Cortisone‬‭ Shots‬‭ for‬‭ Knee‬‭ Pain?‬‭ Why‬‭ You‬‭ Should‬‭ Think‬‭ Twice.‬‭

Cortisone‬‭ Shots‬‭ for‬‭ Knee‬‭ Pain?‬‭ Why‬‭ You‬‭ Should‬‭ Think‬‭ Twice.‬‭

June 5, 2025

Knee‬‭ pain‬‭ can‬‭ be‬‭ incredibly‬‭ disruptive‬‭ –‬‭ turning‬‭ simple,‬‭ everyday‬‭ activities‬‭ like‬‭ walking,‬‭ climbing‬‭ stairs,‬‭ or‬‭ even‬‭ standing‬‭ up‬‭ from‬‭ a‬‭ chair‬‭ into‬‭ painful‬‭ challenges.‬‭ In‬‭ search‬‭ of‬‭ quick‬‭ relief,‬‭ many‬‭ people‬‭ turn‬‭ to‬‭ cortisone‬‭ shots.‬‭ By‬‭ targeting‬‭ inammation‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ knee‬‭ joint,‬‭ cortisone‬‭ injections‬‭ can‬‭ temporarily‬‭ ease‬‭ pain‬‭ and‬‭ swelling,‬‭ making‬‭ them‬‭ an‬‭ appealing‬‭ option when you’re hurting.‬

‭But‬‭ cortisone‬‭ shots‬‭ are‬‭ just‬‭ that‬‭ –‬‭ a‬‭ temporary‬‭ x‬‭ .‬‭ And‬‭ they‬‭ come‬‭ with‬‭ signicant‬‭ risks‬‭ and‬‭ downsides‬‭ that‬‭ are‬‭ often‬‭ overlooked.‬‭ Let’s‬‭ take‬‭ a‬‭ closer‬‭ look‬‭ at‬‭ why‬‭ relying‬‭ on‬‭ cortisone‬‭ injections‬‭ may‬‭ not‬‭ be‬‭ the‬‭ best‬‭ long-term‬‭ solution‬‭ for‬‭ your‬‭ knee‬‭ pain‬‭ –‬‭ and‬‭ what‬‭ you‬‭ can‬‭ do‬ instead to nd natural, healthier, and lasting relief.‬

The Problems With Cortisone Shots:

1. Temporary Relief Without Addressing the Root Cause‬

‭Cortisone‬‭ injections‬‭ can‬‭ oer‬‭ pain‬‭ relief‬‭ that‬‭ lasts‬‭ for‬‭ weeks‬‭ or‬‭ even‬‭ months‬‭ –‬‭ but‬‭ they‬‭ don’t‬‭ address‬‭ the‬‭ underlying‬‭ issue‬‭ of‬‭ your‬‭ knee‬‭ pain‬‭ .‬‭ Instead,‬‭ they‬‭ mask‬‭ your‬‭ symptoms,‬‭ allowing‬‭ conditions‬‭ like‬‭ osteoarthritis,‬‭ tendonitis,‬‭ or‬‭ mechanical‬‭ imbalances‬‭ to‬‭ quietly‬‭ worsen‬‭ over‬‭ time.‬‭ By‬‭ simply‬‭ numbing‬‭ your‬‭ knee‬‭ pain,‬‭ cortisone‬‭ shots‬‭ act‬‭ as‬‭ a‬‭ band-aid‬‭ –‭ covering‬‭ up‬‭ the‬‭ real‬‭ problem‬‭ while‬‭ harmful‬‭ movement‬‭ patterns‬‭ and‬‭ joint‬‭ stress‬‭ continue‬‭ unchecked.‬‭ This‬‭ can‬‭ eventually‬‭ lead‬‭ to‬‭ more‬‭ serious,‬‭ long-term‬‭ damage‬‭ without‬‭ you‬‭ even‬ realizing it.‬

