Become an Insider

What was your hip injection like?

@Peaches well actually, almost every Cortisone shot was preceded by a Lidocaine shot and I can see how just a Lidocaine shot could be used for diagnostic purposes. But, a difference of an inch or two can make a tremendous amount of difference! For me, the Lidocaine always provided instant relief IF it was in the right spot and/or if they got ALL the spots! I remember when I went in for cortisone shots after my back flared up so bad after my TKRs. I hobbled in, bent over, crooked, in extreme pain and after the Lidocaine & Cortisone shots, I walked out with my back straight for the first time in months! Blessed relief! Didn't last of course -- that was just the Lidocaine and it took awhile for the cortisone to kick in but yes, the Lidocaine gave instant relief. The thing is, the Lidocaine might not be injected in the exact right place or multiple things might be going on. I was still having excruciating pain in "my back" after multiple shots in my spine. Then they injected the Lidocaine/Cortisone in my sacro iliac joint and that took care of that remaining pain -- in my back. But, I needed all of those shots and it was only after all that, that I finally learned it wasn't just the various parts of my back causing the problem but also my hips. For my hips, I needed shots in the groin area for the arthritis AND outer area for the bursitis.

I hope the docs find a resolution for your pain soon!
 
@dougie0216 ... thanks ... it truly is a mystery, as most of us here can attest. So many times things get misdiagnosed. You've been through the mill pain wise. I hope you are doing okay now or on your way.

@kayak59, that is great to hear you got at least a few months where your back wasn't in such a bad state. I hope you are doing better ... My doc specifically ordered a Lidocaine-only injection. He didn't want a Lidocaine-plus-steroid injection at this time. You might be right the doc who injected didn't hit the "right" places. It was fluoroscopic guided. I got some relief, just not decisive. My back pain comes from the SI joint area, but the MRI of that area did not show any problems. I don't have the stomach right now or maybe won't ever want to endure endless injections in a guessing-game of finding out where the pain is coming from. I'm going to try to speak to back docs other than the one I have seen already to see what they think.
 
@Peaches I actually ended up having a nerve ablation to take care of the sacral iliac joint. The cortisone shots didn't help -- but my orthopedic surgeon didn't think they would because of the amount of damage. He said it was the nerve ablation or SI fusion. Had to get the Lidocaine/Cortisone shots first because of insurance, then got the nerve ablation. And for me, the pain for the shots were way, way worse than the ablation -- although the Lidocaine did give instant relief. The ortho doc said that as bad as my lumbar spine and the pinched nerves were, the SI was actually worse -- more arthritic degeneration relatively speaking for the amount of bone. And there are a LOT of nerves in that area. Fortunately, the nerve ablation lasts for 1-2 years and can be repeated. Its all about proper diagnosis but also, identifying ALL the problems. And I guess sometimes it has to be a process of elimination, especially in an area like the lower back/pelvis where there are so many possibilities. But I had to keep saying, no, something else is hurting after each area was fixed. That is how I learned that symptoms that had started a year earlier were actually from my hip, not my back. This doctor -- a long time friend -- said years ago that I was an "orthopedic disaster area". Yep.
 
@Peaches Thank you, most of my pain is gone. I should be done with the meds by Friday. I just wish many years ago someone would have thought to X-Ray my hips.
I will always have some knee pain due to chondromalacia, but I've had that since I was 16 and nsaids keep it bearable. I am in less pain now than at any point in the last 15-years.
 
@dougie0216 ... I'm happy to hear how much better you are now doing. I have had nagging, chronic pain daily probably (from the hip that got replaced; then the back and the other hip) for 10 solid years now,but not horrible enough like yours (and others here). My hip pain was misdiagnosed too. I was sent to everyone BUT an ortho surgeon. From reading around on BoneSmart this seems fairly common. It is so hard sometimes to not hang on to the frustration from not being listened to. Best of luck to you!

