Having cortizone injection(s) for both knees in advance of the season

A snowHead

So over the years I've had various arthroscopy on both knees (Male aged 55) - plus a few years ago did my ACL.

I am certainly not sedentary and am probably classed as an athlete due to the hours and levels I achieve in the various sport I partake in. Most weeks in the summer I'd cycle at least 100 miles, sometimes more in one day.

As well as cycling I kite surf to a reasonable standard with a wave board that entails riding toeside which puts tremendous pressure on the knee.

So basically my knees never get any rest.

If I'm just cycling and taking it easy then knees are not too bad, but a combination of kiting and cycling and I'm on ibuprofen a fair bit.

I go through periods where I don't stretch and then periods where I'll get back into it doing three or four sessions a week - this is a really good DVD I use in that it gives you the discipline and routine basically various classic yoga poses and a bit more.

I know from skiing last season that dependent on conditions knee(s) took a fair pounding, though I do avoid boiler plate piste and tend to not ski much on the piste anyway.

Did think about going down the arthroscopy route again but decided against it as knees are really not too bad compared to others I know. Plus after returning from the ski season I did not want to be laid up for some of the summer and then post summer I did not want to be operated on in advance of the ski season!!

Few months ago kiting I started wearing a neoprene hinged brace, nothing like the Donjoy I use for skiing and that really helped.

So bounced the idea off my friendly knee specialist and we decided that was a good course of action / strategy to get me through the ski season, though no doubt some days I'll be fine and will not notice anything other days I'll be getting back and donning the Cryocuff icer on the knee.

So had the first injection in my right knee last night as need a break of at least two weeks before the next one in the other knee, which is in a worst state than the right so want to have as much time with the steroids as possible when out in the Mountains, as I should be (hopefully) on skis a week later.

So will let you all know how it turns out, though did a longish ride today (84km and mostly flat) and could feel the knee a little, will know more as have an event this coming Sunday that will put it under a lot of strain.

A snowHead

so what is actually wrong with your knees?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@pam w, it's not worth having an MRI as it's down to old age, with the knees a bit worn out, few tears and probable osteoarthritis - usual stuff after years of physical activity, and loads of running up till around 5 years ago as well.

However I do not have any instability which is the main thing, hence I can carry on doing stuff.

Hopefully a good few more years yet and then probably a partial knee replacement on the left one.

Have one mate having a replacement end of the month and then all goes well be back on the water in six weeks!@pam w

Cortizone injections are pretty well par for the course for many sports people to keep them active without going under the knife.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@Weathercam, clearly you are athletic at what looks like an impressive level of commitment. My OH is often saying to me why don't you go the gym more? Current excuse is recovering from my surgery in the summer and more recently. My skiing, if there is any snow by mid December, will be even more rubbish than usual.
But going back to you, and obviously you are not wanting to get sedentary, did you ever consider toning it down a bit Puzzled

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Weathercam, I don't think it's a good idea. Unless your knees are very bad but yours don't sound too bad. Steroids have a lot of side effects including weakening your knees and inhibiting healing. They have a role in patients with acutely inflamed joints but I would say no way in someone like you (though I am only going on what you wrote)

I also agree to keep your knees exercised and avoid more arthroscopies.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Weathercam, My Father had 3 cycles of Cortizone from the age of around 50 by the age of 70 he had one knee replaced swiftly followed by the other. He died aged 90. He left his body to medical science and both knees have gone back to the manufacturers to help develop the process. Good luck.

After all it is free

@pam w,

@andy1234, wow, how fantastic to be contemplating being on the slopes in a couple of weeks, after that lot! I've never had that sort of radical surgery but have had abdominal incisions (not to mention three pregnancies) which have needed careful work to knit together and strengthen all the muscles which had been messed around. I hope you got some good physio - often lacking in NHS, I fear - there are far too few physios to deal with all the people who would profit from their input. Take it easy and have a wonderful holiday. You have two weeks to push up your activity levels in preparation. snowHead

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@boredsurfin, brilliant! Very Happy

@andy1234, keep well and enjoy the skiing!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Thank you snowheads, much appreciated!!!

snow reports

@andy1234, when you read stuff like what you've been through makes the wee matter of a little knee pain some what irrelevant.

