What is cortisone?
It is a hormone produced by a small gland on top of the kidney called the adrenal gland. It is essential to the proper functioning of your body, particularly when under stress. Its absence is known as Addison’s Disease, which without treatment is fatal. Cortisone is a normal body product therefore; there are no allergic reactions. In cases of people with severe allergies, it is one of our most effective treatment tools. Cortisone by itself is rarely used today as it is relatively short acting and of low potency. Semi-artificial cortisone derivatives, such as DepoMedrol, Celestone, Kenalog, and a number of others, are used with increased benefits and fewer side effects.
What are the different types of injections?
Cortisone falls into a group of chemicals called steroids. It is very different from anabolic steroids commonly abused by weight lifters or competitive athletes. The cortisone/steroid injections, used in medical practice, fall into three broad categories, articular injections, “trigger point” injections, and epidural steroid injections.
Is the injection painful?
Some cortisone injections can be painful. Injections into an area that is already inflamed are more sensitive. Some areas, such as the hand and foot are particularly sensitive and a freeze block is used before injection. Other areas, such as the knee and shoulder are only moderately uncomfortable.
Cortisone shots are generally accompanied by an anesthetic such as Carbocaine or Lidocaine. This deadens the area and indicates where the shot should be placed (the pain will go away about an hour while the anesthetic works). Most people who have reactions or allergies to cortisone really have the reaction to the anesthetic agent of the epinephrine (adrenaline), which may be in some forms of the injection. Epinephrine can cause tachycardia (rapid heart beat) in some patients. For others, the sight of a needle will cause this reaction and the feeling of being faint is often misinterpreted as an allergic reaction.
How is cortisone effective?
Cortisone is useful in suppressing inflammation in the short term, and in the long term, dissolving scar tissue, stabilizing the body’s defenses, speeding the healing process, and is very effective in causing certain cysts to disappear. It does however, have a weakening effect on tendons if injected directly into them. It can also soften cartilage when injected into a joint. (Information comes from experiments on animals and not human beings.)
How many injections are needed?
In spite of surrounding folklore, there is no specific limit to the number of cortisone shots that can be given. Practical concerns are, if the shot does not work, then why repeat it? If it does work, cortisone is extremely effective and not too many shots are needed. There is a limit to the amount of cortisone given in one dose, even if injected in several areas of the body; this varies depending on the size and physical condition of the person.
Published Clinical Evidence
Intravenous (IV) ketamine infusion therapy has emerged as a treatment option for a variety of chronic pain conditions including fibromyalgia, small fiber neuropathy, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and psychiatric conditions including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation,
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Ketamine has a very safe track record and has been in use since the 1970s. Ketamine causes very little depression of a patient’s respiratory drive, which is why is has been attractive as an anesthetic agent in the military and in developing countries.
Our highly trained nurse practitioners or physician assistants will oversee your infusions and will monitor your vital signs through the process.
Even though Ketamine has a very high safety profile, all patients are placed on cardiac monitoring and pulse oxygenation monitoring. IVKetamine.com sets the standard for patient safety
At IVKetamine.com, each patient receives an infusion in a private room with observation by trained staff.