Well that depends on the question… If you’ve had an organ transplant – yes. If you have life threatening cerebral edema – YES. If you have elbow pain – NO. Corticosteroids are potent anti-inflammatories. Traditional logic says if you have tendonitis (inflammation of a tendon), let’s inject you with an anti-inflammatory. But at what cost? Corticosteroids destroy collagen and connective tissue. Many people state they feel immediate relief from their steroid shot but this can be attributed to the pain killer (usually lidocaine or procaine) in the injection. Usually a tendon becomes inflamed from over use or trauma. A steroid shot will weaken that tendon and predispose it to more inflammation. A better solution is to make that tendon stronger and modify functional movement to avoid over use. The best way to make a tendon or ligament stronger is through prolotherapy. While prolotherapy can be achy for the first few hours of treatment it actually strengthens tendons and ligament and prevents future injuries. Consider your options – a short-term fix that will cause more damage in the long run or a long term solution to the underlying cause. A thorough orthopedic exam, imaging if necessary, will determine if you are a candidate for prolotherapy.