Cortisone injections

ace76543

Senior Member
Ok, I might have to get cortisone injections to deal with my wrist tendonitis. I was reading up on them, and it sounds to me like it's only a temporary solution. Is this true? Or am i mis-reading? Does the cortisone reduce inflammation, allowing the tendon to heal; or does it just temporarily reduce inflammation, allowing it to come back in full force in a few weeks when it wears off? Thanks

Edit: I've read more into them, and I'm not too keen on getting injections anymore. I know there are other threads for this, but what are some alternatives to cortisone? I've done the wrist braces and ice for a few months, but it isn't helping
 
Cortisone is a type of steroid that is produced naturally by a gland in your body called the adrenal gland. Cortisone is released from the adrenal gland when your body is under stress. Natural cortisone is released into the blood stream and is relatively short-acting.

How does the cortisone injection help?

Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication. Cortisone is not a pain relieving medication, it only treats the inflammation. When pain is decreased from cortisone it is because the inflammation is diminished. By injecting the cortisone into a particular area of inflammation, very high concentrations of the medication can be given while keeping potential side-effects to a minimum. Cortisone injections usually work within a few days, and the effects can last up to several weeks.
 
Yeah I know I read that. But "the effects can last up to several weeks." gets me. Does the inflammation come back after or what? Has anyone here ever had these injections?
 
I've had two in the last 8 months.

They pump the cortisone in with an anesthetic, so it hurts a fair bit for the injection and then it should be alright. The next couple days (after the anesthetic wear off) can be a bit uncomfortable, because theres a heap of fluid which takes some time to soak in.

I was diagnosed with DeQuervain's tenosynivitis. The first injection was great: hurt a lot going in, but within about 2 days the pain was gone. No problems for about 3 weeks, but then it came back.

I was studying full-time at Uni and gigging twice a week, so i just didn't have time to let it settle down. I had the injection redone just before my holidays two months ago and i gave up drumming for a month and a half. I've gotten back into it slowly over the last week and the problem is completely gone. (the doctor hit a nerve when he went in, so the back of my hand is spazzing a little, but the tendinitis is GONE).

It's quick and effective, but you need to be willing to look at the issues that caused your tendinitis. It pretty much buys you relief from pain so you can do the therapy or whatever else will cure the problem.

Go to a hand surgeon and they should be able to give you a better idea, this is just my experience.
 
I had lime disease and it mainly effected my knee. They gave me a cortisone, and my knee stopped hurting like magic. But my doctor warned me, that even though my knee wouldn't hurt, i should still go REALLY EASY on it, because it is of course only a temporary solution, meaning that if i went around using it as i normally would, it could cause further damage. So go easy.
 
My mum had to have one of these because she fell on her ankle and had a really bad limp for a couple of months. They had to inject up through her heel and go quite deep to reach the spot that need treatment (ouch), apparently it's one of the most painful injections you can get and the doctor told my mum that's he's had people scream the place down and cry whilst having it.

When she first had it he said it would probably hurt for a couple of days and to rest it, but after that start slowly using it again. This was probably about a month and a half ago now and she's been fine since. Although the doctor said if it starts to hurt again they'd either consider another injection (which my mum said she doesn't know if she can through the pain again) or surgery (which nobody wants).
 
Cortisone is a temporary remedy for pain and inflammation but your problem is technique. If you don't address it and improve, your pain will almost certainly return. Repeated cortisone treatments causes breakdown of soft tissue (i.e. tendons) and will cause far more damage than any brief pain relief.

I've had tendonitis for about two years now and I've pretty much got it under control at this point. My technique is 100% better than it was, even a year ago. I have no real (lasting) pain to speak of anymore. Technique is the key. I have all the guys on here to thank, who finally got that through my thick skull. ;)
 
I think a doctor could probably give you a lil more info than a drumming forum lol

Hope everything turns out well
 
Cortisone is a temporary remedy for pain and inflammation but your problem is technique. If you don't address it and improve, your pain will almost certainly return. Repeated cortisone treatments causes breakdown of soft tissue (i.e. tendons) and will cause far more damage than any brief pain relief.

