Cortisone Injection For Back Pain
Can Your Back Pain Be Cured
with a Cortisone Injection?
If you've read any of our work and subscribe to our point of
view, you already know the answer to that question. For those of
you who are just joining us, allow me to share my opinion of
cortisone injections as a treatment for back pain and sciatica.
First, let's go over some of the terminology to make sure we're
all on the same page. Cortisone injection, epidural, steroid
injection, and epidural steroid injection are all essentially
the same thing. The goal is to inject a chemical into the
inflamed area and try to control the inflammation, delivering
relief in the short term. When I say "short term," I'm saying
that some people feel better by the time they get home, or
perhaps the next morning.
How is it that professional athletes can play hurt or beat
themselves up on game day, and a week later they can do it again
- and continue to do this week after week, year after year? The
answer is simple: Science has learned how to trick the body into
feeling better and working harder.
Sure, steroid injections can reduce localized inflammation, and
that can help you feel better. It may even help you with your
rehab. Studies have shown that roughly half of those who try
steroid injections get some level of relief - at least, for a
while.
Here is the bigger question: Are you willing to take those odds?
Let's see...You have a 50 percent chance that it won't work at
all, and a 50 percent chance of "some" relief for an
undetermined amount of time. As you ponder that, I should add
that steroid injections "HURT LIKE HELL!" This is a universally
accepted fact. Now, I can imagine what you're thinking - you're
in pain, you've tried everything else, and you're at your wit's
end. You're ready to do anything to get relief. Thank goodness
you're reading this, because I'm about to save your life.
The Cash Cow
Steroid injection has been around since the early 1950s, and it
remains a primary treatment for general practitioners all the
way to orthopedic surgeons. Why? First of all, it offers the
hope of quick relief. Second, it's a Big Fat Cash Cow. Let's do
the math. Say you have sciatica, and you go to see Dr. Prick
Butt and he says, "Not much I can do for you other than give you
a steroid injection. Of course, it may take up to three of these
to achieve the best results." Three injections @ $150 per
injection = $450. Now, taking into account that the average
orthopedist probably sees at least 20 patients a day and works
180 days a year, that comes to 3,600 patients. If 20 percent of
those patients get three steroid injections, that's an annual
income of $324,000 ($450 X 750 patients). That's for 10 minutes
of work per patient. And you wonder why things haven't changed
in more than 50 years.
If that weren't bad enough, let me explain why these injections
fail to deliver long-term relief. Steroid Injections are solely
designed to treat the symptoms of your condition. Unfortunately,
many doctors don't take the time to help their patients find out
what's causing the pain. Were they not taught in med school to
address the underlying issues, or is it simply that they don't
have the time to spend with each patient? I'll let you drawn
your own conclusions.
Meanwhile, let's get back to why you're still suffering. I
believe it's because most traditional treatments focus only on
symptoms. We, as patients, are partly to blame for this. We
demand that someone do something for us - and quick. Heaven
forbid we take some responsibility for our own health and learn
what we can do for ourselves. Relying totally on someone else to
take care of our problems is a prescription for disaster.
You need to understand that 99 percent of back pain is the
result of a physical problem, which means it requires a physical
solution - regardless of the type or severity of the condition.
No pill, injection, or massage can deliver lasting physical
changes in - or for - your body.
What I'm trying to say is that you are going to have to do some
work, in the form of targeted exercise. Yes, it may be
uncomfortable at times, and you aren't going to feel like doing
it. And, yes, you're going to get frustrated, and you may feel
like quitting. That's to be expected. But the alternative is to
continue living with the pain. It's your choice.
I don't have space here to go into the specific types of
exercises, but I can give you a formula that has brought
unbelievable success to those who followed it.
Immediate steps to take
First, you must be willing to learn all you can about your
condition, from symptoms to the various forms of treatments -
even some that go back 2000 years. Next, you will have to find
someone who is willing to treat both your symptoms and the
underlying cause of your condition.
I strongly recommend that you take a proactive approach to your
current situation. You are lucky that you do not have pain. It
is such a shame that millions of people are suffering from
conditions that could have been prevented or corrected years
ago, if only they understood how muscle imbalances affect our
bodies.
What do I mean by the underlying cause of your condition? I
don't care if you have a herniated disc or spinal stenosis, the
two most fundamental factors responsible for the pain associated
with your condition are the position of your pelvis and the
curvature of your spine.
The next logical question is this: How did my pelvis and spine
get out of proper alignment? The answer is that your muscles are
out of balance with each other.
Muscle imbalances are the root cause of your condition and the
reason you feel pain. By addressing these imbalances, you are
killing two birds with one stone - you not only get rid of the
pain but you also eliminate the cause.
As you go through recovery, you likely will try a number of
techniques, which is fine. In fact, it's highly desirable. I
strongly support incorporating a multi-dimensional strategy,
including a natural approach to inflammation and spine
decompression, as part of a comprehensive program.
A couple of final points about steroid injections. I've been
working as a physical therapist for more than16 years, and I
have not heard of a single case where they provided total and
lasting relief. It's a sad truth that borders on criminal.
The second point is a cautionary tale: I have as a client an
elite triathlete who comes to me to get a massage once a week.
About five years ago, she had sciatica and went to a doctor who
recommended a steroid injection. She agreed. Well, that doctor
stuck that needle straight into her sciatic nerve and pushed the
plunger. For legal reasons, I can't tell you what happened next,
but I can tell you it wasn't good.
Remember, there is no silver bullet for back pain relief. So do
your homework and then get busy.
Please visit our new web site at
http://losethebackpain.com/ for
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