Cortisol and Back Pain: Understanding the Connection

The hormone cortisol plays many important roles in the body. Synthetic versions---called cortisone---are commonly used to treat back and other types of pain. According to Dr. John Van Houten, writing for Spineuniverse.com, cortisone injections are a useful treatment for back pain resulting from a number of conditions.

Action

• Cortisone plays an important role in reducing inflammation, reducing scar tissue, facilitating the healing process and helping the body's defenses against injury, according to Van Houten.

Efficacy

• Treatment can relieve pain up to several months. According to Dr. Malanga of Spineuniverse.com, 60 percent of patients require only one shot for relief while 10 to 20 percent need three to achieve relief. He notes however, that if a patient does not see relief after two shots, a third is unlikely to provide benefit.

Administration

• Doctors use injections of cortisone to treat back pain---termed epidural steroid injections. This delivers the medication right to the affected area and reduces inflammation of the nerve roots contributing to the pain.

Considerations

• While epidural cortisone injections can offer significant relief, they are usually an adjunct to other treatments like physical therapy and other rehabilitative practices. They offer the patient a chance to experience relief from their pain and take part in the activities necessary for longer-lasting pain relief.

Side Effects

• Possible side effects include fluid retention, increase in blood pressure, lowered immunity, osteoporosis, thin skin, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and low blood sugar, according to Betterhealthchannel.com, a website maintained and reviewed by the Australian government.