Compare treatments

	Relief of symptoms	Cortisone injection	Surgery
What is usually involved?	Optional: wearing a splint during the day. Optional: Non-opioid pain medication.	One to 3 cortisone injections.	A small surgery under local anesthesia to make more room for the swollen tendon.
What are the results?	After one year, 95 of 100 patients are pain-free.	82 of 100 patients felt better 6 weeks after an injection. 85 of 100 patients are pain-free after one year with 1 to 3 injections.	Three months after surgery, 96 of 100 patients are pain-free.
What are the benefits?	You avoid the risks and recovery time of surgery. You will not have a wound or a scar.	You avoid the risks and recovery time of surgery. You will not have a wound or a scar. It’s not clear if you will pain-free sooner with than without an injection.	Severe symptoms get better more quickly after surgery than they would with non-operative treatment.
What are the risks and limitations?	It can take a year or more for the problem to resolve on it’s own.	A steroid injection can cause discoloration and thinning of the skin. Some people are disappointed when the injection doesn’t work or the pain returns in spite of injection.	You will have a wound with stitches and a scar will remain. You have a small risk of infection and of temporary or permanent nerve damage.