What are hip joint injections?
Hip joint injections involve injecting a corticosteroid compound into the hip joint often prescribed for patients experiencing pain in the lower back, pelvis, buttocks or thighs.
What is the purpose of hip joint injections?
There are two reasons to perform a hip joint injection: to relieve pain and diagnose the cause of the pain.
How long does the procedure normally take?
The actual procedure only takes 15 to 30 minutes, but requires an observation period of 30 minutes to one hour.
How are hip joint injections performed?
Hip joint injections are outpatient procedures that require local anesthesia. After running an IV, numbing the point of injection and injecting contrast dye, the physician uses fluoroscopic (live X-ray) guidance to target the needle for the gradual delivery of numbing and anti-inflammatory cortisone.
What to expect after the procedure?
After the hip joint injection procedure, the patient will be asked to move the hip joint to test the pain. It is common to not attain relief of symptoms until a day or two after the procedure.
Numbness or weakness in the leg can persist for several hours following the injection. Over-the-counter pain management drugs may be prescribed, and ice can be used to reduce swelling.
Do not drive or engage in any strenuous activity on the day of the procedure.
What are the risk and side effects?
As with any internal procedure, hip joint injections run the risk of allergic reactions to the medication, infection, internal bleeding, a whitening or thinning or irritation of the skin and post-injection swelling and pain. In extreme circumstances, a tendon or tissue in the path of the injection could rupture. Repeat injections run the risk of weakening cartilage, ligaments and crystallized corticosteroid masses that cause more inflammation.