I've had tendonitis for about two years now and I've pretty much got it under control at this point. My technique is 100% better than it was, even a year ago. I have no real (lasting) pain to speak of anymore. Technique is the key. I have all the guys on here to thank, who finally got that through my thick skull. ;)

Zambizzi:

Can you share with us, in short, a system you used to improve your technique? What kind of exercises did you use/do you use? How often do you practice them? Do you use a mirror to ensure you are maintaining proper grip, etc.?

I have developed hand and mild wrist pain from computer keyboard use (only in my right hand), but drumming doesn't help the situation. I have watched plenty of videos from Chapin to Weckl to Jojo about good technique and/or learning to play loose and use one's fingers rather than relying on too much wrist and arm movement when playing (Tony Williams has talked about the importance of using the pinky and ring fingers rather than the usual suspects index and middle finger when playing), but I still have yet to devise a trusted method of practicing to prevent my mild problems from becoming worse and ultimately affecting my drumming. I'm trying to find a way of practicing to ensure that my drumming does not add to the problem.

Thanks for any methods you can share!
 
Thanks for all the responses guys, this is great.

@ zambizzi:

I've already addressed my technique issues, but, unfortunately that process has made the tendonitis worse (dur). Now I'm just looking for a way to get rid of it
 
As an additional note, I have noticed that Steve Gadd, Stanton Moore, Weckl, and many others often hold their sticks quite loose: visible space between the thumb and index finger, the index finger loosely glides along the side of the stick rather than grips around the stick, etc. When I first learned rudiments, I was taught to hold the sticks with all fingers curled around the stick, which eliminates any kind of visible space between thumb and index finger. This is a pretty natural grip, as it follows a kind of natural propensity to use the strength in the thumb and index fingers.

However, when I watch Gadd and others play, they avoid holding their sticks thus and seem to play a lot more relaxed and fluid.
 
Hi guys, well...I can tell you a few things that will help you.

1) From experience.... YOGA...is a very good way to deal with this problem. VINYASA style is from what I have felt , the most effective. The thing is to stretch your WHOLE body, not just the arms and hands. This abuses the area. You use your whole body to wring out the tension. Like wringing out a wet towel sort of. Use your whole body to work out the tension.*It has worked like a charm for many many drummers.

2) Technique is no small thing. I have seen hundreds of cats hospitalized from improper technique. Its no good to only watch DVDs on it. You have to get Jojo or whoever to actually WATCH what you are doing! A master hand teacher will correct your grip in great detail. This is the way to study. Not you watching yourself in a mirror alone. That is only AFTER you get the info on what you need to correct. If one knew how to do things correctly, the trouble wouldnt be there in the first place. Its impossible to identify incorrect movement when you have no idea how to identify it. You need an outside source to correct all bad habits and small things that you are unaware of.

3) In my book...if you are not studying the rebound stroke in the greatest of detail you are wasting time and risking your drumming life.

4) The fingers trap....Fingers, are like icing on the cake. If you dont know the fundamentals of the stroke...(effects of gravity, upstroke and ALL movements and sequences of every stroke) finger technique is a waste. And you are in deep trouble with the health of your hands. Dont study fingers if you cannot do a double stroke roll with ONLY rebounds at the absolute slowest of tempo. If this is the case you need to study rebound.


5) You need to study anatomy, gravity and its effects on the drum, stick and body. And the complete system of upstrokes. Not a few exercises on you tube. This will change everything. I am happy to help If you have any more questions...but do this before writing.

make a video of yourself...

Double stroke roll - Rebound only, the slowest tempo possible.
5 stroke...same deal
6 stroke same deal
Paradiddle same deal

And i can see from that what the problem is.

Think of it this way...would you chop a block of bricks with your head if you had no idea about how to do it? Or sooort of an idea? No ...you would study with a great teacher and gradually build your knowledge, body and mind. This takes years. Like...Murray Spivack program- 2 years to complete. (Thats every week lessons) Grueber...YEARS. There is not much mystery there. It takes time patience dedication and deep knowledge. BTW...once you have it down...the study and readjustment of hand technique goes on for the rest of your life. It doesn´t end. You will always...for ever work on hands stuff.

Just a small parallel. My ex GF was a ballet dancer. She was a pro for many years yet....she was constantly going to seminar after seminar and courses for different dance techniques. She is now 33 and STILL goes. Why would it be any different for us?
All the best
PM
 
Well, I'm no technique master and certainly not qualified to teach anyone such things...and like Phil said - you're going to want someone watching you, analyzing your movements, and correcting you.

