Researchers conducted a double-blinded randomized controlled trial to compare both injections for 32 SIS patients. There were 24 patients in each group and all were recruited from the orthopedic sports medicine clinic at Madigan Army Medical Center. Both groups reported immediate improvement after the injections.
However, at four weeks after the injections, the NSAID group showed more significant improvement in the University of California, Los Angeles Shoulder Assessment Score than the steroid injection group. Steroids have been associated with muscle atrophy and cartilage damage while NSAID injections have not, which means NSAID injections could be a viable alternative for steroid injections in SIS patients.
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