I don’t recall them calling it anything other than cortisone. I don’t recall the word epidural. It was in the muscle in my back. It was in spasm and would not release no matter what treatment we tried….heat, trigger point, muscle relaxers, stretching, Electrical stimulation, etc. Had appealed my request for botox injection with my insurance carrier who denied it initially , when it finally released. We could never determine what caused the stubborn spasm. It hasn’t returned yet….that was many years ago.

The cortisone shots in my shoulders were given by my rheumatologist in the joints. They freed it up so I could participate in physical therapy. I have type 1 diabetes and frozen shoulder isn’t uncommon with us, but the actual cause is unknown.

Right now, I have tennis elbow. ☹️

For me, the cortisone helped inflammation in the joint, but not the soft tissue. I got one in my foot too that did nothing. Total waste. It was not in a joint.

If you are in pain, it’s reasonable to discuss your goals with your doctor, imo. Everyone is different.