer.  Seems like it's taken a turn for the worse.  When I called to get the appointment, she asked me which knee it was and I asked, "Does it make  a difference?"  "Yes" was the answer.   What, they have right knee specialists and left knee specialists now?  Okaaaay.


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## Ruthanne (Feb 11, 2017)

jujube said:


> I have an appointment at the ortho on Tuesday for the knee I hurt last summer.  Seems like it's taken a turn for the worse.  When I called to get the appointment, she asked me which knee it was and I asked, "Does it make  a difference?"  "Yes" was the answer.   What, they have right knee specialists and left knee specialists now?  Okaaaay.


They always ask me that, too.  I think it's just to put something on your chart for the doctor to see.


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## jnos (Feb 12, 2017)

I think the "right or left" question began after reports of surgeons operating on the wrong knee. That's also why when you go into surgery, they now write near your knee with a marker "Right Knee." It's just like each health care person (receptionist, nurse, lab tech, physician, etc.) you encounter in each visit or stay all ask you to repeat your birth date.


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## Buckeye (Feb 12, 2017)

I had a problem with my left knee last fall.  Doctor said it was bursitis and offered to do a cortisone injection.  I decided a daily dose of Merlot would be a better alternative. In a week or so my knee was fine.


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## Redlo Nosrep (Feb 12, 2017)

I experienced severe chronic pain in my right knee (and couldn't remember injuring it) a few years ago and visited an ortho doc. She was very careful to take the time to probe each inch around the area of pain and ask how I would rate the level of discomfort. By her process of elimination, she pinpointed the exact spot where she wanted to give the cortisone shot -- and I have been pain-free ever since!

So my recommendation if you decide on the shots is to ask for the same procedure and, hopefully, your problem will be solved as well. Good luck!


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## Butterfly (Feb 12, 2017)

jnos said:


> I think the "right or left" question began after reports of surgeons operating on the wrong knee. That's also why when you go into surgery, they now write near your knee with a marker "Right Knee." It's just like each health care person (receptionist, nurse, lab tech, physician, etc.) you encounter in each visit or stay all ask you to repeat your birth date.



I know that both times I went in for hip replacements, it seemed like about 150 times I was asked who I was, DOB, why I was there, which hip was going to be replaced, and at least two people (one of them my surgeon) wrote on my leg.  I know why they did it, and am glad they are so careful, but by the time I was ready to actually go in the operating room, I felt like saying "ask the last 42 people who talked to me."  But I behaved myself.


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## Ruthanne (Feb 12, 2017)

Redlo Nosrep said:


> I experienced severe chronic pain in my right knee (and couldn't remember injuring it) a few years ago and visited an ortho doc. She was very careful to take the time to probe each inch around the area of pain and ask how I would rate the level of discomfort. By her process of elimination, she pinpointed the exact spot where she wanted to give the cortisone shot -- and I have been pain-free ever since!
> 
> So my recommendation if you decide on the shots is to ask for the same procedure and, hopefully, your problem will be solved as well. Good luck!


My doctor examined my knee for the exact place, too.  Thanks, I hope she will resolve mine.


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## jujube (Feb 14, 2017)

Well, I got a cortisone shot this morning.  The ortho said I should feel improvement today but that it might take a week for full results.  I'm scheduled to go back in three weeks for an MRI if I don't feel marked improvement.  Keep your fingers crossed.  

p.s. This guy was _good_.  The shot hardly hurt.


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## Ruthanne (Feb 14, 2017)

jujube said:


> Well, I got a cortisone shot this morning.  The ortho said I should feel improvement today but that it might take a week for full results.  I'm scheduled to go back in three weeks for an MRI if I don't feel marked improvement.  Keep your fingers crossed.
> 
> p.s. This guy was _good_.  The shot hardly hurt.


Good for you.  I hope it works out well for you.  They can take time to do the work.  That's what I was told about the steroid block in my back.  
I see my doctor tomorrow.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 27, 2017)

Yes and I was scared to death before the first shot. I HATE needles and the orthopedic specialist kept saying, you won't feel it. You'll feel silly when this is over I promise you won't feel it. Well I'm there stressing and he said, it's over. I was like WHAT?!! I didn't feel it and yes I felt silly for acting like a baby. He went in the fleshy part of my knee. I always thought they went right to the bone. He did inform me that you can only get three of these shots...ever... because cortisone does damage to your cartilage. I was in a car accident when I was 18 and both my knees hit the dashboard pretty hard when the person driving went into a tree. So it turns out that I had two torn meniscuses. One thing that miraculously helped me when the second shot was wearing off was to stop drinking Hawiian Punch sugar free drink mixes and drinking green tea. I never had much pain but mostly stiffness and the occasional knee feeling like it would come of of joint. The tea stopped the stiffness within the first 24 hours after I drank it and the little pains I felt from time to time are gone. That's been a few years ago and so far, so good.


