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Do knee injections really work?

Knee injections that you get for pain, like cortisone, don't work. Yes, you read that right. Now, before you start writing in the comments section about how they worked for you and I don't know what I'm talking about and so on, let me explain.

First, let's talk about what caused you to go to the doctor to get a knee injection.  Did you fall or have an accident?  Chances are, you didn't.  The story I hear most often is some variation of "I was running (insert any activity here) and couldn't run anymore because the pain was so intense" OR "I can't walk down the steps anymore."  At this point, the amount of Advil or anti-inflammatory medicines you take have increased but they do nothing to dull the pain.  So, you get an injection in your knee and suddenly the pain is gone and the problem is solved.  But in reality, you just made everything way more complicated.

The pain may be gone but the problem has not been solved.  All you did was mask the pain and put off dealing with the real problem at a later date. And the worst-case scenario is the damage that you are doing now maybe irreversible. However, if you would have fixed the problem when it first occurred, you could have saved yourself considerable time and money and you would still be able to do everything that you previously enjoyed.

Most often, knee problems are caused by muscle imbalances that are easily corrected if they are diagnosed quickly.  But the longer they are ignored, additional muscles become involved, creating bigger problems.

The video below shows some exercises to reduce knee pain.  These help increase strength and stretch the muscles to reduce any imbalances.  If performing these exercises causes you pain, stop and seek medical attention.

The bottom line is there is a reason for the pain.  Taking drugs or injections to reduce or relieve the pain is like putting a piece of duct tape on a leaking roof.  Sure, it will fix it for a week or month but eventually the floodgates will open costing you more time and money then you could have ever imagined.