What You Need To Know About Hip Injections For Arthritis?

Arthritis Is A Condition Affecting The Joints That Can Cause Chronic Pain. Since The Hip Joint Bears A Significant Portion Of The Body’s Weight, It Is Particularly Vulnerable To This Condition. Hip Injuries Can Cause Hip Pain Sometimes, But Arthritis Is More Common As A Source Of Discomfort. Most Hip Arthritis Occurs In Those Over The Age Of 50. Nevertheless, This Condition Can Develop In People As Young As Their 20s And 30s. It May Be Necessary To Administer Hip Arthritis Injections In Complex Cases.

Osteoarthritis Is The Most Common Type Of Hip Arthritis. Joint Cartilage Is Gradually Lost In This Condition X-Rays, Ultrasounds, And Fluoroscopies Help Find The Hip Joint Before Injections. It Will Be Necessary To Guide A Small Needle To The Hip Joint. In General, Steroid Injections Are The Most Common Type Of Injections. It’s Usually Okay For Patients To Go Back To Work The Next Day, As Long As Their Doctor Allows It.

Purpose of Hip Injections

A hip joint injection involves injecting medicine directly into the joint. These injections can be used to diagnose the source of pain and alleviate discomfort:

  • Diagnostic Function

If you inject numbing medicine into the joint, you will be able to determine whether the joint is the cause of the pain based upon the amount of immediate pain relief you experience. When complete pain relief is achieved while the hip joint is numb, this indicates that the hip joint is likely to be the source of the pain.

  • Pain Relief Function

The injection of time-release cortisone with numbing medication may also reduce inflammation in these joints, which can reduce pain over the long run.

How Do Hip Injections Help?

Cortisone, hyaluronic acid, and platelet rich plasma injections (PRP) can relieve hip arthritis pain. A hip injection may assist physiotherapy in managing pain and delay the need for a hip replacement for a prolonged period of time. A deep joint like the hip requires ultrasound or X-ray guidance for accurate injections. 

There are also many other hip conditions that can benefit from physiotherapy and hip injections. Sports people suffering from acetabular labrum tears, impingement, or tendon strains can benefit from hip injections and rehabilitation programs. The use of hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma injections is widespread in sports medicine, including hip replacement surgery.

Procedure For Injecting Hip Joints

In hip joint injections, fluoroscopy (live X-ray) is commonly used to guide the needle placement and to avoid nerve damage. The day of the injection, patients should avoid driving and strenuous activities.

The procedure for injecting hip joints consists of the following steps:

  • If necessary, an IV line will be set up so that adequate relaxation medicine can be administered.
  • The patient lies face down on an X-ray table and is thoroughly cleaned over the hip area.
  • The physician numbs a small area of skin with an anesthetic (a numbing agent). During the procedure, the patient will feel a sting which will last for a few seconds.
  • The physician guides a very small needle into the joint using X-ray guidance (fluoroscopy). It is necessary to inject contrast dye to confirm that medicine is reaching only the joint.
  • It involves injecting an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory cortisone mixture.

Post-Injection Procedure

Although the injection itself takes only a few minutes, the entire procedure usually takes between thirty and sixty minutes.

  • The patient usually remains resting on the table for twenty to thirty minutes after the hip joint injection procedure and is then asked to move the area of usual discomfort in an attempt to elicit the usual pain.
  • In the first few hours following an injection, patients may or may not experience pain relief, depending on whether the joint injected is the primary source of pain.
  • Occasionally, the patient may experience numbness or tingling in the leg for a few hours following the injection.
  • In addition to discussing with the doctor any immediate relief of pain, the patient will keep a record of how much pain relief has been experienced during the following week. An injection pain diary is helpful to inform the treating physician of the injection results and to plan future tests and/or pain management treatments.

Injection Of A Hip Joint Results In Pain Relief

  • Richardson Center For Pain Relief is available to provide you with a facility of hip injections for arthritis.
  • In the early stages of cortisone’s action, patients may experience a slight increase in pain lasting for several days.
  • Typically, applying ice or a cold pack to the general area of the injection site will provide pain relief as well as appear to be more beneficial than applying heat in the first two to three days following the injection.
  • It is possible that the patient will begin to experience pain relief two to five days after the injection if the hip joint that was treated was the source of the pain.
  • The patient is unlikely to gain pain relief from the injection if no improvement occurs within ten days of the injection, and further diagnostic tests may be necessary to accurately diagnose the patient’s condition.
  • The patient may continue to take his or her regular medications after the procedure, with the exception of pain medication within the first four to six hours following the injection, in order to ensure that the diagnostic information obtained is accurate.
  • As a result of the injection, patients may need physical therapy or manual therapy immediately following the injection as well as over the next several weeks while the cortisone is taking effect.
  • It is possible for patients to resume their normal activities the following day after the procedure. As soon as the pain subsides, return to moderate exercise and activity. Regardless of how significant the pain relief is, it is still important to increase activity gradually over the course of one to two weeks to avoid the recurrence of the condition.

