What happens after cortisone injection?

After a cortisone injection, the area may feel sore briefly before inflammation settles and movement gradually becomes easier. Some people notice short-lived numbness from the local anaesthetic, followed by discomfort as it wears off.

A temporary increase in aching can occur during the first part of recovery. The steroid works on local inflammation, so improvement is not always immediate. Relief may build over the following days, while the underlying joint, tendon, or bursa problem still needs a plan for activity and rehabilitation.

Follow the injection clinician’s instructions about rest and returning to exercise. Avoid heavy or repetitive loading of the treated area until you have been told it is suitable. Keep the site clean, use a wrapped cold pack for short periods if advised, and record whether pain, swelling, and function are changing. Do not arrange repeated injections without discussing timing and alternatives.

Contact the treating service promptly if redness, warmth, swelling, or pain is worsening rather than settling, or if you develop fever or feel unwell. Seek urgent help for breathing difficulty, facial swelling, widespread hives, new weakness, or severe pain after the injection.

Ask which activities are safe now, when physiotherapy should begin, what improvement to track, and what other treatment is appropriate if symptoms return. If shoulder symptoms persist, ask how non-surgical care compares with [Subacromial Decompression](/treatments/sports-and-arthroscopic-surgery/subacromial-decompression/).