Hip Injections
What are Hip Injections?
The hip joint is where the leg meets the pelvis. It is a big joint and most of the time, it hurts because of arthritis, but sometimes it hurts because of an injury or overuse. There are two main things in a steroid injection for the hip. The first is cortisone, a steroid that helps reduce swelling, and the second is a painkiller that reduces pain.
Arthritis is a disease that gets worse over time. It happens when the cartilage that lines the joint surface wears away and shrinks, putting pressure on the bone, causing inflammation, and making the joint swell.
Fluoroscopy, or an x-ray, is used during hip joint injections to help the doctor target the right spot for the needle and avoid hurting a nerve or other part of the body. Your physician will then inject a contrast dye to make sure the medicine gets into the joint, and the medicine is then slowly released into the joint.
![Hip Team Img Hip Team Img](https://midorthoneuro.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/hip-team-img.jpg)
Are you experiencing hip pain and discomfort?
Contact us to schedule an appointment to speak with one of our orthopedic doctors at one of our locations near you or give us a call at (803) 256-4107.
Reasons to Get Hip Injections
Many people struggle with hip joint pain. These injections can be used for:
- Diagnostics – By putting medicine into the joint to numb it, the amount of immediate pain relief will help prove or disprove that the joint is the source of pain. If the pain goes away completely while the hip joint is numb, this means that the hip joint is most likely the only source of the pain.
- Pain relief – Along with the medicine to reduce the pain, time-release cortisone is also injected into these joints to reduce inflammation. This can often help with pain for a long period.
Common Conditions Hip Injections are Used For
Most of the time, steroid injections are used to treat hip pain and inflammation. Hip pain can be caused by several different things that may be treated with injections, including:
- Arthritis
- Bursitis
- Labral tear
- Injury or trauma to the hip
- Overuse or misuse of the hip joint
What to Expect from Hip Injections
As a tried-and-true alternative to surgery, hip joint injections help patients feel less pain, however, you may be sore for one to two days after the procedure. On the day of the procedure, it’s best to take it easy, but you can do your usual things the next day. You should feel better right away after the procedure, and the corticosteroid medicine will keep you feeling better for a long period.