Just got home after having my first ever steroid hip block injection at London Bridge.
For me, this is being used as a diagnosis exercise to see if my pain is generated from within the hip joint.
I had heard that the local anaesthetic should offer some immediate pain relief but was very disheartened that it hasn't.
Does this mean that the cortisone steroid is also unlikely to have any pain relief impact as both of these were injected into the same part of the inner hip joint?
I'm desperate for it to be proven that my pain is coming from within the hip so I can get in with THR surgery and get fixed up.
I also have a recent 3T MRI scan that didn't really show any signs of damage or pain generators in the tendons and muscles surrounding the hip joint!
I was given a cortisone jab, it didn't work for me, also they told me before they gave it to me that it can degenerate your bones , and that after the jab you can't have the hip opp. for at least 3 months!! it seems to me that they always try and fob you off with the least expensive treatment first, only when all else has failed do they give you the opp, so just keep at them, make them see how you feel, and don't take no for an answer, good luck,
Hello Liam. I had one of those and done under a general anaesthetic with guidance from X-ray? Was your done that way?
I had pain relief for 8 weeks, kept a diary and surgeon then decided my hip was an issue but wanted an MRI of lower spine. This showed a trapped sciatic nerve bulging out between 2 collapse discs. Spinal surgeon then knocked me out and did an injection into epidural cavity. Great relief. Had THR done 12 weeks ago and so far so good
I think my worry is that if the cortisone doesn't help in any way then maybe that's an indication that my pain is being generated from outside the hip joint (so they will argue that THR isn't necessary).
Problem with this is that my MRI doesn't show problem outside the hip.
What kind of pain were you in before the had the injection? I'm just wondering why the steroid didn't work for you. They said to me that this would indicate that there isn't a problem with the inner hip joint.
Hi Liam. I also had the injections (by Sarah Muirhead Allwood) under general with x-ray guidance. My pain actually got worse for about a week, before getting a whole lot better for quite a while... so don't lose hope yet!
What kind of pain were you experiencing immediately before the injection? Mine is upper thigh/groin. It was at about 4/10 on the pain scale before I went in, then maybe 7/10 immediately after. Really hoping it gets better over the coming days!
And, like me, were you in more pain immediately following (and on your journey home etc)?
Interesting that you mention Sarah AM as, if I have a THR, I may see if she can do it for me as I hear good things about her!
yes yes yes yes am i glad to meet you Liam ! everyone here so helpful you arein the rigfht place,
had my injection last tuesday it hurt a lot as said there was no space, i too was having it as diagnostic
i hobbled home in pain but as the night went on it calmed a bit
in the night i was up and bingo it was great and remained great until today ! funnily enough i was affected in mood and felt depressed and anxious 3 days but it is liftting now as obviously the steroid is coming out of system
not a haqppy person with GP as it seems in Jan 13 my xray showed bone to bone and nobody told me so i spent a lot of time and money trying alternative therapies, also a ten week pain clinic to learn how to live with it . . . . .mostly as we know its the perserverance thing of strugglinjg around
i want to get as positive as you and hope you get the positive result from your injection, let me know how you are doing please
Thanks Ann - I wasn't under general anaesthetic (just sedation using morphine).
The pain of the actual injection was absolutely fine. It's just that now I've got home after the procedure, I'm in more pain than I was before - which is why I'm so disheartened
Liam i was told that x ray can show up better, anyhone else been told this? i had a scan and this didnt show bone to bonebut x ray did, but this debatable as told by a physiothat this particular mobile scanner not accurate like more modernn
It was 5 years ago now, so I can't remember all the details. I do know though that before I had them, I was getting pain everywhere - both legs, stabbing pain in left thigh, aches in shins - all sorts of stuff. All went away for a while after the jabs. Mine was also done as a diagnostic, so confirmed that it was the hip that was giving me trouble. 5 years on though and I still haven't had it done - I'm in what feels like a unique situation on here - my pain really isn't that bad, except occasionally, so I can't justify the op on that basis. But my range of movement has decreased massively - can now barely cut my toe nails or put a sock on my right foot. So don't know what to do... am constantly thinking about it! But it seems to me pretty much everyone has the op because they can't put up with the pain. and I can... I sometimes wish it would just start hurting like hell so that the decision would be a simple one!
I had a hip injection under local anaesthetic and x-ray in May 2014. It worked great... for about 10 days. Surgeon told me I needed THR but then he dropped me off his list! I didn't find this out till I chased him up in January this year so I was starting again with a new surgeon. Now I hope to have my op next month, Fingers crossed.
Thanks so much for your reply - can I ask if you got pain relief immediately following the injection? (By that I mean in the minutes and hour following the injection while in the hospital)
Or did it get slightly worse and then better?
Mine has certainly got a little worse straight after but am hoping it will get better.
i had injection without any pain relief and i was a baby but now i dont feel so bad about myslelf lol !!!!! i was told it would just sting a bit onthe sheet.......wouldnt have another as not keen on it thinning bone but seemingly 3 is fine, supppose it can be deteriating whilst you are with steroid but then again the x ray will swhow it up
Wow - sounds like we've gone through some similar issues recently!!
So sorry to hear you were messed about with your X-ray diagnosis! My situation is that I definitely have some areas of bone on bone and also some poor cartilage. BUT I also suffer from chronic pain in other areas of the body. SO... I'm desperately hoping that the injection will ease my pain so they can be sure the hip joint is the problem and can proceed with THR and fix me up.
The problem could be that if I have chronic pain within the hip then they may not do a THR yet as that needs to calm down first.
I will definitely let you know how I get on over the next few days and weeks.
Also Pauline I'd be more than happy to give you my email and mobile number should you want to chat! Maybe we can help each other with some advice.
I'm actually very young (in THR terms that is!) at 34, so I want to make sure that surgery will 100% work before I rush into it. I've had two lots of arthroscopic surgery on my left hip over the past 2 years but neither seemed to do the trick.
Sorry it has been the same for you Liam. I often wonder if because I am small the drugs have a greater effect as the dosage is the same for all adults. With the spinal injection if it gives relief for 4 months I can have a repeat. I had compression spinal fracture which trapped the sciatic nerve. This was confusing the hip issue hence the diagnostic injection. I will always have achy joints but great to have no pain. Now if only I could get more than 3 hours sleep per night- GP started me on light sleeping pills to try and solve the insomnia, not happened yet guess 4 years of insomnia can't be cured in 4 days
