Carpal tunnel steroid shots can temporarily reduce inflammation and relieve symptoms, but they work only about half the time and carry important risks.
Carpal tunnel steroid shots are a common treatment doctors use to relieve pain, numbness, and tingling caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. They work by reducing inflammation inside the wrist, which can temporarily ease pressure on the median nerve. But while the relief can be dramatic for some patients, steroid shots do not work for everyone—and they come with real side effects, costs, and limitations. Before choosing this treatment, it’s important to understand both the benefits and the downsides.
Key facts about carpal tunnel steroid shots include:
- Carpal tunnel steroid shots reduce inflammation inside the wrist
- They relieve symptoms in about 45% of patients
- Relief may be temporary and side effects can be serious
- Other non-surgical treatments may work better with fewer risks
People Also Ask
Do steroid shots work for carpal tunnel syndrome?
Yes, steroid shots can reduce inflammation and temporarily relieve symptoms, but they work in only about 45% of carpal tunnel patients.
Are carpal tunnel steroid shots dangerous?
They can be. Risks include tendon weakening, bone loss, tendon rupture, infection, and accidental injury to the median nerve during injection.
How long does a steroid shot last for carpal tunnel?
Relief may begin within 1 to 2 weeks, but in many cases it is temporary and symptoms can return within weeks or months.
What is better than steroid shots for carpal tunnel?
Many patients do better with a combination of night bracing, stretching exercises, and myofascial release massage because these treatments also target inflammation without the same risks.
Main problems with carpal tunnel steroid shots
If steroid injections were harmless there wouldn’t be a problem. This is why the
University of Michigan Health System says such steroid injections
should be used very carefully.
This caution is due to the possible side effects of the steroid injection. Indeed, they can be severe (on rare occasion, they can be life threatening). More often, the side effects primarily include
tendon weakening and
bone loss (called
steroid-induced osteoporosis).
In addition, steroid injection therapy is not cheap.
- On average, injections costs
$350 - $450
in a doctor’s office.
- But they cost
$950 - $1,500
in a hospital or surgical center.
Therefore, the high cost combined with the fact steroid injections don’t work for everybody is a concern. For these reasons many healthcare professionals are seriously heeding the precautions of carpal tunnel steroid shots announced by the University of Michigan.
Other side effects of carpal tunnel steroid shots
In addition to tendon weakening and bone loss, carpal tunnel steroid shots have other side effects to consider.
The more severe side effects that can result are:
- Loss of strength and movement in the tendon
- Tendon degeneration
- Tendon scarring, tearing, or rupture
- Accidental injury to the median nerve during injection
- Infection
Less severe side effects are not as debilitating. However, they can result in pain and misery for weeks to months.
Those minor side effects include:
- Injection site pain (may be intense and worsen long after the injection)
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Menstrual irregularities
- Weight gain
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Mood swings
What else to do for carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a serious condition. It may not seem like that in the beginning. In fact, it usually starts out as just annoying pain or numbness.
But within a few months the pain and numbness can get
severe. It interferes with your life and consumes every waking minute. It even robs you of a good night's sleep. You must address the issue head on, and as soon as possible.
It's all about inflammation
Carpal tunnel syndrome requires real therapy. That therapy should go to the heart of the matter:
inflammation inside your wrist. Every serious therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome focuses on reducing that inflammation. Steroid injections reduce that inflammation, even if it is temporary.
Surgery, however, does not reduce inflammation. That's why carpal tunnel surgery is effective
only 50% of the time. (This is based upon patient satisfaction with their results at 2 years.)
The best ways to reduce inflammation is a combination of:
When used daily for about 4 weeks, these combined remedies are proven to reduce inflammation. They resolve symptoms in 97% of patients.
Summary
Carpal tunnel steroid shots are used frequently by doctors to relieve symptoms. They work by reducing inflammation. And they well in about half of carpal tunnel patients. But they are not without risks. Other remedies also reduce inflammation, have a higher success rate, and have no such risks.
FAQs
If steroid shots only work about half of the time, why do doctors give them?
In patients who have severe symptoms, most doctors believe getting even some relief with steroid shots is a good gamble. Anything that may reduce severe pain and numbness, even if for a few months, is seen as worthy of trying because of the low cost and ease of application.
Can I get a steroid shot and follow up with massage?
Yes, but you should first let the area of the injection site settle down - generally after a week.
How will I know if the steroid shot didn't work?
Either symptoms will not have changed appreciably after the injection (within 1-2 weeks) or else symptoms may disappear temporarily but then return in a few weeks.
Do I get a refund if the steroid shot doesn't work?
No, not usually.
About Dr. Zannakis
