Corticosteroid microparticle formulations are provided for use for treating pain, including pain caused by inflammatory diseases such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, and for slowing, arresting or reversing structural damage to tissues caused by an inflammatory disease, for example damage to articular and/or peri-articular tissues caused by osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Corticosteroid microparticle formulations are administered locally as a sustained release dosage form (with or without an immediate release component) that results in efficacy accompanied by clinically insignificant or no measurable effect on endogenous cortisol production.本發明提供用於治療疼痛(包括由發炎性疾病(諸如骨關節炎或類風濕性關節炎)引起之疼痛)及用於減緩、遏止或逆轉由發炎性疾病引起之對組織的結構損害(例如由骨關節炎或類風濕性關節炎引起之對關節及/或關節周圍組織的損害)之皮質類固醇微粒調合物。皮質類固醇微粒調合物係以持續釋出劑型(含有或不含有立即釋出組分)經局部投服，該持續釋出劑型可產生伴隨臨床上對內源性皮質醇之產製不明顯或無法測量之影響的功效。
