Article: Don't rush back to the course after a cortisone shot

Don't rush back to the course after a cortisone shot

By Ron Kaspriske

A recently published report in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation warns of the potential danger of thinking a cortisone shot is the green light you need to get back on the course after injury.

While it's intent is to speed recovery—or at least mask the pain from inflammation—tendinopathy treatments such as steroid injections could do more harm than good if administered improperly, or if the patient rushes back to strenuous physical activities.

The paper specifically cautioned the speedy return to sports activities after an injection near the trigger or index finger. But in general terms, "patients should be warned about returning to sports prematurely, and should be encouraged to gradually resume after the injection to prevent further damage." They cited the case of a 57-year-old golfer who suffered a tendon rupture in his forearm after getting a steroid shot near his trigger finger. The forearm muscles control the finger movements and the index finger is a key player in swinging a golf club properly.

So what's the message? Be careful even considering cortisone. It's been known to weaken soft-tissue fiber and also mask pain that would otherwise deter you from doing further harm to an injured area. Keep that in mind—and the message in the AJPM&R;—if a doctor recommends a shot.

Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.