Hope you score some great conditions.

PamW, re the replacement, that was a throw away line, hopefully rolling eyes

Steroid injections in the knee.

Steroids can suppress the inflammation in a knee for a short period. (about 3 weeks)

They are not dangerous but every time you have one they interfere with collagen metabolism ( think soft tissues like ligaments, cartilage etc) for a few weeks.

The tissues are therefore a bit more vulnerable to injury for a while afterwards.

Steroid injections don't cure anything but can give a useful window of reduction in pain and swelling during which the knee will tolerate physio/exercises better.

Sometimes i'll do them occasionally just to help someone who has had a big flare up just before an important event like a wedding/holiday etc. They know the knee will start to be troublesome again in future.

There isn't a fixed number that you can have but it is thought that repeated injections are not only a poor way to manage an arthritic knee but that they may eventually cause further articular cartilage deterioration.

Finally, if you are thinking of having a new knee don't have one in the few months ( preferably at least 6 Months) immediately prior to the operation as the risk of an infected knee replacement is thought to be higher.

Jonathan Bell

You know it makes sense.

Sobering stuff Jonathan Bell

I had looked at one to try and clear up chronic achilles tendonitis but was advised that the chances of a rupture would be increased.

Weathercam, I have some bad news for you - You are getting old. You have 2 choices:

1) Accept it and wind it in a bit. There is no shame in that.... just a reduction in fun. Ease off and last longer or......
2) Keep going for broke and be broken earlier.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Jonathan Bell, very useful information for me. Thank you.

A snowHead

Yes, my understanding when I had my steroid injection was that it was a very short term, temporary fix, but that was exactly what I wanted, with just one week to recover before going to the Birthday Bash (perhaps the enforced extra rest when everything was shut because of the heavy snow was useful, in a boring sort of a way).

The French doctor who did it told me that and also told me not to ski when it was still swollen. He recognised me, having dealt with my broken pelvis the previous year (and having told me it would heal without any problem and I could throw away the crutches after three weeks). It took me four, but he was right otherwise though I'd thought it very optimistic. He probably thought I was pushing my luck a bit too, but was too polite to say so and besides, a trauma specialist in a ski resort doesn't want all the rickety old ladies to give up skiing, does he? Somebody has to pay for the very swish new 4 x 4 parked outside. wink

A snowHead

Well like I said we'll have to wait and see what the effects are / how long the relief lasts for etc etc

There are indeed a wide disparity of views as to how long it does last if you look on t'web and it can depend on the individual etc etc

And my decision was based not on trawling through the InterFleb but on discussions with my knee surgeon who I have known for four years (and is a client of mine as well as me his) and has operated on me three times and knows the condition of my knees and said I could expect relief for possibly a couple of months, maybe more?

And reading what @Jonathan Bell, writes.....

Steroids can suppress the inflammation in a knee for a short period. (about 3 weeks). They are not dangerous but every time you have one they interfere with collagen metabolism ( think soft tissues like ligaments, cartilage etc) for a few weeks. The tissues are therefore a bit more vulnerable to injury for a while afterwards.

Does that mean that in effect they are only truly effective & reliable for active sports people who have them for just one week then ?

So at least I'm having them a good couple of weeks before I ski, just hope they last longer than the one week then.

I will report back in the New Year !!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

One week three weeks I wouldn't worry about it @Weathercam, there won't be any snow to ski on for at least 4 to 6 weeks by looks of things

You need to Login to know who's really who.

This is an interesting topic for me.

I had one back in the spring, on my shoulder. I was told it's "diagnostic". My understanding being to see which part of the joint was responsible for the pain and restriction I was experiencing. I got two jabs, one into the AC joint, one into the glencoid joint.

Also to reduce the symptom so I could delay my surgery to remove the plate from my collarbone till the end of the cycling season. It worked amazingly. The pain didn't return even after 6+ months!

