If you have not yet read Chronic Pain and Cortisone, Part 1, please do so now.

When it came time for Dan to head to the fitness center, for my second post-cortisone trip (6 days after the injections),  I chose to stay home and enjoy my still-increasing soreness.   But I felt a bit guilty and thought I should at least do something to continue forming a habit of making fitness a priority, so I vowed spend some time with wiiFit.

And I did.

For all of 60 seconds.

I don’t know what happened, but standing on the wiiFit board aggravated my back almost instantly.  It was all I could do to gut out the body test… 100% of my pain returned, instantly.  I tried to ignore the discomfort and play some games, but I couldn’t see straight.

You know the feeling… Your vision blurs.  Your hearing fades.  You feel paralyzed… Incapable of breath, movement, and thought.

After collapsing back onto the couch, I opened the draft I had begun prior to dinner, and prior to my wiiFit fiasco, and started typing:

Nevermind what I said.  This is far too early to be passing judgment regarding the effectiveness of cortisone shots as treatment for my chronic pain.  All I can say is what I know:

• Cortisone shots are common.
• Cortisone shots feel strange.
• Cortisone shots made me hurt for two days.
• Cortisone shots relieved my pain for five days, until tonight.

Beyond these simple statements, I cannot say much.  But, you know me… Give me time, and I will give you an honest opinion based on personal experience and research.

……………………………………………………….

Now, three weeks after my first experience with cortisone injections, and two weeks since I wrote the above, I am back to share my experience.

While the cortisone injections helped reduce my back pain, I feel a bit hung up on the fact that I am treating yet another symptom, while the cause (known or otherwise) continues to exist (I assume).  Maybe I should not be so quick to write off the benefit?  The injections did break a season-long cycle of pain.  And I firmly believe that is a necessary step in eradicating pain… teaching your body not to hurt.  Call me new-age or crazy, but I’m right.

In closing, to be honest, I don’t think I will get these shots again.  I appreciate the pain relief and can’t imagine what I would have done without it, but the cortisone didn’t fix the cause, so when I lift things, bend just right, or sit for extended periods of time I still hurt.  I do not want to grow dependent on just relieving pain.  I want to heal.  I want to get well.  And, after researching cortisone, I don’t want to put anymore in my body.  I find no fault with those who get regular shots, I can’t blame them.  The relief is noticeable and has drastically increased my mobility and endurance.  However, I fear the side effects.

Having said that, I admit I can imagine a day, not long from now when I remember just how badly I hurt and just how much relief the injections provide, when I will retract this goal and make a return visit to my orthopedic doctor.

In the mean time I am pursuing another route through recovery to wellness.  More on that, to come.