Originally Posted by en bloc

A short course of steroids can provide so much information. It really only takes a few days and you will know whether it will work or not.

I am NOT a proponent of steroid use long term, as I have permanent damage from their use. But using them to determine if your condition is inflammatory based is simple, informative and not harmful...because you are only on them for sometimes less than a week (other taper packs run about 10 days to 2 weeks). Now, if you find out that it IS helpful and your condition is, in fact, inflammatory based, then decisions have to be made as how to approach...and try to avoid the possible long term effects of steroids.