That being said, I've been seeing the same drum teacher for appx. 3 yrs. He's been playing for almost 40 years and he has beautiful technique. There are certain things he just could not spot that I now realize I was doing wrong. The biggest one being tension.

It's easy for someone to say "keep your fingers on the stick and use the fulcrum - but not too tight". Yeah...sure...I'll do that! Ha! How it feels when YOU play is something no one else can fully analyze.

I found that I would start out doing great....but start to slouch after a couple of hours of steady playing....mistake one. I also found that as I would slouch, I would grip harder and differently, adjusting to my poor posture. My strokes would change and it was overall, poor technique. I didn't warm up enough in my first year of playing...most times I'd just sit down and do my thing...big mistake number two.

So, after three years of daily practice I can only say that I've *begun* to scratch the surface of what proper technique is, and I learn more everyday. I've got a long, long way to go....BUT....I'm now able to play as long as I want, as hard as I want, and am a much better drummer *overall* because of the little adjustments I made over the last two years, since the injury.

The biggest things that I remain conscious of, outside of grip, stroke, or anything related to the sticks:

1. Sit up straight
2. Relax
3. Breathe

They're easy things to say but IMO, they're the hardest parts of learning how to be a drummer. It's very easy to forget and to slouch, tense-up, and hold your breath. It's almost another level of independence...remaining aware of these things while playing.

As far as grip, I just had to learn to use my fingers and allow the stick to do the work that I was forcing my wrists and arms to do. Once I developed a better free stroke and learned how to use my fingers in relation to my fulcrum...I was able to get much more mileage out of my arms.

Of course there are other micro-adjustments to obsess over - everything from the angle you strike the head to keeping your shoulders squared...or whether to use the first knuckle of the middle finger...or somewhere in between the first and second...and so on.

I'm a programmer by day...so I use a keyboard and mouse for 8-10 hrs. everyday. I practice every night for about 2 hrs. and play w/ the band for 3 hrs. once or twice a week. You're also going to have to learn perfect posture and *keyboard* technique while you're in front of a PC...if you want to do both.

One more thing I'd like to mention, is physical therapy. If you've already got an RSI and you're in pain - nothing is better than a procedure called ASTYM, in my opinion. Google it, ask your doctor about it...it's nothing short of a miracle. It's also something you can easily learn to do yourself at home and it poses no physical danger. It's based on the ancient eastern practice of Gua Sha. Cortisone, ice, anti-inflammatories, surgery...it's all ineffective and unnecessary for most people. I AM NOT a doctor...this is just my experience and opinion.

Sorry this got a little long-winded, hopefully it was helpful in some way.
 
Thanks for all the responses guys, this is great.

@ zambizzi:

I've already addressed my technique issues, but, unfortunately that process has made the tendonitis worse (dur). Now I'm just looking for a way to get rid of it

Yeah, I didn't want to hear it either, at first. Only recently has it struck me that I'll be spending the rest of my life addressing technique issues.

Like anything in life - the more you learn the more you realize how much you don't know. ;)
 
If you're getting tendonitis from just drumming - you should try if at all possible to reduce your playing schedule for a bit. Tendonitis is an inflammation, so you need to let the tendons involved recover - additional playing can cause damage.

You should try and find a teacher to really review technique. It turned out I had a tendency to bend my wrists out a bit, so we had an intensive couple weeks on the formal german grip/stroke practice and nothing else, which keeps the wrist in line with the forearm.

In combination with that I also reevaluated how I used the computer when I was on it - again focusing on keeping the wrist in line with the forearm to minimize any bending tension, and trying to keep everything relaxed and following my body's natural posture.

Beyond that, I had a doctor visit and he gave me a brace and advised me to take a bunch of ibuprofen. About 10 days of that and easing back heavily on drumming and reducing computer use to the bare essentials (never been so happy as I was for the # of meetings that week), and I'm good as new. No new pain, no hints of pain returning.

Technique should be able to help solve this problem as longer-term as you're focused on tension free (which doesn't just mean, "am I gripping tightly" or "are my arms tense") movements. Take this as an opportunity to slow down for a second, heal, and look at how your body is working. In the short term, this is what your body is telling you to do.
 
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