playing after a steroid injection

[drplywood]

saw my doc today and he gave me a steroid(cortisone) shot for bursitis in my stick hand shoulder. It was crazy but after five minutes their was an 80% improvement in how I felt.
Good to know I don't have rotator cuff damage. When I asked him how long I should lay off playing he sort of shrugged his shoulders and told me ideally 6 weeks but if I was careful and followed an ice-heat-ice routine i could try playing some shinny before that and see how things went taking it easy. What have other other folks experience with this been?
How long did you wait to play?
I am planning on calling him early next week to get a little clarification but of course with my shoulder feeling great now I just wanna get on the ice.
any thoughts and experiences are greatly appreciated

[Jerry Klein]

I got a cortisone shot for bursitis in my hip about a month ago and played the same night. The doctor knows I play, and did not say I shouldn't, so I did. I felt fine and have had no problems.

[bc30]

I had a cortizone shot in my knee and played the same day - I asked the doc how long to stay off it and he said I could skate whenever I felt like it, and just be aware that the first day was the best it would feel due to the fact the needle was dipped in novacaine before being stuck into my knee.

[kmacatc]

Unless your making six figures playing hockey, I'd say its wise to lay off for a while (in this case six weeks as the doctor said). Cortisone is a steroidal anti-inflammatory. In most cases, it is tried after more conservative treatments have failed (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS), rest, and rehab). Being that cortisone is a steroid, you can only get so many injections in your lifetime, otherwise it starts to weaken the tendons, making them more likely to rupture. Probably the best thing to do would be to contact your physician like you said and get clarification. I love to play but not at the expense of my long term health, especially since I am paying to play and not the other way around.

Just my 2 cents.

Slainte

Kelly

[junior1cats]

I"ve had at least 5 cort shots in each shoulder over a 4 yr period. I played right away , as D man. now I have 5 screws in rt shoulder and legally disabled from it. Oh well. Depends on what your made of.

[dnabyun]

they're not good for long term. Eventually you'll get dependent on them. So go easy and try not to view them a quick fix solution.