Corticosteroid injections
An injection with adrenocortical hormone mixed with a local anaesthetic is called a corticosteroid injection. It is administered to reduce irritation (also called inflammation, which means infection without bacteria).
It may be irritation in a bursa, around tendons or in a joint. The irritation may be caused by various things, such as overload, abrasion, and wrong movement amongst others. It can also be due to a frozen shoulder. Before we administer a corticosteroid injection, we will have carefully considered the cause of the irritation.
We will also have considered if another treatment or a change in your daily movements will be needed to prevent irritation from reoccurring. Very often a part of the treatment will be exercises, which you will receive from a physiotherapist. We suggest going easy on the area in question in the days after getting the corticosteroid injection.
Effect
The local anaesthetic takes effect immediately and the pain disappears or is reduced significantly while the local anaesthetic is working. For many patients, the adrenocortical hormone takes effect before the local anaesthetic has ceased to work, but for others it will take some days before the adrenocortical hormone starts to work.
The effect will often last from weeks up to months. For some patients one corticosteroid injection is enough, but for others, further corticosteroid injections are needed. Sometimes it only works for a short period of time – or not at all.
We aim at administering as few corticosteroid injections as possible in order not to weaken the tissue more than necessary. However, up to 4 corticosteroid injections per year may be administered without risk. Some patients experience pain the first 24 hours after the treatment.
Side effects
The most serious side effect is infection in and around the shoulder joint, but this happens very rarely – less than once per 10.000 injections.
In case of flushing, swelling, heat and/or fever, please immediately contact a doctor.
Side effects to adrenocortical hormone
Normal side effects to adrenocortical hormone are:
- Flushing, heat and a tendency of sweating (perspiration) may be experienced by up to 10 % of patients for a period of from a few minutes and some hours (days) after the injection.
- A certain discoloration (bleaching) of the skin over the injection area and shrinkage of fat in the same area may occur. Damage to the cartilage is seen on very rare occasions.
- Menstruation disruption and hypersensitivity may also occur.
Side effects of local anaesthetics
A hypersensitivity reaction is very rare.
If you are suffering from diabetes
After the injection with adrenocortical hormone there may be some influence on the blood sugar, meaning that the need for insulin is increased temporarily. If your diabetes is well regulated, there may not be any changes in your blood sugar levels.
We recommend measuring your blood sugar for 4 days after the injection. This is done by measuring it 4 times per day, at set times each day: morning, noon, evening and at night and treating deviations, if any, as usual. If in doubt, please contact your general practitioner or a doctor from the emergency service.
Please note
After treatment with corticosteroid injections there are some precautions, you should be aware of.
If you are a blood-donor
If you are a blood-donor, you should wait 7 days before any collection.
If you are an athlete
In accordance with the doping regulation in force presently, any corticosteroid injections with adrenocortical hormone requires a TUE (Therapeutical Use Exemption).
The TUE-declaration may be requested via the website antidoping.dk
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Kontakt Ortopædkirurgisk Afdeling Beriderbakken 4 7100 Vejle Ortopædkirurgisk Dagafsnit + 45 79 40 57 43 |
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pinfoSLB-1412858612-285 119548 | 05.06.2026 |