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Carol
I tend to start with natural remedies and then go from there. (Western medicine does the exact opposite...or it ignores natural treatments all together.)
My Mom went into rehab for a shoulder she injured and then bursitis set in - (it sent her to the ER in pain.) At the rehab,they had her do exercises to help "loosen" the shoulder and used massage as well. I had the doctor take her off the Vicoden and replace it with extra strength tylenol.
At home, I bought her an exercise pedal bike that sits on the floor, normally, but put it on a table so she could use it with her hands and keep the shoulder loose.
She has not had severe pain since.
I would try some simpler solutions before I went the cortisone route. There are side effects, as there are with any drug, and potential for infection at the injection site. Also, diabetics need to be cautious. Usually, doctors limit the number of injections they will give. If the first few do not have lasting effects, more will not help. (btw, what type of medicine was the doctor going to prescribe. If it us just pain medication, it will just take away the "hurt" but not help the problem.)
good luck
My 90 YO mother has severe arthritis. My husband has less severe arthritis. Their doctors have said that there is no cure, and nothing that improves the cause of the pain. In some cases surgery may provide some relief, but that does not apply to either my mother or my husband. Apparently your mother's doctor is not suggesting surgery, either. Has he/she suggested any rehab PT? Ask about that.
So you are left with managing the pain. Shots work for many people. They didn't for my mother. (Even when they work, they wear off and need to be repeated.) My mother tried a pain patch and that works somewhat. Her skin is sensitive to the adhesive so she only uses them in severe flare ups.) In the hospital they tried morphine, but oh my goodness, she can't take that! In fact she can't take a lot of drugs because of the side effects. Poor dear lady. She takes an OTC pain med recommended by her doctor, along with vitamin D, also recommended. She gets by on that most days pretty good. A few years ago a back brace was recommended but after looking at it she decided she would not try that. We got her a lift chair that fits her well. Sitting in chair not suitable for her short stature wasn't doing her any good.
Hubby doesn't need meds everyday. He takes the OTC pain med his doctor recommended only when he has a flare up.
In some cases exercise can be beneficial -- especially exercises in warm water. Hubby and I have done that together in a rehab pool and found it helpful. Unfortunately the water temperature at our local Y is not quite warm enough.
If you keep your body long enough, you're probably going to have arthritis somewhere. When it gets as severe as our mothers' arthritis, then you look for ways to manage the pain. I sure hope you find some suitable measures that give your mom relief.