Injections and return to play.

The use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory injections in athletics has a long and sometimes controversial history. They have been and will continue to be utilized to decrease inflammation and pain, improve healing time, and ultimately decrease the amount of time missed from sports competition. Several authors have evaluated both the positive and negative aspects of various injectable medicines. Many questions still remain with regard to safety, tolerability, risks, complications, and side effects of these injectable medicines. This paper reviews some of the current trends regarding the use of injectable medications in athletic medicine.