Pros and Cons of Corticosteroid shots...???!?

[archive_LuckyDog]

Fellas,

I need your advice. Since the beginning of July I had a sever hamstring strain in the upper portion of my right hamstring almost where it meets the glute. Well anyways, football camp came around and I was never able to give it a rest and basically kept restraining it until 13 days ago, I strained the top portion again as well as partially tore/strained the bottom part where the muscle/tendon junction is. (There is good bruising on the bottom half now) But was sent to my team doc, had some X-rays (to make sure no bone chips from my pelvis had come off) and basically he said it was a severe strain and partial tear and he has me on 50mg of Vioxx ED and I do about 2 hours of rehab 5 times a week (Ride a recumbant bike, do strengthening exercises, ultrasound/STIM/Ice treatment and then Stretch).

But anyways, I'm on my way to recovery even though I have a feeling that it's gonna take the full 6 weeks to heal properly and strengthen but the Team Doc. and my coaches are pushing me pretty hard to get a Corticosteroid shot in my hamstring to help with the inflammation but I also take a chance of a rupture or tear which would require surgery. So my question to you guys is, do you know of any pros/cons of corticosteroid shots, how they work within the muscle and whether or not it's worth it for me to get one to hopefully get back on the field in full force by week 4...Thanks guys.

(And Ulter, I know this isn't AAS related, but this gets the most traffic and I'll move it/delete it when I at least get some good advice and also no i still haven't heard anything yet, results aren't in yet...Still pretty nervous but will keep you updated.)

LD

Education is a continuous process ending only when ambition comes to a halt.
-Col. R. I. Rees

[macdaddy]

Dude, you wanna talk to Killer, he is the man.

[archive_Mickey]

I had one shot into my patella tendon when I was going into my senior year of HS so I could play basketball. It was either that or sit out the season and have surgery and I wasnt going to do that.

My advice is to NOT let your team doc or coaches push you into it. If you want to have it done go to a different doctor. My coach had me go to the team doc of the Pitt. Penguins because he was a friend of his and he put a huge needle directly into my patella tendon and shot the cortisol right into it, to this day it was the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life. When I went to another doc (the one who did my shoulder) over a year later I told him about my experience and he flipped out! He said you should never ever ever put a shot into a tendon like that and that I was extremely lucky that I didnt rupture it. This guy is a really well respected doc in my area and does tons of pro athletes so I know that he knows what he is talking about.

So my advice is go get a second opinion. Coaches and team docs do whats good for the team but they take risks that might not be good for you. You dont want to rupture your hamstring tendon, you will be done for a long time (probably over a year) with a long recovery.

On the other hand, the shot worked. It took away my inflammation long enough for me to get through the season but it came back towards the end just as bad.

"Come on, get serious!" Arnold in Pumping Iron

[archive_Ulter]

If I were you I would tell the coaches to pound sand. Those shots keep you on the field in a weakened state and nothing else.

Thanks, keep me posted.

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." -Albert Einstein

[Jonny Organon]

Its like putting bumble gum on a leak.....it isn't going to fix the problem.

I work in kiniesiology and I've worked with many PT's, Dr.'s, and so on. Either I'm not up to date with practice or I have never heard of injecting a cortico directly into a patella tendon. From what I understand it wouldn't be a good thing to do. Due to the fact that your tendon has minimal blood flow repair of a tear or (injection hole) would cause a good amount of time to heal when compaired to blood rich tissues as your muscles. So then you would have that injection hole to heal as well with the little capilaries your tendons contain. Why put another wound on that tendon cause an injection is basically a small wound. If this guy was a doc for the pitt. penguins I would hope he would know his shit. Maybe I'm missing something but I would be the first to say no thanks bud....

If your young and its only a matter of getting back on the field in a few weeks don't do it. Rehab properly and come back strong. If you were 37 years old in the NFL with a few years left then I would consider it. My personal stance of cortico shots is almost always no. I would get some other opinions as well as I'm not even a PT or MD. Killer would most likely have a good idea.

Good luck bud.

[archive_Mickey]

I would have said "no thanks" if I knew it was bad for me and if I had the knowledge that I do today.

I was only 17 years old at the time, I had no idea what I was doing or what he wanted to do to me, and neither did my father.

It turned out ok though because despite the tremendous pain from the procedure, it worked and let me get through the season. I havent had any problems with it to this day and its strong now. I dodged a bullet.

"Come on, get serious!" Arnold in Pumping Iron

[archive_LuckyDog]

Yes you did Mickey. Another guy on my team was bitching about not being offered one last year when he was having problems with his Patellar Tendon/knee after ACL surgery/rehab and basically my Athletic Trainer explained that there is a huge difference between injecting it straight into a tendon and injecting it into a muscle which is what they wanted to do to me. You run a LARGE chance of it rupturing with something like that. Then it wouldn't be pretty...But I guess I'll keep this up at the top until Killer sees it. Thanks guys.

LD

Education is a continuous process ending only when ambition comes to a halt.
-Col. R. I. Rees

[Monster]

I moved it to the Training and Rehab board. Killer will see it there...

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"Trying is the first step towards failure."
"Well, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is... never try."