Hip Injection? Cortisone Injection?

I have not had it in my hip but I have had 12 injections in my lumbar spine. If it is anything like that, you will be put under "twilight" sedation and wont remember anything.

If the doctor you go to doesnt use sedation, find one that does! No one should have to suffer needlessly when medicine has advanced to the level it has.

My step-father has an ortho-spine doc in ny that doesnt use any sedation for his injections and so he wont go anymore and cannot understand why I will. Well its because the doctors I use are compassionate and try to make your pain better not worse.

I hope this helps, cortisone injections are a normal, everyday ocurrance and you shouldnt be nervous, they work well in most patients and are very safe. The doc has to tell you the worst because it can and does happen but the cases are few and far between.

Good luck and keep us informed!

Brian

It would probably depend on where they want to inject it (i.E. How deep). I have had injections into the bursa sac on the outside of my hip and have also had injections in my shoulder. I remember it being uncomfortable but not extremely painful. If they are going deep it may hurt more.

Hey jason,

get it if you can, they give you something to "deaden" the area. The injection site is usually in the middle of the hip to the left of the groin area. Your gonna be sore there for a few days, but its no big deal. I recieved some relief, but not enough to have another shot very quickly. I recieved a few shots before it stop helping completely. It also helps the doctors find out if its in the joint, but with your problem, its the joint.

The actual procedure is done 2 different ways, it depends on the area you live is like. When I had one done in a "big hospital" meaning in nashville, they uses a floroscopy (sp?) they shoot dye in the hip, and it has a pain killer so you dont feel the big needle with the cortizone. With the dye they can see the joint space and all kinds of good stuff, and it pretty quick and painless. Now the second one is a little different. I had this done in a small town, because I didnt want to drive 2 hours for a cortizone shot. They will put you in a cat scan and tie your feet together, you will go thru the scan, they will give you a shot and then put a small needle in your hip. It will be middle of your thigh but on your hip, and to the left near the groin area. Back in the scan you go until they get it in the joint, sometimes it takes a few times, all you feel is some pressure, no big deal.
Then they put the needle in for the cortizone which is much bigger, but all you feel is some pressure. I had to lay there for a few minutes then off I go. Really no big deal, I had quite a few of these, and never did they do it without any type of shot to deaden the area.

Give it a go and see if you get some relief, for me it didnt last long enough, and once it stops working your doctor will not suggest doing them again. Also, your doctor might want to up your anti inflammatories.

Good luck, and tell me how it goes
kim

Hi jason,

well this post is pretty old, but if anyone new might be reading it here's my take on it. I just had one done recently. I have hip dysplasia and the doctor was trying to get me some relief until I can have an osteotomy. The shot itself was no walk in the park, but it wasn't extremely painful either. I was told that the first pinch would sting from the numbing agent and then I shouldn't feel a thing. That was not the case. Every time the doc pushed the medicine in it hurt, but I think the worst part of the whole procedure was when they took that big @** needle out. Javascript:emoticon(':oops:') now the biggest problem after all of that was that my leg is in worse condition than I started. The shot is so unpredictable. It might last only a couple of weeks, maybe a few months, or in my case not at all. I guess it depends on what problem you are having as to whether or not it's a good idea. For me with my leg already in so much pain from the dislocated hip adding more pain sucks! Good luck with your hip!

Heck, I have had coticone shots in my hips, and other places and was never knocked out. I have had epidural steroid injections in my neck and nerve blocks and was knocked out for them. Big needle and it went deep with the cortisone but nothing has helped! Acupuncture, p.T & all.
Good luck too all of you!
Quick note, if it is in your shoulder make sure that it is not a frozen shoulder, this happens a lot!

I do realize this started out as an older post.

Hi jason,

long time no chat! I got a cortisone shot 2 1/2 years ago. The ortho that I was seeing at the time did the procedure, but wasn't well versed at it. She managed to stick the needle through a pretty major nerve on the way in. This nerve damage hurt quite a bit for nearly a week. But once it healed, I felt so much better. Really, the cortisone shot bought me 2 years before I needed the hip replaced. I was told at the time that they don't like to do more than 1-2 injections a year, for fear of doing damage to the joint. But one shot every once in a while won't hurt. I did not have another one done in lue of the surger because my problem was not longer just the swelling in the joint, but bone-on-bone rotation issues that the shot would not fix.

I would say to go ahead and try the shot...It might buy you a few pain-free years.

Take it easy...I hope you are doing well!
Barbara

Jason
I believe you replied to me when I first signed up. I still have not gotten the replacement because like all or most of us......We have to work for a living and cannot afford (even if you have insurance) to be out..... I did have a cortisone shot with floroscopic help and I read some of the replies and to me and I can endure pain but this had me almost rising off the table with sweat pouring out when I felt that needle. It was done in the groin area which I for some reason thought it would be on the outer side. Hmmmmm. I was put into a surgical suite with two xrays displaying frontal and side views as the doctor was injecting. I did have some kind of pain deadning but hmmm not enough I think. I was so upset when I left because I was hurting even more in the joint but my leg felt dead, knumb it was weired. I will say this after five days I did stop hobbling and favoring the right leg, but I am still so stiff that I cant even tie my sneakers or even touch me toes and that is a serious problem now. Just think. Drop something like a atm card on the ground, and you cannot pick it up without making a scene. I am doing some soul searching and trying to decide what matters to me, did you see miracle workers on abc with the hip replacement on the broadway dancer and he was out of the bed within four hours standing.

This is my first post!

"i have never been pain free following surgeries but pain has been reduced and I have been able to walk using a cane. Anticipating another revison surgery and replacement makes me wonder what will happen this time. Hope this is somehow helpful. I really "feel your pain".

I just had the injections done this morning, may 16th. The procedure itself was not too bad. I had ones into my spine prior to spinal surgery, and pretty similar. They numb you up like a dentist does, then shove the larger needle into position into the joint, which does not feel "good", but is tolerable, then you feel pressure as they inject the stuff.
With my back, it actually felt worse for several days after the injection. It ached. Then went back to "pain as usual". This time it was done to determine if hip replacements would help me. The doctor just called me, and said that the discomfort may be worse for several days, but that at some point, I ought to feel relief from the stabbing pains into my groin area, if it the my hips, and not my back, that is the source of the pain. I had a spinal fusion done two months ago, and there is a chance that scar tissue from that could be causing the pain. I am hoping that I get relief, as that would mean that getting the hips replaced would give me relief. If it is from my back surgery, I am afraid they may tell me that I just have to live with it.

If they tell you that you might have to live with it ask them about a pain management dr, their are times that they can help more by doing pain blocks and other things(just a suggestion)i hope they do not tell you this!
The best to you!

I am 33 and was diagnosed with hip dysplasia about 5 years ago. I had an injection in the hip socket under the fouroscope and then had an MRI. It was VERY painful! I could not move for about 2 days. I recently have gone back to look into options - and had a cortizone shot done in the docs office - again painful. I could move, but was very sore for a few days. When I went to a second opinion - he wanted to do an injection - I said NO WAY! I have found no pain relief from the injections or the anti-inflammatory meds. I am now looking into PAO (periacetabular osteotomy) which is surgery to "reconstruct" your hips.