MLS Laser vs. Cortisone Shots for Knee Pain: What You Should Know

By Dr. Ronald Vaught | MLS Laser Therapy | Beyond Health and Wellness, Oak Forest, IL

Your knee is killing you. You limp into the office, and five minutes later you're walking out with a cortisone shot and a smile. Problem solved, right?

Not so fast, My Friends.

That shot may feel like a miracle for a few weeks. But what if I told you the research shows repeated steroid shots may be quietly speeding up the very thing that's wrecking your knee in the first place? Stick with me. This one matters.

HOW CORTISONE WORKS (AND WHY IT'S SO POPULAR)

Cortisone is a powerful steroid injected right into the joint. It slams the brakes on inflammation, and many people feel better within a few days. It's quick, it's covered by insurance, and it's easy to give. No wonder it's the go-to.

The problem isn't how it works on day three. It's what happens down the road.

THE DOWNSIDE NOBODY MENTIONS IN THE EXAM ROOM

• The relief wears off. Weeks to a few months, usually. And many patients tell me each shot works for a shorter time than the last one.

• Repeated shots are linked to more cartilage loss. In a 2-year trial published in JAMA in 2017, knee arthritis patients who got a steroid shot every 3 months lost significantly more cartilage than patients who got a saltwater (placebo) shot. The kicker? Their pain was no better at the end of the study. Wait for it... wait for it... more cartilage loss, and no better pain relief. Do I really need to explain?

• Some joints get worse, faster. A 2019 study from Boston University published in Radiology found that some patients developed faster-progressing arthritis, small fractures in the bone under the cartilage, or joint damage after steroid injections in the hip or knee.

• It can complicate surgery later. Surgeons generally avoid operating soon after a steroid shot because it's linked to a higher infection risk after joint replacement.

• It can spike your blood sugar, a real concern if you have diabetes or prediabetes.

• There's a limit. Usually only a few shots a year in the same joint.

• It covers up the problem instead of fixing it. Cortisone shuts inflammation off. It doesn't help damaged tissue heal. That's treating the smoke alarm, not the fire.

ENTER MLS LASER: LIGHT, NOT NEEDLES

MLS (Multiwave Locked System) laser therapy is an FDA-cleared, non-invasive treatment. It uses two synchronized wavelengths of light that work on pain and inflammation at the same time. That light energy also helps your cells do what they're designed to do: repair. Root cause over symptoms. You know me by now.

• No needles, no drugs, no downtime. Treatments are painless and take just minutes.

• Works on pain AND inflammation while supporting tissue repair.

• No known risk to cartilage and no cap on the number of sessions.

• Won't touch your blood sugar or get in the way of a future surgery.

• Helps many conditions: arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, sprains and post-surgical swelling.

What to expect: MLS laser works over a series of visits. For an acute injury, that may be as few as 6 sessions. For chronic problems like osteoarthritis, it's often 12 or 24. Insurance doesn't cover it, so we offer packages to keep it affordable.

SIDE BY SIDE

• Needles: Cortisone, yes. MLS laser, no.

• Drugs: Cortisone uses a steroid. MLS laser uses none.

• Cartilage: Repeated cortisone shots are linked to more cartilage loss. MLS laser has no known cartilage risk.

• Relief: Cortisone is fast but often temporary. MLS laser builds over a series of sessions.

• Tissue healing: Cortisone, no. MLS laser supports repair.

• Limit per year: Cortisone, a few per joint. MLS laser, no set limit.

• Insurance: Cortisone is usually covered. MLS laser is offered in self-pay packages.

BEFORE YOUR NEXT SHOT, ASK YOURSELF THIS

Here's a story I hear just about every week: shot number one bought three months. Shot number two bought six weeks. Shot number three? Barely a few days. That's not bad luck. That's your knee telling you the quick fix isn't fixing anything.

So ask yourself: do you want to keep trading short-term relief for long-term wear and tear on the joint? Our patients choose MLS laser because they want to protect their knees, skip the injections, delay or avoid surgery, and stay active without living on medication.

GOING UNDER THE KNIFE? LASER CAN HELP ON BOTH SIDES

Sometimes surgery, like a knee replacement or a scope, really is the right call. I'm not anti-surgery. I'm anti-unnecessary. And MLS laser can help before AND after.

Before surgery:

• Calm pain and inflammation without steroids, so you avoid the added infection risk surgeons worry about when a shot is given too close to the operation.

• Stay more active while you wait, so you go in stronger. Patients who go into surgery stronger tend to bounce back faster.

• Buy time. For some patients, laser therapy helps enough to delay surgery, or skip it altogether.

After surgery:

• Reduce post-surgical swelling and pain, which can make it easier to lean less on pain medication.

• Support tissue and wound healing by boosting the energy your cells use to repair.

• Help protect your range of motion as you heal.

• Get more out of physical therapy. Less pain and swelling means you can work harder in rehab.

We're happy to work alongside your surgeon and physical therapist and time your laser sessions around your surgery date and rehab schedule.

MAKE THE LASER WORK EVEN HARDER

Healing doesn't happen in a vacuum. Remember the 7 Essentials of Healthy Living: nutrition, stress, body movement, what you drink, breathing, sleep and what you think. That's why we often pair MLS laser with:

• An anti-inflammatory diet to cool down inflammation throughout your whole body, not just your knee

• Evidence-based supplements for joint support (we test first and dose with you, not guess)

• Targeted knee-strengthening exercises so your knee stays strong long after treatment ends

READY TO GIVE YOUR KNEES A FIGHTING CHANCE?

If you live in Oak Forest, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Midlothian or anywhere in the south suburbs and knee pain is slowing you down, let's take an honest look at it together.

Call (708) 907-0700 or learn more about MLS laser therapy.

Stay healthy, My Friends!

Dr. Ronald Vaught

Please talk with your provider before stopping or changing any treatment.

Sources: McAlindon TE, et al. JAMA. 2017;317(19):1967-1975. Kompel AJ, et al. Radiology. 2019.

Beyond Health and Wellness, 15000 S Cicero Ave, Suite 100, Oak Forest, IL 60452

This article is for general education and isn't a substitute for a personal medical evaluation.