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## Ruthanne (Mar 4, 2017)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Yes and I was scared to death before the first shot. I HATE needles and the orthopedic specialist kept saying, you won't feel it. You'll feel silly when this is over I promise you won't feel it. Well I'm there stressing and he said, it's over. I was like WHAT?!! I didn't feel it and yes I felt silly for acting like a baby. He went in the fleshy part of my knee. I always thought they went right to the bone. He did inform me that you can only get three of these shots...ever... because cortisone does damage to your cartilage. I was in a car accident when I was 18 and both my knees hit the dashboard pretty hard when the person driving went into a tree. So it turns out that I had two torn meniscuses. One thing that miraculously helped me when the second shot was wearing off was to stop drinking Hawiian Punch sugar free drink mixes and drinking green tea. I never had much pain but mostly stiffness and the occasional knee feeling like it would come of of joint. The tea stopped the stiffness within the first 24 hours after I drank it and the little pains I felt from time to time are gone. That's been a few years ago and so far, so good.


I'm glad it helped you.


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## AprilT (Mar 4, 2017)

I used to get cortisone shots every few months in my shoulder and hip and then, I was to start getting them in my knee.  After the one shot, I never returned for another, it was that bad of an experience for me.  I didn't mind the slight uncomfortableness of the ones in the shoulder/hip, but, that one in the knee, given by a different doctor, nearly made me want to put the doc in choke hold.  Anyway, it didn't relieve the pain, so, it wasn't like I would have been returning for any benefits.  That's my excuse and I"m sticking with it.


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## jujube (Mar 4, 2017)

Well, it's been more than two weeks since I had the shot and I don't see any improvement.  Sigh.  I'll have to go back to see him when I get back from taking care of my mom.  It's torn cartilage that's giving me the problems.....does that mean surgery?


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## AprilT (Mar 4, 2017)

jujube said:


> Well, it's been more than two weeks since I had the shot and I don't see any improvement.  Sigh.  I'll have to go back to see him when I get back from taking care of my mom.  It's torn cartilage that's giving me the problems.....does that mean surgery?



Likely they will try something else before suggesting surgery if they do at all feel a need for it.


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## 911 (Mar 4, 2017)

I have had several in the knees and shoulders. I get a lot of relief from the injections.


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## Ruthanne (Mar 5, 2017)

AprilT said:


> I used to get cortisone shots every few months in my shoulder and hip and then, I was to start getting them in my knee.  After the one shot, I never returned for another, it was that bad of an experience for me.  I didn't mind the slight uncomfortableness of the ones in the shoulder/hip, but, that one in the knee, given by a different doctor, nearly made me want to put the doc in choke hold.  Anyway, it didn't relieve the pain, so, it wasn't like I would have been returning for any benefits.  That's my excuse and I"m sticking with it.


I used to get them in my shoulder, too.



jujube said:


> Well, it's been more than two weeks since I had the shot and I don't see any improvement.  Sigh.  I'll have to go back to see him when I get back from taking care of my mom.  It's torn cartilage that's giving me the problems.....does that mean surgery?


I don't know, have you tried physical therapy?



911 said:


> I have had several in the knees and shoulders. I get a lot of relief from the injections.


Glad it worked  out for you.


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## jaminhealth (May 2, 2019)

This subject forever comes up and people are trying these steroids and may get some relief for a while but may not.  An MD I hear talk about these, they do more damage than good long term.

I won't do them, the doctors did one in the hospital on my knee back in late 2006 and it did NOTHING....they were doing all they could to find out why I could NOT walk or stand....I had a staph infection going on and it took them over 3 months to get me an MRI and find the problem.  

*If only they worked, but they don't....and they continue to be pushed to the patients.  And I can only imagine what insurance is billed for these, probably in the $1000's....per session. *

People are desperate and there's not much left for the MD's to do.   

I work with a damage knee and refuse to do TKR job.   The only upside I see to all this mess is that I'm retired and don't have to be anywhere for anyone at anytime.  I did a hip replacement when I was 72 and everything went downhill from that surgery.


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