They typically also recommend spacing out each injection by at least 12 weeks.
Getting too many cortisone shots can cause serious problems like damaged cartilage and bone death.
It can also make it harder to manage other conditions such as diabetes.
Verywell/Emily Roberts
This article explains how cortisone shots work and their overall effectiveness in reducing joint pain and inflammation.
It also outlines the maximum number of shots a person should receive per year and the risks of overuse.
How Cortisone Injections Work
The goal of a cortisone injection is to improve pain and inflammation.
Cortisone does not treat the underlying condition; it only treats the symptoms.
Shots given into a joint space are referred to as intra-articular injections.
This doesn’t mean, however, that the underlying condition has also improved.
This is why they are better suited for treating injury rather than long-term conditions.
Additionally, many people report side effects like pain and skin atrophy following a cortisone injection.
Cortisone shots do not help every orthopedic problem.
How Many Cortisone Shots Can You Have?
There is no hard-and-fast rule about the number of cortisone shots a person can receive in a lifetime.
Additionally, healthcare providers usually recommend spacing the shots out by at least 12 weeks.
There are exceptions to the rule.
Other treatments may be far more effective.
The drugs work by quickly reducing the inflammation that causes pain.
As effective as cortisone shots can be, their effects are usually not permanent.
Daftary AR, Karnik AS.Perspectives in ultrasound-guided musculoskeletal interventions.Indian J Radiol Imaging.
2018;97(2):83-89. doi:10.1097/PHM.0000000000000814