2. Risk of Joint Damage

Since‬‭ cortisone‬‭ injections‬‭ only‬‭ oer‬‭ short-term‬‭ relief,‬‭ many‬‭ people‬‭ end‬‭ up‬‭ getting‬‭ them‬ repeatedly.‬‭ But‬‭ over‬‭ time,‬‭ frequent‬‭ cortisone‬‭ shots‬‭ can‬‭ actually‬‭ do‬‭ more‬‭ harm‬‭ than‬‭ good‬‭ –‭ leading‬‭ to‬‭ cartilage‬‭ breakdown‬‭ and‬‭ weakening‬‭ the‬‭ tendons‬‭ and‬‭ ligaments‬‭ around‬‭ your‬‭ knee.‬‭ Research‬‭ shows‬‭ that‬‭ repeated‬‭ cortisone‬‭ injections‬‭ can‬‭ accelerate‬‭ joint‬‭ deterioration,‬‭ increasing‬‭ your‬‭ risk‬‭ of‬‭ needing‬‭ knee‬‭ replacement‬‭ surgery‬‭ down‬‭ the‬‭ line.‬‭ This‬‭ is‬‭ especially‬‭ concerning‬‭ for‬‭ active‬‭ individuals‬‭ who‬‭ want‬‭ to‬‭ stay‬‭ mobile,‬‭ avoid‬‭ major‬‭ surgery,‬‭ and‬‭ protect‬‭ their‬‭ joint‬‭ health‬‭ for‬‭ the‬‭ long‬‭ run.‬‭ Many‬‭ people‬‭ aren’t‬‭ aware‬‭ of‬‭ this‬‭ –‬‭ so‬‭ it’s‬‭ important‬‭ to‬‭ know the risks.‬

3. Disrupts Natural Healing‬

Inammation,‬‭ while‬‭ painful‬‭ and‬‭ uncomfortable,‬‭ is‬‭ a‬‭ vital‬‭ part‬‭ of‬‭ your‬‭ body’s‬‭ natural‬‭ healing‬‭ process.‬‭ It‬‭ increases‬‭ blood‬‭ ow,‬‭ delivers‬‭ nutrients,‬‭ and‬‭ recruits‬‭ immune‬‭ cells‬‭ to‬‭ repair‬‭ damaged‬‭ tissue.‬‭ Cortisone‬‭ injections‬‭ suppress‬‭ this‬‭ natural‬‭ inammatory‬‭ response‬‭ – easing‬‭ pain‬‭ and‬‭ swelling‬‭ temporarily,‬‭ but‬‭ at‬‭ a‬‭ cost.‬‭ By‬‭ interfering‬‭ with‬‭ inammation,‬‭ cortisone‬‭ limits‬‭ the‬‭ delivery‬‭ of‬‭ key‬‭ nutrients‬‭ and‬‭ healing‬‭ cells‬‭ needed‬‭ to‬‭ repair‬‭ cartilage,‬‭ tendons,‬‭ or‬‭ ligaments.‬‭ Over‬‭ time,‬‭ this‬‭ leaves‬‭ your‬‭ knee‬‭ joint‬‭ and‬‭ surrounding‬‭ tissues‬‭ weakened,‬‭ making‬‭ full‬‭ recovery‬‭ harder‬‭ to‬‭ achieve.‬‭ When‬‭ knee‬‭ inammation‬‭ does‬‭ get‬‭ out‬‭ of‬‭ control,‬‭ it’s‬‭ far‬‭ better‬‭ to‬‭ choose‬‭ natural‬‭ healing‬‭ accelerants‬‭ that‬‭ support‬‭ your‬‭ body’s‬‭ repair‬‭ process – rather than disrupt it.‬

4. Potential Side Effects and Complications‬

As‬‭ with‬‭ any‬‭ injection‬‭ or‬‭ invasive‬‭ procedure,‬‭ cortisone‬‭ shots‬‭ come‬‭ with‬‭ potential‬‭ risks,‬ including‬‭ infection.‬‭ Other‬‭ side‬‭ eects‬‭ can‬‭ include‬‭ increased‬‭ blood‬‭ sugar‬‭ levels,‬‭ skin‬‭ thinning,‬‭ and‬‭ changes‬‭ in‬‭ pigmentation‬‭ around‬‭ the‬‭ injection‬‭ site.‬‭ While‬‭ these‬‭ risks‬‭ may‬‭ seem‬‭ minor,‬‭ they‬‭ deserve‬‭ serious‬‭ consideration‬‭ –‬‭ especially‬‭ when‬‭ the‬‭ relief‬‭ they‬‭ oer‬‭ is‬‭ only‬‭ temporary.‬‭ Over‬‭ time,‬‭ repeated‬‭ cortisone‬‭ use‬‭ increases‬‭ the‬‭ likelihood‬‭ of‬‭ experiencing‬‭ these‬‭ complications‬‭ .‬‭ It’s‬‭ important‬‭ to‬‭ ask‬‭ yourself‬‭ if‬‭ short-term‬‭ relief‬‭ is‬‭ worth‬‭ the‬‭ growing‬‭ list‬‭ of‬‭ potential long-term consequences.‬

