MAG, I'm no physician, but personal experience with knees full of cortisone says avoid it. The procedure itself isn't entirely benign, the joint can become stiffer and more painful immediatley following the injection, and there can be injury to the lining of the joint. Cortisone may allow inflammation to calm down for a while, but may not address the root cause of the problem. There are alternative injectables which may produce fewer side effects than cortisone, you should ask about them. There may also be oral anti-inflammatories which could work for you. How many opinions have you gotten from orthopods who are well experienced at treating shoulders? It's always a good idea to ask how many times your physician has performed a particular procedure (experience counts) and what success has been acheived. Opinion only, but the older I get, the less I'm interested in letting someone rummage around in my joints. D