> For some months I've had considerable joint and muscle pain, like
> fibromyalgia and arthritis combined, which was especially severe in my
> right shoulder.  My GP prescribed first an X-ray then an MRI.  A visit
> to an orthopedic surgeon followed.  The surgeon diagnosed the problem as
> a muscle tear with no arthritic damage of consequence. He gave me a
> cortisone shot in my shoulder-about what I expected- as a localized pain
> reliever.

> What i did NOT expect was something else altogether.  Before I got out
> of the building I felt the effects of the shot- all over!  I started
> feeling better immediately, and by the next day my muscle and joint
> pains had almost totally vanished. That was ten days ago and I am now
> "loose as a goose," as the saying goes.  I had no idea cortisone had
> that general an effect.  If this is what baseball players took I can
> hardly blame them. Meanwhile, I feel like I could run a marathon, better
> than I have felt in months.

> --Bob--