What To Try Instead Of Cortisone Injections:‬

‭When‬‭ it‬‭ comes‬‭ to‬‭ knee‬‭ pain,‬‭ I‬‭ always‬‭ advocate‬‭ for‬‭ natural‬‭ and‬‭ eective‬‭ alternatives‬‭ that‬‭ not‬‭ only‬‭ alleviate‬‭ discomfort‬‭ but‬‭ also‬‭ promote‬‭ true‬‭ healing.‬‭ Here‬‭ are‬‭ three‬‭ proven‬‭ methods‬‭ that address the root cause of knee pain rather than just suppressing symptoms:‬

1. Manual Therapy‬

Manual‬‭ therapy‬‭ is‬‭ a‬‭ non-invasive‬‭ treatment‬‭ where‬‭ we‬‭ use‬‭ our‬‭ hands‬‭ to‬‭ release‬‭ sti‬‭ knots‬‭ in‬ your‬‭ muscles,‬‭ and‬‭ mobilize‬‭ your‬‭ joints‬‭ to‬‭ stimulate‬‭ the‬‭ body’s‬‭ natural‬‭ healing‬‭ processes.‬‭ By‬ creating‬‭ micro-traumas‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ aected‬‭ tissues,‬‭ manual‬‭ therapy‬‭ boosts‬‭ blood‬‭ ow‬‭ and‬‭ encourages‬‭ tissue‬‭ regeneration.‬‭ This‬‭ treatment‬‭ has‬‭ been‬‭ shown‬‭ to‬‭ improve‬‭ mobility,‬‭ reduce‬‭ pain,‬‭ and‬‭ help‬‭ with‬‭ conditions‬‭ like‬‭ calcic‬‭ tendonitis‬‭ and‬‭ osteoarthritis.‬‭ Unlike‬‭ cortisone‬‭ injections,‬‭ which‬‭ only‬‭ mask‬‭ symptoms‬‭ and‬‭ can‬‭ contribute‬‭ to‬‭ tissue‬‭ breakdown,‬‭ manual‬‭ therapy‬‭ actively‬‭ supports‬‭ healing‬‭ and‬‭ long-term‬‭ relief.‬‭ When‬‭ combined‬‭ with‬‭ highly‬‭ specific‬‭ functional‬‭ mobilization,‬‭ the‬‭ effectiveness‬‭ of‬‭ manual‬‭ therapy‬‭ is‬‭ further‬‭ enhanced‬‭–‭ Deep‬‭ manual‬‭ therapy‬‭ techniques‬‭ penetrate‬‭ deeper‬‭ into‬‭ tissues,‬‭ increases‬‭ cellular‬‭ activity,‬‭ and‬‭ accelerates the healing process, giving you even faster and more lasting results.‬

2. Dry Needling for Muscle Imbalances‬

‭Dry‬‭ needling‬‭ is‬‭ a‬‭ highly‬‭ eective‬‭ technique‬‭ for‬‭ targeting‬‭ muscle‬‭ tightness‬‭ and‬‭ trigger‬‭ points‬‭ around‬‭ your‬‭ knee‬‭ joint.‬‭ By‬‭ inserting‬‭ thin‬‭ needles‬‭ into‬‭ specic‬‭ areas,‬‭ this‬‭ therapy‬‭ helps‬‭ release‬‭ muscle‬‭ tension,‬‭ improve‬‭ circulation,‬‭ and‬‭ restore‬‭ proper‬‭ function.‬‭ Dry‬‭ needling‬‭ is‬‭ particularly‬‭ benecial‬‭ for‬‭ individuals‬‭ suering‬‭ from‬‭ tendonitis,‬‭ chronic‬‭ stiness,‬‭ or‬‭ muscular‬‭ imbalances‬‭ that‬‭ contribute‬‭ to‬‭ knee‬‭ pain.‬‭ It‬‭ encourages‬‭ natural‬‭ healing‬‭ by‬‭ allowing muscles to function more eciently, reducing strain on your knee joint.‬

