As you know, the hip joint is the large joint where your leg joins the pelvis. Pain in the hip is often caused by arthritis – but it can also result from injury or mechanical stress.
If you suffer from pain in your hip (and/or your buttock, leg or lower back), a hip joint injection may be considered. The non-operative, outpatient procedure can help alleviate your discomfort, as well as help diagnose the direct cause of your pain.
For a description of this simple procedure at New Jersey Pain Care Specialists, read on:
- In preparation, the pain management physician swabs the front of your hip and injects a numbing medication. (If complete pain relief is achieved while the hip joint is numb, the joint is likely to be the source of pain. If not, further exploration of the cause will continue.)
- A real-time X-ray device called a fluoroscope is positioned over the hip.
- The physician then injects a dye that is visible on the fluoroscope image to confirm the accurate placement of the needle and to ensure that the medicine hits its target.
- When the dye reaches the precise space inside the joint, the physician injects the medication into the joint.
- After the needle is removed, a small bandage is applied and you are released to go home.
The numbing medication will provide short-term pain relief. The time-release cortisone medication that’s injected into the joint will reduce inflammation, which can often provide much-welcomed, long-term pain relief.
