Oh great! It's worth the try. Good luck with the shots. You'll do fine. When one's in pain, anything goes.

Guess you could call that the good news/bad news! But if it cures it, I'd much rather have the shots than surgery. As much as I dread needles though, I may have to have a few "shots" of my own before the appointment.

She said steroid shots and a numbing shot, but after consultation with doctor.

tee hee, patti on shots before the shot :o)

I am not up to speed on this, Glenda, but I assume you are talking about a knee. I am going through the same thing right now. I am going to have an MRI and see if shots will help. If not, I guess I am looking at scoping or most likely, complete replacement. Shots don't scare me at all....I dread surgery though. Hope you have a good out come with whatever you end up doing.

I have a calcifying Achilles tendon which is midly to very painful pretty well all the time. So far I've had two steriod shots, both with totally different outcomes. The first shot was great, the pain went away for months (then wore off the day I got on a plane for a six week trip to Europe :-/). The second shot, the pain went away for about two hours and then came back. The doctor did warn me that results cannot be guaranteed.
DH had a shoulder problem that sounds very similar to yours. He did have surgery, was painful for a week or so but he was very conscientious about doing his rehabilitation exercises and was almost totally recovered in just a few weeks. The surgeon did say though the older you get the longer the recovery time. (DH was about 48.)

Mine my shoulder, left.
Slowlly losing mobility, arthritis, calcification around the bones, bone on bone with grinding so loud person next to me can hear it.

Done therapy, multi times.

I just don't want to lose total use of my left arm. I'm 50 per cent usage of it now.

Glad to hear you may try the shots. I had the bone on bone grinding and know exactly what you feel. Miserable it is! I tried the cortisone injections but wasn't able to get the relief, but most everyone I know that has had the shots have been able to overcome the pain. Makes the physical therapy much more successful! Wishing you nothing but the best.

Well, hopefully the shots will work. I'm not a huge fan of shots, but even less so of surgery. I avoid that like the plague. For me, it's the absolute last option. I'm terrified to be put under. Don't know why, never had any complications with it, I'm just so afraid of it.

Best of luck Glenda, I hope you get relief soon.

I'm so glad they think the shots may help. I'd hate for you to have to have surgery. Lots of special thoughts and prayers heading your way!

Glenda, good news! And lots of luck. They'll give you that numbing shot and it will go so quickly you won't know they've done the steriod.

I had one done to my hip in the imaging dept (guided by xray) once, and they put a very long lasting anesthetic in with the steriod that lasted about two days - it was heaven, I could walk for the first time in months.

DH had better long term results with the injection to his knee last May. He's been hiking off trail in heavy boots through timber since June and doing fine, enjoying his work still at 67....Even has to stop and wait on the college interns he's taken with him a few times when they can't keep up :) Taking occasional naproxen or tylenol but doing fine.

So will the steroid's give me more flexibility with my arm?

That sounds like good news! I hope the injections work for you.

Marilyn, I had the sin-visc (I'm not sure that is spelled right) injections in my knees just over a year ago. I am doing ok to great depending on the day LOL! This is an injection of a jelly like fluid. I had the right knee done in three injections, one per week, exactly the same day each week, beginning the Monday before Thanksgiving in 2011. In Feb of 2012, we did the same with my left. Some days I am almost pain free, others I am back in my knee brace. Had I not had this done, I don't know where I would be today. Maybe with replacements. I don't know. I hope you have success with the injections.

Tami

Flexibility would be the hope, of course everyone will have a slightly different result with no two shoulders exactly the same....we'll all keep crossed fingers that you are one of those who gets the most natural and pain free movement back from this.

Am I thinking steroid shots for life? I'm 73.
Or are they just a temporary fix and if I stop then it's the same ole same ole?

I went today and go back tomorrow for blood work and then MRI and referral to orthopedic surgeon. My knee problem is from multiple falls on hard surfaces, so I don't know if shots would work for me. They may have to go in there and clean up the area. I have been in a wheelchair for a week at a time, three times in the past year....completely unable to walk. A friend of ours fell and tore her rotator cuff in her shoulder, She has done much better than expected....seems to have to have all of her mobility back. Hope it goes well for you, Glenda.

Steroid shots are only good for a few times. They do not provide a cure, nor can you take them again and again. And they are not ordinary shots-- even with the local anesthetic, they are a really strange sensation that many people (me included, with my hip) hate.

For lot of people with some types of injuries, the positive effects of the shot can get them thru while they are doing PT and healing otherwise, then they no longer need the shots.

