Even more warnings about the dangers of cortisone injections

Here is an example of the damage that can happen from a single cortisone
injection for "Tennis Elbow" several months later.  This woman
is left with very thin de-pigmented skin over a diffuse area
and loss of protective fat.

I have written more than a few articles about the dangers of injecting cortisone into body parts, like tendons, ligaments, joints and muscles.  Have a read here of one of my earlier warnings about these harmful injections.  The photos look very similar to the ones in this article don't they?

And here is the search string for a whole lot of articles I have written about cortisone injections.

These injections can leave their victims suffering from visible deformities and ongoing structural weakness, including catastrophic rupture of muscles and tendons.  These are not theoretical or rare - these are common side-effects of a surgical procedure that is enthusiastically promoted as the "quick-fix" panacea of all musculo-skeletal aches and pains.

Give me a shot doc

The protective fat of the elbow has been lost, exposing the
bone, tendons, nerves and ligaments to injury from
bumping.  It is visibly unsightly.  This skin damage and loss
of protective cover will become more and more of a
problems as she gets older.

 How come?  Here is my speculation as to why (excuse me if the following comes across as being a bit cynical):

• It is a surgical procedure that wannabe surgeons who never quite made the grade can employ.
• It is cheap, quick and easy to perform with a very good rate of financial return for the administering doctor.
• It fits with the criteria for most medical procedures of today - Fast Medicine!

The adverse reactions to these injections are grossly understated.  Why?

The site of the "tennis elbow" that was injected was the wrong spot!
So, several months later, she still had elbow pain which has now
resolved with some firm deep tissue massage.

• Because the adverse effects such as deformity and tendon rupture may not be obvious, or happen until several months later.  By which time the injury may not be linked with the cortisone injection.
• The doctor who caused the harm may be reluctant to acknowledge the link and even less reluctant to report it to officials (Less than 10% of all adverse medical reactions ever get reported: Some cynics believe the true figure to be less than 1%).
• The drugs company that supplied the cortisone may dispute any attempts to link the procedure with cases of harm.
• Accident Compensation is the master at wiggling out of injury claims.  It does this by hiring medical experts who are expert at turning real injuries into fictional degenerative processes.
• The patient usually does not have the nous, the time, nor the energy to take a case through to acceptance.

This woman needs a skin graft and fat injections.  She
is hoping for a successful ACC claim to cover
these procedures.  My advice to her is not to hold
her breath!  It will be interesting to see how she gets on.

My advice if offered a cortisone injection is this:

Say "No!"

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