Many people with chronic pain find their way to my office because they are given a difficult choice by their doctor: cortisone injections or surgery. Neither option guarantees results or is a pleasant choice. In addition, many patients are reporting a lack of adequate information regarding possible side effects from the injections. As a service to my patients, I decided to wade through the medical jargon and make an easily understood outline of cortisone injection therapy and how that would compare to acupuncture treatments. Cortisol, a glucocorticoid, is a naturally occurring steroid hormone in our bodies that is secreted by the adrenal glands. Cortisol exerts a wide range of effects in the body that include regulation of metabolism, cardiovascular function, growth, and immunity. The amount in our blood stream is tightly regulated by the central nervous system. In a normal adult, in the absence of stress, 10-20 mg of cortisol is released daily and follows our circadian rhythm. It is