I hurt my knee last week on the basketball court. A friend told me to ask my doctor for a cortisone shot. This powerful steroid, often given by injection, gets to work at the site of an injury by blocking the body's natural inflammatory response.
Less inflammation means less pain.
But before you rush to your doctor for a dose, be aware that cortisone is hardly the panacea for your sports-injury woes. Used alone, cortisone does nothing to repair an injury to muscles, joints, tendons, or ligaments. It simply smoothes over the symptoms, Band-Aid style. If you do get a cortisone shot, it should always be prescribed in tandem with a rehabilitation or strengthening program. If the cause of your problem is weakness or improper training, this kind of regimen is critical.