Early in my career, cortisone was the answer to almost any musculoskeletal question. The evidence that accumulated over two decades complicated that reflex considerably. What changed in my practice — and the distinction between cortisone as treatment versus cortisone as bridge.

Why cortisone produces excellent short-term relief for tennis elbow and significantly worse one-year outcomes — and the conditions where injection is genuinely the right call. The inject vs. load distinction every patient deserves to understand.