The Duration Of Relief

  • The duration of the injection will vary from patient to patient. The length of time the patient has been experiencing hip pain and the severity of the arthritis will determine the outcome.
  • Approximately three to four days following the injection, the steroid injection begins to work. Consequently, it reduces inflammation in your hip joint due to arthritis. In spite of the fact that most patients experience some reduction in pain, it is not usually a long-term solution.”
  • A variety of other injections are common, such as hyaluronic acid, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and stem cell injections. “The FDA has approved hyaluronic acid injections for treating knee osteoarthritis, but not for treating hip osteoarthritis. Injections of PRP and stem cells, while promising in theory, have not shown to predictably reduce symptoms of hip arthritis or regenerate cartilage.
  • Although hip injections seem harmless, they can have some adverse effects when performed too close to surgery. Dr. Angerame says, “Studies in orthopedic literature have suggested that injection therapy within three months of a total hip replacement increased the risk of infection by nearly 40%”.
  • To determine the best treatment plan for you, we recommend that you discuss your options with your hip surgeon. It is possible that one course of treatment will work better for you than another. Your Pain Management Doctor Fort Worth will discuss all of your options and the risks associated with each treatment plan. 

What To Do For Arthritis In The Hip:

The treatment of hip arthritis should begin with simple steps and progress to more invasive steps culminating in surgery. Every individual will not be able to benefit from all of these steps. In spite of this, you should explore these safer options since many of them are effective.

1- Weight Loss

It is probably the most important treatment, but it is also the most underrated. Losing weight reduces the load on the hip joint. Furthermore, reducing fat mass reduces joint inflammation.

2- Activity Modification

It may be possible to reduce or stop activities such as running or playing football in order to improve the management of pain.

3- Exercise

Building the strength of the muscles around the hip and pelvis will reduce the load on the diseased hip joint. In the case of hip arthritis, Tai Chi and Yoga are believed to be very effective.

4- Improve Diet

Having a healthy diet can lead to weight loss, however, a diet rich in antioxidants can reduce inflammation in the body and in the hip joints.

Final Thoughts

Generally speaking, hip injections like Si Joint Injections are quite safe and effective. However, they may not be effective for everyone. Beneficial effects of injections may vary from person to person. Facet joint injections are also used to diagnose facet joint pain, depending on where your pain is located. The positive response to the injections suggests that the facet joint is the source of the pain. There are several alternative treatment options available like Mako robot if these do not work in rare circumstances. Some side-effects may also occur after injection injections for arthritis in the hip. But you should follow all the instructions before and after the procedure given by the doctor.

Premier Pain Centers

Premier Pain Center offers high-quality medical treatment for patients suffering from severe muscle pain. It is the organization’s mission to provide comfort and peace to its members in order to fulfill its mission. 

In terms of providing high-quality medical care related to pain, our physicians are highly qualified, skilled, and experienced. Pain management, physical therapy, and therapy management are all part of our comprehensive patient care program.

Please schedule an appointment, if you are interested to contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q) -1  What Is The Expected Duration Of Hip Injections?

Steroid injections may relieve inflammation in the joints for several weeks to several months. Some patients have reported significant relief from steroid injections every three to four months

Q) -2  What Is The Success Rate Of Steroid Injections For Hip Arthritis?

Researchers from the US report that steroid injections result in significantly greater pain relief and improved mobility in adults with hip osteoarthritis for up to four months compared to current best practices.

Q) -3  Is A Hip Joint Injection Painful?

During the procedure, the patient may feel a sting that lasts for a few seconds. To perform the procedure, the physician uses X-ray guidance (fluoroscopy) to guide a needle into the joint. In order to confirm that the medicine only reaches the joint, several drops of contrast dye are injected.

Q) -4  What Does a Pain Management Physician Do?

A “pain doctor,” also called a “pain specialist,” or “pain management specialist,” is a medical doctor (M.D.) or doctor of osteopathy (D.O.) who specializes in pain medicine. Rao K. Ali Pain Management Doctor. Doctors that specialized in pain management have received specific training to diagnose, treat, manage, and prevent a wide range of pain conditions.