Are Cortisone Shots Bad? The Truth for Rodeo Athletes

You've been fighting a nagging shoulder for three weeks. Every time you nod your head, you feel that sharp, hot pull that makes you want to let go of the rigging.

You walk into the doctor's office, and they offer you the "quick fix." A cortisone shot.

Ten minutes later, you're walking out feeling like a new man. But are you actually fixed, or did you just pull the battery out of your smoke detector while the house is still on fire?

In rodeo, we are notorious for "cowboying up" and masking pain just to make the next performance. But if you want a career that lasts longer than a few seasons, you need to understand the difference between a tool and a solution.

The Problem: Pain is a Messenger, Not the Enemy

Your body doesn't feel pain because it wants to annoy you. It feels pain because something is wrong.

Red Flag:When you use cortisone to completely kill the pain signal without addressing why the pain started, you are entering a dangerous "donating money" phase of your career.

In a recent Champion Living Podcast episode, Doug and Brandon Thome (head of Justin Sports Medicine) broke down the reality of injury trends in the arena.

Whether it's timed-event overuse shoulder injuries or roughstock acute pec and bicep strains, the temptation is always to "just get through the weekend."

Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It can drop swelling and kill pain faster than almost anything else.

But it doesn't heal tissue. It hides the damage.

Why Cortisone is a Tool, Not a Fix

If you think a shot in the shoulder or knee is a permanent repair, you're mistaken.

The Reality Check:Cortisone has a catabolic effect. That means it can actually weaken tendons and ligaments if used improperly or too often.

The Cons of the "Quick Fix"

• Weakened Tissue:Repeated injections can degrade collagen. For a bull rider with a history of shoulder dislocations, this is the last thing you want.

• False Confidence:When the pain is gone, you'll push your body past its actual structural limit. This is how "niggles" become full-blown ruptures.

• The "Wait and See" Outcome:Research shows that for many tendon issues, people who just do proper rehab actually have better long-term outcomes than those who rely on shots.

The Pros: When to Say Yes

Does this mean cortisone is "bad"? No. It's a tool.

If your inflammation is so high that you can't even start your physical therapy exercises, a shot can open the window for rehab.

Brandon Thome and the team at Justin Sports Medicine often use these tools to bridge the gap, but they never stop there. The goal of the shot is to get you to a place where you can actually put in the work.

Injury Trends: What's Actually Happening in the Arena?

We're seeing distinct patterns in how guys and girls are getting hurt right now.

1. Timed-Event Athletes:We see massiveshoulder overuse. Over-throwing, lack of overhead stability, and constant repetition lead to "nagging" pains that cortisone loves to hide.

2. Roughstock Riders:You're dealing withacute hits. Pec strains, biceps tears, and dislocated shoulders. If you mask an acute injury with cortisone and get back on a rank one, you're gambling with your career.

3. The Knee Factor:From barrel racers to steer wrestlers, knee stability is often theweakest link. A shot in the knee might get you through the NFR, but it won't help you hold a horse in the dirt.

The Fix: Building a Sports Medicine Team

If you want to stay in this game, you need more than just a doc with a needle. You need a team.

Doug and Brandon emphasize a multi-pillar approach:

• Orthopedics:For the structural diagnosis.

• Physiotherapy/Chiropractic:To get the mechanics right.

• Strength & Conditioning:This is where we come in.

Train. You cannot expect a joint to stay healthy if the muscles around it are weak. Most "overuse" injuries are actually "under-prepared" injuries.

Try. Before you jump to an injection, try a dedicated 4-week strength and mobility block. Use the HooeyFit App to find programs specifically designed for your event.

Start. Start looking at your recovery as part of your job. Ice after, heat before, and focus onprehabrather than just post-injury repair.

The Champion Living Perspective

We aren't here to tell you to never take a shot. We're here to tell you that a shot is not a training program.

If you take the shot, you better be using that pain-free window to strengthen the joint. If you don't, you're just waiting for a catastrophic failure.

Stop donating your entry fees.

If you're so hurt that you can't ride without a needle in your joint, you aren't competing: you're surviving.

Take Action Today

Don't wait for the "pop" to start caring about your longevity.

1. Audit your pain:Is it a sharp "stop" sign or a dull "fix me" ache?

2. Consult the pros:Talk to your sports med team about a long-term plan, not just a weekend fix.

3. Get a Program:Stop guessing in the gym.

Join theChampion Living communityand get on a program that builds the durability you need to finish the season strong.

Check out our Coaching Options here.

Stay gritty. Put in the work.