@kayak59 ... you've really been through it too. Yes, the process of elimination is what it comes down to, but it's hard to find a doc who is not only skilled but also willing to investigate with the patient. It sounds like you finally have had some results. Back problems are very difficult to diagnose and so far I have not been able to identify which of the witches' brew they found in the lumbar spine MRI is the cause of the pain. I get around fairly well compared to so many, so I don't think I'm taken that seriously by docs. My job makes it hard for me to traipse around from doc to doc to test to test, injections, etc. As most of us know. I hope to see a new back doc soon, though, and maybe he'll be more interested in trying to help. I'll keep everyone posted.

I think the value of BoneSmart is that there is a community of people with real-time experiences and who usually will get into the nitty-gritty like the people on this thread have. Otherwise in the real world I sure haven't heard much that's helpful about injections (or whatever). Specifics about one's experiences can be very helpful. I have yet to read of anyone on BoneSmart who has sung the praises of hip injections prior to surgery.
 
@Peaches Well...... the hip injections worked for my bursitis! The damage to the hip socket was too bad for the injection to work for too long but it was only meant to get me through a short vacation. Maybe they don't work well for hip arthritis because people wait until there is too much damage or its just too big of a joint and the lidocaine only spreads so far. Thinking about the differences in the length of effectiveness time between thumb (longest) shoulder, knee, back, to hip (bursitis) (shortest) that kinda makes sense.
 
This time, instead of the hip injections, I went to my pcp and received a couple of toradol injections when the Pain got to where I couldn't sleep. They told me they can't operate if you receive an steroid injection directly in the hip joint within three-months prior to surgery. There is no way I was postponing surgery.
 
@kayak59 I figured as much. Just before he closes, he puts in a solution that contains steroids. Then they sew you up and leave the brew in there for four-hours before turning on the pump. I guess he doesn't want a different medication in there?
 
@kayak59 ... that's great you got relief for your bursitis. Wonder if that's more successful than injections for OA relief? I have searched BoneSmart many times for stories from people who had great and reliable success from injections for hip pain from OA and simply haven't seen postings. Maybe they are there and I am not seeing them in my searches. I see stories from people who said it was a little relief, but in the end, not really worth it.

I have now seen another specialist, a back surgeon, who X-rayed my hip as well as my back because of my groin pain and my back pain and once again the X-rays are not showing major OA disease yet at all in the other hip. That's good news, of course, but I've now had two X-rays and and an MRI in not even a year and the mystery of the groin pain is not solved. My PCP doesn't know either. My back pain has a diagnosis, but back surgery is not as reliable as the THR is, so I'm not pursing that now. The surgeon did not push surgery, just said he'd do it if I wanted to, but most people wait until their pain is constant. My pain comes and goes; is not 24/7. The back surgeon told me that nothing is as successful as a THR.
 
I had a hip injection yesterday. I was terrified, so I took 1.5 mg Xanax. Truth be told, it wasn't necessary! The injection was a big nothing. I'm pretty sure I got anesthetic plus steroid. Pain was much better for the first 5 hours and is back today but the steroid hasn't had time to kick in. My imaging studies only show mild changes, x Ray and MRI, but this hip is way more painful than my knee was and I had a TKR three years ago.
 
@Peaches- I know exactly what you're talking about! I've had two injections that contained Lidocaine, and both times, there was complete relief of pain for the first 2-3 hours (due to the lidocaine). I have referred pain, shooting down from my hip to my knee when I walk, and this completely stopped for that first few hours. That was my confirmation that my hip is causing all the issues with pain, and there isn't a secondary problem with the knee. Hope you find the same!
 
I had an injection with both short and long term meds last march, it took about three weeks for me to get relief. My body tends to have a bad reaction after the injections and the joist gets very sore and painful then when that dies off I can tell it is better then before the shot.
 
My fluoroscopy-guided cortisone and anesthetic (Marcaine/bupivacaine) injection to the hip gave me instant and total relief, but only for about three hours. I don't think that the cortisone did anything at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel
Corganics CBD

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 882 (members: 0, guests: 882)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom