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Steroid injections can give you quick relief for low back pain — but are they a long-term fix? Here’s the part most people don’t hear.

What Steroid Injections Actually Do

Steroid injections reduce inflammation around the nerve roots and the joints. That can deliver quick pain relief. It’s valuable during a flare-up — especially if pain is limiting your movement. But injections don’t correct the underlying causes: poor movement patterns, muscle imbalances, or joint stiffness that set the irritation off in the first place.

Where a Lot of People Go Wrong

Many people get an injection, feel a little better, and then do nothing. They wait and hope the relief lasts. The problem? That short period of relief is your window of opportunity.

With pain temporarily dialed down, you can move more freely — walk farther, restore mobility, start rebuilding core control. Skip the window, and the same stressors are still there. The pain cycle almost always returns.

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What the Research Shows

Study after study shows injections alone rarely provide long-term relief. Pain usually returns within weeks. Combine that short-term pain reduction with structured, movement-based rehab and outcomes improve:

• Better function

• Fewer flare-ups

• More confidence in daily life

It’s not just about the needle — it’s about how you use the window it gives you to retrain your body and change the way you move.

The Risk of Repeated Injections

Steroid injections aren’t meant to be a monthly routine. Repeated use — especially in older adults — has been linked to weakened tendons, thinning cartilage, and higher fracture risk. One large study found a 21% increase in fracture risk for each additional injection per year in adults over 50. Other research reports up to a 39% increased risk of vertebral fracture with repeat use.

Use the Relief Window

The real opportunity is in the relief window — when pain is low enough to work on the root causes. Patients who start rehab during this time often regain stability faster and report fewer flare-ups, which lowers the odds you’ll need injection number two… or three… or surgery.

If you’re not sure where to start, grab my free mini course with four back-saving techniques you can use today. You’ll find it here. 

What to Work On

• Hip mobility and spine mobility

• Core control and endurance

• Better lifting technique

• A sensible walking program

• Posture and daily movement habits

These address root issues, not just symptoms.

Final Takeaway

Injections aren’t the enemy. They can be a useful first step — a starting line, not a finish line.

Use the relief window to make lasting changes. That’s how you turn short-term relief into long-term progress and avoid getting stuck in the cycle of repeat injections or unnecessary surgery.

About the Author

Dr. Matt Harris, DPT, MS, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with 18+ years of experience helping people with spinal conditions. He provides straight-to-the-point back pain solutions — from recovery to lifelong lifting. No fluff. Just spine-safe training you can trust.

Having lived through his own back injuries and guided thousands of patients, Matt knows what it takes to go from pain and setbacks back to safe, confident training.

📩 Start your own recovery journey today: Get the free mini-course here.