11/03/2026
Most people agree to a steroid injection for one reason. It hurts, and they want it to stop.
That's a fair reason, and Dr. Sally says as much. For acute pain, he calls steroids great.
The question he raises comes after the relief: what is happening inside the joint?
He notes that steroids are considered chondrotoxic, a term for substances that may harm cartilage cells.
That doesn't make the decision simple.
It does make the longer-term picture worth asking about, before a first injection and before a second one.