When It Comes To Bone-on-Bone

Leave Cortisone Shots Alone!

Cortisone injections are often used to provide temporary relief from the pain and inflammation associated with Osteoarthritis (OA). However, while they may offer short-term benefits, cortisone injections are not a wise choice, especially for long-term joint health and could actually bring you closer to a surgery, quicker!

Temporary Relief with Long-Term Risks

If you have had cortisone shots, you know that sometimes they work for temporary relief and sometimes they don’t.

Although Cortisone injections can reduce pain and swelling, the effects are usually short-lived, typically lasting a few weeks to a few months. Over time, repeated injections can make things worse and here’s how:

Potential for Cartilage Damage

Research suggests that frequent cortisone injections can actually accelerate cartilage breakdown, worsening the progression of osteoarthritis. Cortisone reduces inflammation, but it also has a catabolic effect, meaning it can contribute to the deterioration of joint tissues over time. For those with Osteoarthritis, where cartilage is already damaged, this is a significant concern and much consideration should be taken.

Increased Risk of Joint Instability

Cortisone weakens soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments surrounding the joint. This can lead to joint instability which can cause you to walk in ways that place further shearing stress on several joints. Remember, “the Spine bone is connected to the Hip bones are connected to the knee bones which connect to the foot and ankle bones”!

Over time, this can lead to more pain and dysfunction associated with osteoarthritis.

Potential Side Effects

Cortisone injections carry the risk of side effects, including increased blood sugar levels, infections, and allergic reactions. While these side effects are relatively rare, they can be serious, particularly for individuals with underlying health conditions such as diabetes.

What Should You Do Instead?

Instead of relying on cortisone shots, you should consider a combination of alternative and regenerative treatments. I say “a combination” because improving the debilitating effects of degenerative arthritis successfully and delaying joint replacement takes a multi-faceted approach.

Just a Few of Many Key Components to Consider:

o   Regenerative Treatments that actually bring healing to the joint like Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy. These are hypersonic soundwaves and a non-harmful method of reducing inflammation at the cellular level that actually produce new blood vessels by a phenomenon known as angiogenesis. More blood flow brings an elevated supply of oxygen and healing compounds to damaged tissue. And most exciting, Shockwave Therapy recruits stem cells from your own bone marrow.

o   Weight Loss strategies are paramount in most cases and often the most challenging due to pain with increased activity. There are natural options to accomplish your goals related to weight loss (and more specifically, fat loss) such as nutritional strategies, metabolic health training, and Peptide Therapy.

o   Muscular Flexibility is an often-neglected component that truly is critical to the success of any joint rejuvenation efforts. You see, as we age, our muscles adaptively shorten due to prevalent postures and positions and lack of movement or activity in one direction or another. Stretching, just to stretch is not enough. You need permanent length changes in muscles crossing your arthritic joints and the joints above and below these joints. This can be examined by a skilled Physical Therapist.

o   Skilled Physical Therapy can be very beneficial and when I say “Skilled Physical Therapy” I don’t mean going into a Physical Therapy clinic, lying on a table or being left alone to do your exercises by yourself while a Therapy provider walks away and gossips with or treats 1-2 other people in the room. You need one on one care, a skilled examination, and a dedicated manual therapy and therapeutic exercise plan aimed at improving joint mobility. Doing light resistance band exercises (on your own), moving your legs or feet in 4 directions is not skilled  Physical Therapy.

o   Pharmaceutical Grade Peptide Therapy is part of an emerging field of regenerative medicine and can offer a plethora of benefits to people who suffer from Osteoarthritis. From inflammation reduction to enhanced healing mechanisms to fat and body weight reduction initiatives, Peptide Therapy has been life changing for many. It is important that a Licensed Physician and Reputable Compounding Pharmacies are involved with this strategy as there can be significant potential health risks associated with untrusted, online retailers with no established Physician-Patient-Pharmacy relationship.