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!

hi kmh,

thanks for your input. It was nice to hear your own story and your experience with the cortisone shot. To this day I have still not had a cortisone injection into my hip. I have undergone about 5 differen't lumbar spine/epidural nerve block injections over the past year in the hopes that they would help with my leg/hip pain, but they didn't help much at all! :-(

i read in your post that you are supposed to have an osteotomy done on your hip. That was mentioned to me as an alternative to hip replacement surgery, but I am very leery of the osteotomy procedure. What are your views on this type of surgery and what type of result does your doctor anticipate from the osteotomy on your hip? You and I have differen't hip conditions, so your osteotomy would be differen't from the one that was mentioned to me. But the thing that always bothered me about the osteotomy was, they tend to be unpredictable in their outcomes. Some people have great success with them; for others, their hip condition actually gets worse and they end up needing a hip replacement anyway! And that would suck big time!
Hope to hear from you and good luck to you!


Jason

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".

hi hippie,

welcome to the forum...When you say you have never been pain free following your surgeries, that includes hip replacement surgery as well? What are the nature of your hip problems, and what types of surgeries have you had done so far?

hey arliss,

sorry to hear about your bad experience with the hip injection...To this point I still have not had a hip injection.....But let me tell you, I have just about had it with all of this hip and leg pain.....I can't see going through much more time putting up with all of this pain and stiffness and awkwardness.....It's just too much to put up with, especially at such a young age. I think this whole condition bothers me just as much psychologically as it does physically.....It's not a good thing and it's been a rather depressing time period.....Uggggggh!

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.

My orthopedic surgeon has suggested a cortisone shot in the hip for my continual knee pain. I have had 3 knee replacements (No..I only have 2 knees) and the one I have had replaced twice (right) is continually painful. I have pain in both legs, my left hip, my back, and plantar faschitis on my right heel. The only thing that doesn't hurt is my right hip, and this is where the doctor wants to inject cortisone, as he feels the arthritis in that joint may be affecting the knee. Any feedback?

I had 2 knee surgeries in the last 3 years with little relief. Most of my knee pain was in walking, but I also had a lot of back pain above the buttocks on the same side. My orthopedist suggested I investigate a knee replacement. I went to a knee/hip replacement specialist and he took films of my knee and my hip. His conclusion was that my hip was much worse than my knee and he suggested that most of the knee pain I had was referred from the hip. 2 days ago I received the anesthetic/cortisone hip injection you refer to. I immediately felt about 75% relief in my knee and 100% of back pain was gone. Now I have confirmation that my hip is the main problem. The relief from the cortisone is expected to last up to 6 months, but I am going to replace the hip in 1 month. The procedure itself was no big deal. There was some discomfort when they broke the skin with the injection and a bit more when they hit the bone in the hip joint. However, the end result has been great both from a diagnostic and therapeutic viewpoint.

I had a shot in each shoulder in the Bursa, and 1 in each hip Bursa. I had a Rheumatologist do it, and she went pretty deep. Mine did hurt, it was excruciating pain, but I would do it again if it was necessary. Instant relief, I just hope it stays that way.

Don't know if anyone is still reading this but I just had my 3rd hip injection 4 days ago. For me it is a miracle. Each shot lasted about 5 months. I am bone on bone and need a total hip replacement but am putting it off until the fall and was hoping the injection would work. I have a wonderful orthopedist who said they either work or don't and eventually they no longer will. He said that he wanted it done by an interventional radiologist rather than doing it himself as they are looking at the xray machine while they do it to be sure they get in the exact spot including injecting a little dye to be sure it is correct before injecting the medication. Each has been a different experience pain or discomfort-wise. The first was least painful, the second worst and this one in the middle. Compared to the hip pain it was a small price to pay for a relatively short time. The procedure took about an hour with at least 45-50 being prep and getting the needle in the correct spot. The actual injection was nothing. I sat up right away and stood, walked and left immediately with immediate pain relief. It was a little sore in the injection site for a couple days but the pain in the joint is minimal most days. I advise the shot because as I thought what do I have to lose. I am 50 and am currently trying to lose weight prior to the replacement surgery. Weight Watchers -30 lbs. so far. My father had a hip replacement and said I should go for it as he couldn't live with the pain anymore and said the intense pain was gone and rehab well worth being able to "live" again. I want to sleep as nights are the worst for me. I don't want to live on narcotics and anti-inflammatories as they cause other problems. We are all different and I know many successes who golf, go to the gym...all things they couldn't do pre-surgery. Good luck to everyone and do what is right for you. Remember to get second and third opinions if you question the doctor's recommendations.

After going through many surgeries in our family, to me a cortisone shot is a "temporary fixer upper"...It may work for a while, but at the same time you are open to infection...Kind of gives you false hope...

The very best thing for your joints is to lose weight...Easier said than done, but it still is the best thing...

Now replacement surgery is another story...This is like a miracle surgery from what I have seen....Like a new lease on life....Wish I could have it...

Caroline