Cortisone injections questions

Hello I have bilater hand pain for years and the past year my elbows are in pain. To make this short I had a cortisone inj. in one hand it did not help. I could not use my hand for several days after. After a gizillion tests over the years and another EMG just yesterday negative again for carpel tunnel I wanted to see if any injections would at least help me deal w/ the elbow pain.
Is there any other injections used besides cortisone?  If you do get cortisone is that a 3x limit during how many years?
How damaging is it to the body or joint area to get a cortisone injection?

Thanks in advance.

[Dr Vinod]

Cortisone is a steroid and it has its advantages and disadvantages. Your orthopaedician will never give you more than the therapeutic limit of the drug, i.e 4 times within a period of 6 months to 1 year.

If given properly it is safe and you can go for couple of more injections to see if it works.
Surgery is an option and before that proper diagnosis is important.

Go for a latest X-ray and MRI and correlate your symptoms with the MRI. Take care!