Lower dose of corticosteroids as effective as higher dose for Shoulder Pain

A study of two common corticosteroid doses administered for Shoulder Pain reveals that lower doses are as effective as higher ones for pain reduction, duration of efficacy and improved range of motion. Investigators led by Seung-Hyun Yoon, from the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea, conducted a clinical trial in which 79 patients with at least one month's duration of pain were randomly assigned to three groups receiving either a high (40mg) or low dose (20mg) of triamcinolone acetonide, or a placebo injection. All were followed up at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment. Compared to pretreatment, the high- and low-dose corticosteroid groups both showed improvement in pain, disability, and shoulder movement score, while the placebo group showed no difference. Importantly, this study showed no significant differences between the high- and low-dose corticosteroid groups. Because a higher dose may increase the incidence of local and general complications, a lower dose is indicated at the initial treatment stage. See: "Comparison of High- and Low Dose Corticosteroid in Subacromial Injection for Periarticular Shoulder Disorder: A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial" Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, November 2011, Ji Yeon Hong et al. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2011.06.033