Hold the steroid shot. At least, if your problem is tennis elbow or other tendon-related ailments, steroid shots could do more harm that good. That's the verdict from a study done at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Queensland, and published in the Lancet, in which researchers reviewed the benefits and risks of steroid injections for treating tendinopathy in the short term, intermediate term, and long term, and in different body areas. HealthDay reports that analyses of 41 studies, involving almost 2,700 patients, found that corticosteroid injections reduced pain early on — up to 12 weeks — compared with other treatments, but this relief did not last until the intermediate and long terms. For tennis elbow, the researchers found, a steroid shot significantly reduced pain over the short term, but was no better than no treatment in the intermediate term (13 to 26 weeks) or long term (up to a year). Wait, it gets worse. For a rotator cuff problem, steroid injections showed no clear benefit, and 0.1 percent of those who got an injection had a tendon rupture. HealthDay quotes Dr. Karim M. Khan, an assistant professor in family practice at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, opining that "these data are the most comprehensive to indicate to patients that they should try to avoid having corticosteroid injections — particularly for tennis elbow." Khan's advice: Avoid cortisone, give your exercise program time to work and go to a physical therapist who has experience with tendon problems.
Health, fitness and lifestyle tips for people over 50 who still like to play hard
Sunday, June 1, 2025