Rely on Dignity Health for Cortisone Injections

Also called corticosteroid or steroid injections, cortisone injections refer to an injection of any corticosteroid, which is a drug that has potent anti-inflammatory actions. They also help regulate your immune system’s activity, although the main goal of a cortisone injection at Dignity Health is to calm your immune system or reduce inflammation, thereby relieving pain.

Why Cortisone Injections are Used 

Doctors at Dignity Health in the Bay Area use cortisone injections most commonly to treat joint problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Your doctor may recommend a cortisone injection to treat additional conditions, including: 

  • Adrenal gland problems
  • Allergic reactions
  • Cancer
  • Collagen and autoimmune disorders
  • Respiratory problems
  • Skin conditions
  • Soft tissue cysts and fasciitis
  • Spine problems

What to Expect

Depending on your orthopedic condition, doctors can give you a cortisone injection in a number of places, including into the spine, a joint, skin lesion, cyst, scar, muscle or vein.

For some injections, you may first need local anesthetic to numb the area, particularly if it is in your spine, a joint or a skin lesion. Depending on your specific situation, the anesthesia may be combined with the corticosteroid injection. 

You may feel some tenderness at the site after a cortisone injection, but that can be remedied through ice packs. Most people go home right after a cortisone injection, but you may need someone to drive you, depending on the reason for your injection.

How Your Everyday Life May Be Different 

How a cortisone injection affects you depends on the reason for having it. For joint injections, it may take 48 hours to see an improvement in your pain, although you can expect the effects to last for several weeks. 

Your doctor may limit how many cortisone injections you can have into the same joint, as repeated injections can damage tendons and cartilage. To free yourself from joint pain in the Bay Area, come to Dignity Health. Get started today by using our locator to Find a Doctor near you.

When joint pain interferes with your quality of life, come to Dignity Health in the Bay Area (including San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Redwood City) for cortisone injections.