Strangely though, I also didn't have ANY spring hey fever, a symptom I had EVERY single year in spring time! Also for several weeks, I was a bit jumpy and irritated, didn't sleep well. I remember I felt similar side effect 20 years ago when I had one to control a bad allergy to some nasty plants.

So I thought ok, cortizone, immune system suppression, end of story. But when I casually mentioned it to a cycling mate of mine who's a doctor. He said that shouldn't be the case. The injection is local and I shouldn't feel any systematic effect.

So, do injections "leak" into the rest of the body??? Or did the surgeon injected far too much med Puzzled

Or just a coincidence?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@abc, I had a cortisone injection in my shoulder back in May (iirc) one thing I was warned (which certainly happened) was that it would muck up my menstrual cycle.

Thankfully for me it has made a massive difference and I am just getting the occasional ache rather than the constant pain I was in before.

After all it is free

Big cycling event on the Isle of Wight yesterday.

100km with over a 1000m of climbing - six of us really pushed it hard getting around and managed to achieve top 10 placing (650 did the two courses).

And glad to report no issues on the right knee that had the jab earlier in the week, and more importantly no niggles this morning!

Big test will be on the left knee in around ten days time.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@Weathercam,

No.1, listen to your body.

No. 2, Having cortizone and then doing a hilly 100km bike read a few days later is barmy IMO. And I don't mean that to be offensive. But the whole point of an injection is to reduce swelling and heat in the joint, thus enabling it to fully heal. Putting the joint under undue stress soon after having one isn't logical.

No. 3, I was told by a private consultant the Medical profession don't actually know how it works. They know what it does (as in no. 2) but not how/why. So how long you will benefit is anyhows guess really.

All just IMO. it's great to see someone in their mid-50's still hitting it hard. I am not too far behind you Very Happy

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@Layne, seem to recall that many athletes / professional sports people were given cortizone as a means to get them back ASAP playing and competing etc

My knees are generally fine cycling even if I am hammering it and I might (naturally at my age) end up with the odd twinge in the morning etc, along with stiff shoulders / back / hamstrings etc etc

The injections were primarily for skiing where I know the knees come under far more duress than cycling. Mind you looking at the forecast(s) could well be cycling in a couple of weeks time anyway rolling eyes

Going to do a nice 40 mins stretching in the warmth to ease the body now Cool

snow reports

@Weathercam,

I have them in my back to race, increase mobility; marvellous after psychotic third day following injection.

You know it makes sense.

Isn't it a banned substance, requires explicit waiver?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

A snowHead

@abc,

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

But I know two guys (builder & roofer) who had them for their shoulders - they are not exactly in competition rolling eyes

And then there are loads of hikers and other recreational people taking part in a myriad of sports who just want to keep active, though have to agree on the whole they probably would not go down the cortizone route as most probably are unaware, and I'm not too sure if a GP would give them on the NHS ?

You'll need to Register first of course.

Plenty of people are given steroid injections by the NHS.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Mine for my shoulder was NHS

@abc,

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Hi,

My first post. You seem a friendly and very helpful bunch...

I've had arthritis for about 15 years and fairly well controlled on my meds.

I'm usually fairly fit, usually run, mtb, do spring tri's, windsurf, sail etc when I'm well. But have struggled more with my knees for the last 12 months than before. Always had issues with them over the years, but now I can't get back to the levels of training I'd like without get an effusion. So far had 80mg depomedrone/medrol in my right knee 3 times since July. Last one was yesterday, aspirated about 80ml then stuck in the steroid. (also getting MRI's etc as thinking the issue might be functional)

Issue is I'm driving to the Alps this afternoon for 10 days skiing. Just got some nice Line SFB's which I fear will stay in the bag this trip (not that there is enough snow at the moment anyway). Wondering if anyone has experience of skiing on a recently aspirated/injected knee? I appreciate it's probably not sensible to go crazy, but I'll be out with my kids on Sat, so would appreciate any thoughts.

Cheers, M

Help!!

Having cortizone injection(s) for both knees in advance of the season

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Ski Fitness, Exercise, Injury and Rehab