When seeing a hip specialist, Fox Valley residents from Green Bay to Oshkosh might have several treatment options presented to them if they are experiencing hip pain. One common choice is a hip injection. This is a procedure where doctors use needles to deliver medications directly to the area of the hip joint to help in alleviating inflammation and pain. It might also be used as a diagnostic tool. It can seem a bit scary thinking about a needle going near a joint, but having the facts can help you to be more relaxed for the procedure.
Purpose of the Procedure
Your doctor will talk to you about this procedure if you have certain conditions that might benefit from steroids. If your pain is caused by the following, this injection might be ideal:
- Bursitis
- Labral tear
- Strain or overuse
- Arthritis
- Hip joint injury
In some cases, your doctor might recommend this procedure to help make a diagnosis. For example, if you have the procedure and it reduces your pain, this can help your doctor to narrow down what might be causing it.
Learning About the Procedure
Knowing more about the procedure helps you to understand what will happen. This will not take long and you are generally awake throughout, reducing how much time you spend in recovery afterward. The following are the general steps involved in the procedure:
- You get onto the table and your doctor cleans the area to be injected
- Imaging technology is set up and positioned to help your doctor guide the needle
- Numbing medication is administered
- Your doctor inserts the needle using imaging to make sure it gets to the right spot
- The steroid medication is injected
Recovery
Most people are able to resume normal activity the day after the procedure. Ice and over-the-counter pain medication is generally sufficient to reduce any discomfort you might experience during the recovery period. You should also rest for the remainder of the day following the injection.
Outlook Following the Procedure
Following a hip joint injection, most people notice a reduction in pain. However, depending on how much pain you are having, it might take more than one injection to get the desired effect. The duration of relief varies from weeks to months. It can take a short period of time for the steroid to take effect, but most people notice pain reduction two to seven days after the procedure.
This presents you with the basic facts about getting a hip joint injection. Your hip specialist will give you any specific information and advice concerning how to prepare and recover from the injection. You can also get further information to ensure you are fully informed before the procedure.
If you would like to request a consultation with one of the hip specialists at the Orthopedic & Sports Institute (OSI), please call (920) 560-1000 or request an appointment online. Additionally, OSI is Northeast Wisconsin’s exclusive provider of the Mako Arm-Assisted Robotic Surgery platform for total hip replacement. Click here for additional information on the robotic surgical option.
The Orthopedic & Sports Institute has convenient locations to serve you. In addition to the flagship facility in Appleton, you will find outreach clinics in New London, Ripon, Shawano, Waupaca, and the newest location serving the Green Bay area, inside the NOVO Health Clinic in De Pere.
OSI is a proud member of NOVO Health.