This post was edited by sushipup on Tue, Mar 5, 13 at 22:35

Please, please be careful. A friend had those and ended up worst than ever and she is 83. I would get a second opinion. those shots you mentioned usually only help for a period of time and if you take too many, that is not good. I had one about a year ago for the arthritis's in my back, but I do have a couple of squashed vertebrae and it has helped for awhile. I have to have some stuff squirted in to and then that should help. Mine is a back thing , not shoulder. Here, there is a procedure that they will fill/put something in to stop the grinding bone on bone. Find out if you can get that procedure. I will try to find out more if you you wish, just let me know.
Marie

Glenda, did you happen to see in another post where I told you to try Hyaluronic Acid pills from the health food store? The orthopedic surgeon can also give you shots of the Hyaluronic acid.

Shots don't "cure" anything. They just temporarily relieve pain. Most steroid shots can only be given once every 3 months and usually they don't "last" that long.

Sorry to be such a bother, but if steroids are only a temporary fix, why have them?

I've been taking the Hyaluronic Acid capsules for 3 months. Heard you can take the injections.

I have also been on tumeric capsules, twice daily, which has helped.

Multi thanks for all your advice and support.

I have appointment Wed, March 13.

Really appreciate.

It all depends on the sort of condition or injury that you have. When athletes are injured and get a steroid shot, it's to ease the pain while they are doing PT and healing. The shots do not cure anything. Many injuries, especially with older people, are repetitive stress, long-term wear and tear. The shots will not cure anything, just provide some relief.

In my case, with my hip, the anesthesia shot (lasts a day or two) gave me a lot of relief. But the steroid shot had no effect, which helped me decide that hip surgery was the only way to go. Almost 2 years now. and I'm glad I had the surgery.

Glenda, my friend takes the shots for her shoulder pain. She is only allowed to have them every six months. They relieve the pain for a while..in her case up to 4 to 5 months. She is 66 yrs old and has been taking them for the last two years.
Eileen

Glenda-you can only have so much of the steroid stuff in your system in your lifetime-however,with the shoulder,as a rule,the steroid really helps-experience talking here-you will end up more able to move it,greater mobility range,and with that,the muscle will strengthen and help you as well.There is little to no pain at all,after a couple of days-and its good for a very long time.I had the shot once when I was cooking all the time in the right elbow(tennis elbow) and that was good for an easy 20 yrs.good luck

"Sorry to be such a bother, but if steroids are only a temporary fix, why have them?"

About 5 yrs ago, I fell and the first part of me that hit the ground was my right thumb. It jammed pretty well because all my body weight landed on it. I had a steroid shot and it provided complete relief for about 9 months. My thumb started aching again so I got a second steroid shot. The second one has worked "permanently". At the time of the second shot, my doc said that if it didn't provide relief, then I'd need surgery. The shots do not provide instant relief - it's gradual. For me, My thumb was fully functional in about 2 wks after each shot.

The plan is to try shots because it's less invasive to you and they cost less than surgery. Of course there is no guarantee that shots will or won't work. However, I'd rather brave up and have a shot than deal with the recovery from being sliced. See what your doc recommends and go from there.

I suppose I'd try the shot *once*, then start looking at other options, like the gel injected (which I have only heard of for knees and has had 'iffy' results) or surgery. Surgery and rehab shouldn't be too bad. It's not a weight-bearing joint, but it does need to 'rotate', so is more like the knee than a hip. Today's pain meds make all these surgeries and recoveries MUCH easier.

I have two artificial hips. One (2004) has been 'like new' from the first; the other (2008; same surgeon) not as good, but still better than pre-operation. My bone loss is primarily due to many years of steroid use to treat my asthma.

of course we al have different problems but had 1 cortizone shot and knock on wood, it's lasted for well over a year?

I'm surprised your doctor hasn't thoroughly explained the shots to you Glenda, before suggesting them. As I said in my previous post, my doctor explained that they are an inexact science which do not work for everyone, do not work every time and no telling how long they will actually last for. I've had two; the first worked for about six months and the second about two hours.

I will get a full explanation of everything when I see her next week.

This was a followup call from doctor's assistant to tell me I needed to see the doctor and make an appointment.

She just told me that I'd probablly be having injections.

Glenda, steroid shots are a "fix," not a cure. Nothing is. I have had them twice. in my spine.. one month apart back in 2006. Haven't needed any since then, but they did not "cure" me of all of my spinal problems, but were a great relief for that situation. And In my opinion, age has nothing to do with it. I was 82 at the time.

That shoulder pain won't go away, or it would have gone away by now, not just gotten worse. The numbing "shot":is no more than a pin prick. After that you will be relaxed and glad that you did it. You may feel a little light-headed when it is over; that is very temporary, if at all. Because my first shot was for my right leg, I had to have some one to drive me home. Second shot was for my left leg, I drove myself home. Since this is your shoulder, I would think it best to have someone
drive you home.

If you don't have it done, you will probably wish that you did, because it obviously won't get better on its own.

Sue

I'm thinking positive thoughts for your consultation and (hopefully successful) treatment plan.