Just one cortisone is all it takes to cause irreparable harm

"What are your view of using Cortisone for runners?  I'm on an information gathering exercise before I decide what I need to do.  I understand the theory behind what cortisone does, why you have them but honestly, one wants to fix a problem rather than mask it.  This is a knee problem which is has become difficult to diagnose and therefore to treat.  I have been running Marathons and a couple of ultras for only about 4 years.   However, its a long story since November and I am still no better.  Cortisone was the advice from my physio (who is very competent and treats a lot of runners) but people I speak to are very wary of them.  They are sporty people so I can kind of understand where they are coming from.   I'm of the view you let your body heal by itself.    But its taking its time in doing so - in fact its not really healing itself at all.  I have to decide what I need to do next and Cortisone is an option."
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Gary:
It takes the best part of 10 years to condition the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal structures for the rigours of marathon and ultras.  This includes preparing the leg bones, cartilages and ligaments.  Running 42 km involves at least 40,000 foot strikes on uncompromising tarmac - Ouch!

Before the popularisation of these events, it was traditional that only hardened runners ran such distances and only towards the ends of their careers.

If a knee injury fails to settle within a matter of a week or so, despite treatment, the odds are that the wrong thing is being treated.  Time for a second/3rd treatment.  In fact, most intractable injuries are more coaching problems and nutrition issues for which there is no medical solution.

Are cortisone injections safe?  I have seen too many crippled people to believe the reassuring words of the sports medicine experts who are all too willing to inject desperate and impatient patients.

Read the articles in this search list and judge for yourself.

Your knees are designed to faithfully serve you for a lifetime, so please take care of them.  Get them love - not napalm.

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