Want to weaken your ligament-bone junction – then get cortisone injected into that area. Cortisone and other steroid injections all have the same detrimental effects on articular cartilage.

Corticosteroids (steroids), such as cortisone and Prednisone, have an adverse effect on bone and soft tissue healing. They inhibit the synthesis of proteins, collagen, and Proteoglycans in articular cartilage, by inhibiting chondrocyte production, the cells that comprise and produce the articular cartilage. The net catabolic (breakdown) effect of steroids is inhibition of fibroblast production of collagen, ground substance, and new blood vessel formation. The result is weakened synovial joints, supporting structures, articular cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. This weakness increases the pain and the increased pain leads to more steroid injections.

Steroids also limit calcium absorption by the gastrointestinal tract, inactivate vitamin D and increasing the urinary excretion of calcium. Bone also shows a decrease in calcium uptake with cortisone use, ultimately leading to weakness at the fibro-osseous junction. Corticosteroids also inhibit the release of growth hormone, which further decreases soft tissue and bone repair. Ultimately, corticosteroids lead to a decrease in bone, ligament, and tendon strength.

Although anti-inflammatory medications and steroid injections reduce pain, they do so at the cost of destroying tissue. In one study, some joints were injected only one time. Even after one steroid injection, cartilage remained biochemically and metabolically impaired. Other studies have confirmed similar harmful effects of steroids on joint and cartilage tissue. A cortisone shot can permanently damage joints. Prolotherapy has the opposite effect—it permanently strengthens joints, ligaments, and tendons.

Some professional athletes and weekend warriors want quick relief. The problem with cortisone is that the athlete may get pain relief, but it may be at the expense of permanent inability to participate in athletics. Athletes often receive cortisone shots in order to play. They return to the playing field with an injury after getting a steroid injection to relieve the pain. Unfortunately, they cannot feel the pain anymore so they play as if there was no injury. We know (see above) that the injury could not possibly be healed because of the tremendous anti-healing properties of cortisone. Thus the athlete is further injured from the cortisone, as well as playing with an injury, thereby worsening the already bad injury.

Bottom line- get a “quick fix” with steroid injections and set yourself up for further damage. Or fix your Problem for good with Prolotherapy. The choice is yours.