I have been diagnosed with tendonitis in my shoulder and nothing seems to be helping pain relief , not even a corticosteriod shot, what now?

MRI: Typically shoulder pain that fails to improve with typical treatment may need to be evaluated either by a doctor trained in sports medicine, an orthopedist, or with an MRI to make sure the diagnosis is correct.

Consultation: Usually if I have a patient with persistent shoulder pain who is not getting better after a cortisone shot and it has been going on for longer that a few months, i will usually want to obtain an MRI of the shoulder. The most common issue is a potential rotator cuff tear. Not all rotator cuff tears need surgery. Many can be alleviated with a good physical therapy program.

Shoulder pain: While tendinitis is the most common cause of shoulder pain, it is also the most common misdiagnosis. I would be suspicious of the diagnosis if a cortisone shot (i assume was placed into bursa) did othing to help pain at all, not even temporarily. If true, i would get a 2nd opinion from a shoulder expert. There are other causes of pain that may be difficult to diagnose if not looked for. Good luck.