3 Practical Reasons to Avoid Corticosteroid Injections for Muscular Pain

by Saroj A. Content Writer

Have you lately been experiencing pain and difficulty in movement in the joints or muscles?

Have you been finding it hard to go about your daily activities because of stiffness in the shoulder, hip, knee, elbow, wrist, spine, or ankle?

It will interest you to know that close to 25% of Americans suffer from some kind of muscular pain. Up until a few years ago, doctors would prescribe corticosteroid injections to help you. One injection of the compound and the problem would be solved. The pain would vanish and you could go about your regular activities without any problem.

If you have recently received a recommendation of corticosteroid treatments, you might want to do a bit of research into what the treatment is all about. Like the expert consultants at PRP Injection MD advise, it is also advisable that you explore other options before signing up for the injections.

Understanding Corticosteroid Injections

MedicineNet explains that corticosteroids are a kind of medicine that is related to steroids. Doctors may prescribe this medication to treat any kind of swelling or inflammation caused by an infection, injury, and any other issue. Corticosteroids are a versatile form of treatment and can be administered in any form such as an oral medication or additive to an inhalant so you can breathe it in.

Depending on the kind of medical issue or muscular pain that your doctor is looking to treat, she might choose to inject the drug into your veins or in the affected tissues, joints, muscles, or tendons. Before you sign up for the treatment, you’ll receive information about the possible downsides.

1. Short-Term Side Effects of Corticosteroids

When recommending corticosteroid injections, your doctor will likely talk to you about the possible side effects of the treatment. As WebMD reports, several short-term and long-term after effects can result from using corticosteroids for muscular pain. Some of the possible adverse reactions include:

● Infection at the injection site

● Bleeding from any broken capillaries and blood vessels in the skin or muscles

● Instant swelling because of a reaction to the medication

● Soreness in the injected area

● Lightening of the skin

2. Long-Term Side Effects of Corticosteroids

Short-term side effects typically last only for a while and may clear away soon. However, as the Mayo Clinic warns, you’ll need to worry about the more serious adverse effects such as:

● Weakened tendons that may rupture at a later date

● Higher blood sugar levels in diabetics

● Weakened immunity because of which infections take longer to heal

● Hypertension

● Weight gain

● Susceptibility to bruising

● Formation of cataracts

● Osteoporosis or weakened bones

● Swelling and puffiness in the face

To avoid such reactions, your doctor may restrict administering each injection to once a year. Further, if you have trouble with the clotting mechanism of your blood, this therapy may not be recommended for your muscular pain.

3. Counteractive Mechanisms of Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids seem to work to give you relief from the pain and difficulty in movement which is a good effect. However, here are some factors you should be aware of:

● The treatment works by lowering inflammation levels that cause you discomfort. Given that inflammation is the body’s response to damaged tissue and essential for healing, corticosteroids work against the healing process. As a result, they interfere with the repair of tissues leaving them in their damaged, weakened state.

● For your body to repair damaged tissue, you need to rest the affected area and restrict mobility. Because corticosteroids take away the pain, you’ll continue to use the affected area as usual. This factor again hampers the natural healing system of your body.

● As a result of the reverse effects of the steroid injections, you might find that the injury and muscular pain is steadily getting worse. Three to six months down the line, when you sense the pain and inflammation returning, you might want to opt for a second session of the steroid treatment.

● Over time, the affected muscles and tendons become weak because they are not allowed to heal. Eventually, you may end up with ruptured tendons and muscle tears.

● You should be prepared for the possibility of the corticosteroids forming crystals in the treatment site causing you more pain.

All these factors together can aggravate the muscular pain to the point where you may have to resort to surgery.

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If Not Corticosteroids, What are Your Options?

Healthline explains that muscular pains can be caused by a wide range of causes. For instance, you may have an infection or an insect bite. If this is the case, you’ll probably see other symptoms like fever, redness and swelling, rash, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, or trouble breathing. You may want to seek medical attention right away and visit the emergency room for guidance from an expert medical practitioner.

Other forms of muscular pain are typically caused by torn cartilage or the worn buffering agents like in the case of arthritis. Damage and stress to the tendons or sprains and strains to the muscles can also cause pain and difficulty in movement. Other factors include nerve damage like in the case of wrist pain caused by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. To help you, doctors typically recommend treatments like:

● Icing

● Stretching and gentle movement

● Pain relievers like ibuprofen

● Resting the affected muscles and avoiding strenuous activity

● Yoga and other forms of physiotherapy

● Low level laser therapy

● Heat treatments

● Sonographic treatments

You could also opt for possibly the only treatment that can assist in the healing of the damaged muscles, tendons, nerves, and cartilage. This treatment program, namely, PRP injections goes beyond simply masking the pain and reducing inflammation.

Doctors have no doubt prescribed corticosteroid injections in the past for muscular pain. However, new research shows that the treatment has several short-term and long-term adverse effects that you may want to avoid. Work with your medical practitioner to explore other forms of treatment that can offer you relief without the possible side effects.