Does a sports medicine doctor perform cortisone injections?

Cortisone is a corticosteroid medicine used to calm inflammation in a specific area. A sports medicine clinician may inject it into a joint, around a tendon, or into an inflamed bursa, depending on the examination and the suspected source of pain. The clinician may use ultrasound guidance to help place the needle accurately. An injection can reduce symptoms for some people, but it does not repair every underlying injury and is not suitable for every condition. Your clinician will consider previous treatments, medicines, allergies, infection risk, and conditions such as diabetes before recommending it.

Bring a list of medicines and tell the clinic about blood thinners, diabetes, allergies, recent illness, or a planned procedure. Ask which activities to limit after the injection and when to restart exercise. Mild soreness can occur briefly; follow the aftercare instructions and avoid adding extra strain while the area settles. Keep track of pain, swelling, movement, and any change in function so the follow-up visit can assess whether the plan is helping.

Contact the clinic promptly if the injected area becomes increasingly red, hot, swollen, or painful, or if you develop fever or feel unwell. Seek urgent help for trouble breathing, facial swelling, fainting, or a rapidly worsening reaction. A sudden major loss of movement or strength after an injury also needs urgent assessment rather than another injection appointment.

Ask what structure is causing the symptoms, what benefit the injection is intended to provide, and what alternatives are available. Clarify the expected aftercare, warning signs, exercise timeline, and whether your medical history changes the recommendation.