Toradol Injection
Toradol (ketorolac tromethamine) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug most often given by injection. It is indicated for short-term management of moderate to severe acute pain. Over the past several years toradol has been used intra- articularly similar to cortisone injections for joint pain.
In many patients they have gotten similar results to the cortisone injections and in some patients the toradol has given them longer relief then the cortisone did. Since it is a non steroidal vs cortisone which is a steroid, risk such as infection and increasing glucose levels are decreased. Also risk of tendon weakening is less. There is usually not an increase in pain, like some patients get with a cortisone flare and pain relief is usually in a couple of days. Toradol can also be injected in the muscle if someone is in severe pain, such as back pain and has been used for years in emergency rooms for the treatment of pain from kidney stones and on orthopedic hospital floors for the treatment of postop pain.
Toradol can increase the risk of bleeding, so should not be used in patients with bleeding disorders or ulcers or patients on blood thinners or patients allergic to non steroidals. It also should not be given to patients with impaired kidney function.
Many conditions where inflammation is an underlying problem are amenable to toradol injections. These include, but are certainly not limited to:
- Shoulder Impingement
- Partial rotator cuff tear
- Calcific tendonitis
- Arthritis of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine
- Tennis or golfers elbow
- Bursitis of the knee or hip
- Plantar fascitis
- Trigger points
- Trigger finger
- Carpal tunnel
A single injection of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ketorolac shows superiority over corticosteroid injections in the treatment of shoulder impingement syndrome, according to a double-blind, randomized study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) 2011 Annual Meeting.