What are the effects of cortisone injections on bones? Can their use lead to osteoporosis?
Some steroid medications have been associated with osteoporosis in certain situations. The steroids found in a cortisone or similar injection, however, are unlikely to have an impact on bones because, after injection, the medication typically doesn’t enter the bloodstream in significant amounts for any length of time. Cortisone is a corticosteroid medication that is very effective at decreasing pain and inflammation in joints and other structures in the body. Corticosteroids are not the same as the anabolic steroids that are sometimes used to enhance athletic performance. Cortisone often is used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, gout, tendinitis or bursitis. Cortisone has proven to be an effective therapy for these and other disorders that cause joint and back pain, often providing symptom relief for weeks or months after injection into the affected joint or area. Research has shown that corticosteroid medications can cause bone loss and result i
