Ultrasound guided injections in the hip joint: Benefits and recovery
This blog post is an introduction to what ultrasound guided hip joint injections do and how they can improve osteoarthritis and other types of hip pain. We also discuss what to expect during the procedure and during your recovery.
Hip pain can affect anyone at any time, but it’s more common in older age groups and people who are overweight. The most common cause is osteoarthritis. Symptoms of osteoarthritis vary between patients, though it’s normally characterised by:
- Persistent pain and discomfort in and around joints
- Stiffness and reduced range of motion
- Difficulty doing certain activities
Lifestyle changes, including physical therapy, exercise and losing weight, may manage these problems. And in long-term cases, medical treatments can reduce pain and prevent it recurring.
Ultrasound guided injections play a valuable role in treating hip joint pain and stiffness. They can help restore range of motion in your hips. As well as regaining function, you may be able to end or reduce your dose of painkillers.
What are ultrasound guided joint injections?
An ultrasound guided joint injection is one of the techniques we use to inject anti-inflammatory medicine into a joint.
It enables us to follow the injection needle on a screen. We guide it as it goes into your skin and to the pain-triggering points in your affected joints.
An ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to form an image of the body’s internal organs, muscles, or tissues. It’s the same technology used for pregnancy scans.
This form of imaging means we can guide the needle through surrounding tissues and into the target area with high precision.
The ball and socket joints in the hips are very deep. It means that guided injections are important in getting the best outcome with osteoarthritis.
5 benefits of ultrasound guided hip joint injections
If lifestyle changes, exercise and over-the-counter pain medicines are not successful, ultrasound guided joint injections are worth discussing.
They are not always a replacement for surgery, but advantages of the injections include:
- The procedure is minimally invasive
- It’s performed under local anaesthetic
- Very short recovery time compared to surgery
- Ultrasound helps doctors to avoid delicate structures like nerves and blood vessels when injecting into the joint
- It does not use X-rays, so there is no radiation exposure.
The procedure: What to expect
Ultrasound guided injections are routinely carried out in a clinical office or outpatient setting. We minimise the chance of any discomfort from the injection procedure by first giving you a local anaesthetic.
The procedure itself usually takes no more than a few minutes.
Normally we will inject you with a corticosteroid. Steroids have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. This means they provide fast-acting relief for most people with osteoarthritis.
In some cases we may use hyaluronic acid along with a corticosteroid, or as an alternative.
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body. It helps reduce joint stiffness and improves joint function. A hyaluronic acid injection aims to make the filled sac of synovial fluid in your joint more substantial.
Another guided-injection option is a PRP (platelet rich plasma) injection. It’s normally recommended for people experiencing mild or moderate osteoarthritis.
Recovery and aftercare
After the procedure you should be able to go home the same day.
You can expect to feel some soreness around the injection site for the first few days. This is normal and should resolve within about a week.
There are no side effects from using ultrasound. The likelihood of serious side effects from the injection itself is low. And there is a minimal risk of complications due to ultrasound guidance assisting with the needle placement.
We may give you an exercise programme to help strengthen weakened muscles and connective tissues. An aftercare plan involving physiotherapy can also help to keep your muscles moving.
How long the relief from pain and stiffness lasts after an ultrasound-guided injection varies from person to person. In general it depends on how bad your osteoarthritis is and whether you have other health or mobility issues.
If your pain does not respond to hip injections, then the cause of the pain may not be inside the joint. We would then need to look at the surrounding ligaments, muscles and tendons.
In more severe cases, you may need surgery to repair any damage your joint sustained due to daily wear and tear.
See a pain management specialist
Effective pain management is essential to getting you back to a healthy, active lifestyle.
Ravenscroft Health offers a one-stop-shop model. We provide muliti-disciplinary, evidence-based techniques to support all aspects of your treatment and rehabilitation.
Find out more about the full range of services for pain injections we offer. Or contact us to book a private consultation appointment.
One of Ravenscroft’s experienced clinicians will be delighted to discuss the best pain relief options with you.
Did you know Ravenscroft Health also now offers a range of private GP services? Check out our private GP London page to learn more.
