Hip pain can be surprisingly tricky. The ache might start in the groin, wrap around to the outer hip, or drop into the thigh. Image-guided injections help us find the real source and treat it precisely.
Hip pain can come from the joint itself, the bursa on the outside of the hip, the labrum, or nerves that travel through the area. Each one calls for a different treatment.
Fluoroscopy and ultrasound guidance let us place injections with precision, which means more effective relief and fewer repeat visits.
Where the pain sits and what makes it worse helps guide the workup.
Most patients improve with a stepped plan of targeted injections and, when needed, additional interventional options.
A precise injection into the hip joint itself, used for osteoarthritis and labral pain. Fluoroscopy guidance confirms proper placement.
A targeted injection into the bursa on the outside of the hip. The go-to for that stubborn, nagging pain when lying on your side.
A regenerative option using your own platelets. Useful for partial gluteal tendon tears and chronic hip tendinopathy.
When pain is actually coming from irritated nerves crossing the upper buttock, a targeted cluneal nerve block can quiet the pain for weeks to months.
Seek urgent care if you cannot bear weight after a fall, if the hip is red, hot, and swollen with fever, or if numbness and weakness come on suddenly in the leg.
Night pain is often driven by the bursa or tendons on the outside of the hip. When you lie on that side, pressure builds on the inflamed tissue. A targeted bursa injection frequently solves it.
Relief ranges from a few weeks to many months depending on how worn the joint is. Some patients get enough benefit to avoid replacement surgery for years.
Not always. A good exam plus an X-ray often gives us enough to start. If the pattern is unusual or we suspect a labral or nerve issue, MRI comes next.