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Keep moving as much as you can manage.
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If that doesn't work, ask your doctor about other medications for nerve-related pain or muscle spasm. To control pain, first try acetaminophen (as in Tylenol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve).Conservative therapy includes the following: Orthopedic specialists usually offer them for shooting nerve pain (sciatica) from a ruptured disk, or symptoms associated with narrowing of the space around the spinal cord (spinal stenosis).Įven for nerve-related back pain, try the conservative route first, because steroid shots come with risks. Common targets are the knee and the facet joints in the spine.Ĭortisone shots are not for ordinary strain-and-sprain backaches. Cortisone is sometimes injected into a joint to calm inflammation related to arthritis. Bursae are cushioning pads of tissue that reduce friction between muscles and tendons as they move across bones and other joint structures. Steroids may also be used to calm down an inflamed bursa (bursitis). Cortisone shots are used for tendinitis-inflammation of a tendon, the tough, fibrous cord of tissue that connects muscle to bone. The area near the nerve roots may be the source of low back pain, such as sciatica. Epidural injections target the area around the spinal cord where nerve "roots" exit and extend to other parts of the body. Here are some of the most common targets for corticosteroid injection therapy: Used appropriately, cortisone shots can calm inflamed joints and tissues but do not speed healing or prevent future problems. "In general, it's for symptom control, and not a definitive treatment for most conditions "The shots are almost always a temporary measure," Dr. However, if you choose to take a cortisone shot, know its limits. Robert Shmerling, Corresponding Faculty, Harvard Medical School. "You would do less invasive, less aggressive things first," says Dr. At that point, you may be offered a cortisone injection to calm the war zone in your lower back.Įven for nerve-related back pain, guidelines discourage hasty intervention with cortisone shots. After a few weeks, just getting to the bathroom may start to feel like Napoleon's winter march in Russia. Doctors call these shots corticosteroid injections.īut for some, these conservative measures may not relieve the agony soon enough-especially if the problem is back pain caused by irritated spinal nerves. In the meantime, try to stay as active as possible and rely as much as possible on over-the-counter pain relievers to help avoid needing cortisone shots. Over weeks to months, the pain will calm down, and you will slowly return to your normal life. Most people who suffer with back pain already know the drill: time heals this wound. Try conservative measures first to control pain, and know the limits and risks of cortisone shots if you choose to try it.