Steroid injections are man-made drugs very similar to cortisol, a hormone your body makes in your adrenal glands. “Steroid” is short for corticosteroid, which is different from the hormone-related steroid compounds that some athletes use. You may hear them called cortisone injections, cortisone shots, steroid shots, or corticosteroid injections.
Steroids ease inflammation and slow your immune system. They can treat many kinds of inflammatory conditions.
Steroid injections often ease inflammation in a joint so it can work better. They may keep you from needing to use oral steroids or higher doses of oral steroids, which could have stronger side effects.