Are there harmful effects of steroid injections for impingement?
Generally speaking, a limited number (3-5) of steroid injections into the bursa are a safe, and often effective way to locally reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. These locally applied steroids do not have the same risks associated with the chronic use of oral steroids since the body does not systemically absorb them. However, it has been shown that repeated steroid injections can damage the quality of the rotator cuff tendons if a repair is later required.