3. Working with a Mechanical Knee Pain Specialist‬

A‬‭ mechanical‬‭ knee‬‭ pain‬‭ specialist‬‭ is‬‭ trained‬‭ to‬‭ analyze‬‭ movement‬‭ patterns‬‭ and‬‭ pinpoint‬‭ the‬ underlying‬‭ causes‬‭ of‬‭ your‬‭ knee‬‭ discomfort.‬‭ Unlike‬‭ general‬‭ healthcare‬‭ providers‬‭ who‬‭ may‬ prescribe‬‭ pain‬‭ medications‬‭ or‬‭ generic‬‭ exercises,‬‭ these‬‭ specialists‬‭ take‬‭ a‬‭ customized‬‭ approach‬ – identifying‬‭ joint‬‭ misalignments,‬‭ muscle‬‭ imbalances,‬‭ and‬‭ faulty‬‭ movement‬‭ patterns‬‭ to‬‭ develop‬‭ a‬‭ personalized‬‭ rehabilitation‬‭ plan.‬‭ They‬‭ assess‬‭ how‬‭ the‬‭ entire‬‭ body‬‭ contributes‬‭ to‬ knee‬‭ mechanics,‬‭ ensuring‬‭ all‬‭ contributing‬‭ factors‬‭ are‬‭ addressed.‬‭ This‬‭ comprehensive,‬‭ root-cause‬‭ approach‬‭ not‬‭ only‬‭ restores‬‭ knee‬‭ function‬‭ and‬‭ prevents‬‭ future‬‭ pain‬‭ but‬‭ also‬‭ leads‬‭ to‬‭ more‬‭ eective,‬‭ lasting‬‭ results‬‭ compared‬‭ to‬‭ the‬‭ temporary‬‭ relief‬‭ oered‬‭ by‬‭ cortisone‬‭ shots.‬

A Smarter Path To Knee Pain Relief:‬

‭While‬‭ cortisone‬‭ shots‬‭ may‬‭ seem‬‭ like‬‭ a‬‭ convenient‬‭ and‬‭ quick‬‭ option,‬‭ they‬‭ do‬‭ little‬‭ to‬‭ promote‬‭ true‬‭ healing‬‭ of‬‭ your‬‭ knee‬‭ pain‬‭ and‬‭ can‬‭ actually‬‭ cause‬‭ long-term‬‭ harm.‬‭ Natural‬‭ treatments‬‭ – such‬‭ as‬‭ manual‬‭ therapy,‬‭ dry‬‭ needling,‬‭ and‬‭ working‬‭ with‬‭ a‬‭ mechanical‬‭ knee‬‭ pain‬‭ specialist‬‭ –‬‭ offer‬‭ a‬‭ more‬‭ effective‬‭ and‬‭ safer‬‭ path‬‭ to‬‭ knee‬‭ pain‬‭ relief.‬‭ Instead‬‭ of‬‭ masking‬ pain,‬‭ these‬‭ alternative‬‭ treatments‬‭ address‬‭ the‬‭ root‬‭ cause,‬‭ restore‬‭ function,‬‭ and‬‭ help‬‭ prevent‬‭ future injury – giving you real, lasting relief.‬‭

If‬‭ you’re‬‭ suffering‬‭ from‬‭ chronic‬‭ knee‬‭ pain‬‭ and‬‭ have‬‭ been‬‭ to‬‭ multiple‬‭ physical‬‭ therapists,‬ and‬‭ doctors‬‭ without‬‭ any‬‭ lasting‬‭ relief,‬‭ consider‬‭ coming‬‭ in‬‭ and‬‭ talking‬‭ to‬‭ a‬‭ mechanical‬‭ pain specialist at my clinic‬‭, instead.‬ We’ll‬‭ help‬‭ you‬‭ find‬‭ a‬‭ natural‬‭ and‬‭ movement-based‬‭ solution‬‭ to‬‭ your‬‭ problem‬‭ so‬‭ that‬‭ you‬‭ don’t‬‭ have‬‭ to‬‭ rely‬‭ on‬‭ pain‬‭ pills,‬‭ never‬‭ have‬‭ to‬‭ consider‬‭ cortisone‬‭ shots‬‭ or‬‭ surgery,‬‭ and‬‭ can spend time doing the things you love instead of hanging out in the doctor’s office.‬

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About the Author

Trupti Mehta, PT, MS, OCS is DCs Leading Physical Therapist and Back Pain Specialist.

Trupti graduated with a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2001. She has furthered her studies with numerous post-graduate courses focusing on the Neck, shoulder, knee, and back, with a strong emphasis in manual therapy. Recently completed courses in Maitland-Australian Physiotherapy Seminars (Levels 1- 5), has afforded her an excellent way to relieve pain and help people get moving, active and healthy quickly and effectively. With 18+ years of experience in Physical Therapy, Trupti has practiced in various orthopedic and sports focused clinical settngs, in both the Raleigh-Durham, NC and DC regions. She has been Director of multiple Physical therapy Clinics in DC and also worked with some renowned specialists at Georgetown University Hospital in DC. During her years of service, Trupti has had the privilege of caring for a wide variety of clients: from school-aged children to retirees; from homemakers to business professionals; from weekend warriors to professional athletes.

Trupti is an avid fan of the outdoors, art, traveling and of course the Tar Heels. She enjoys spending time with her lible niece and nephew and working with her clients to improve their lives.

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