I haven't but a couple buddies have on ruptured/bulging discs in their backs. As far as I've heard, it hurts like **** for a little while and then the pain disappears. What do you need them for?
My doctor told me they work about 2/3 of the time. They worked for me but I had them well before I started physical therapy much less actual boxing training so I don't know that my experience is all that relevant to how it would work for you. As far as what it's like, the shot itself didn't hurt much, and I felt great for the rest of the day, terrible the next day, and somewhere in the middle the day after that. Each time I got a shot it felt like ultimately the pain got about 10% better.
They are **** dont do it, they will hide your pain for a while but if the problem isn't treated properly then the pain will return once the cortisone effect wears off, plus i hear cortisone is highly catabolic.
cortisone is catabolic to the best of my knowledge, but the effect should be localised at the site of injection - thereby causing an anti-inflammatory effect in the desired region.
I've had them several times over the years. The ones that went into my knees didn't hurt all that much, did give me some relief from the pain and lasted for several weeks. The ones I got for tendonitis in my elbow before I needed surgery hurt like hell, didn't last but a couple weeks and only eased the pain a little bit. If you do take them, be sure to realize this is only masking the pain and the injury is still there. You may do things you shouldn't really be doing once the pain subsides and injure yourself even more. Being how it's your back, I'd be real careful. It seems once your back is injured, it is hard for you to completely heal and do all the things you are use to doing.
I've contemplated getting this for my impingement syndrome/shoulder bursitis, but I read that a potential side effect is discoloration of the skin in the region of the injection, and I'm super paranoid that this would end up happening to me and messing up my deltoid tattoo.
I'm only passing on knowledge passed onto me, so these aren't my words, but this is what you should be aware of: Cortisone 1) is catabolic and "eats" muscle 2) makes you retain water 3) increases body fat especially in areas of the belly 4) decreases/blocks inflammation so sometimes this allows things to heal quicker 5) due to water retention, increases blood pressure if you can avoid it, avoid it. the immediate relief you feel is masking or removing inflammation from an injury not healing it that quick.
It worked well for an ankle impingement I had, at least enabled me to walk relatively pain free until I got an op to get it fixed. It's not a long term solution though.
