What to Expect from a Cortisone Injection for Hip Impingement

Hip impingement occurs when movement brings the ball and socket into contact in a way that irritates tissues inside or around the joint. Corticosteroid medicine can reduce inflammation and pain in the selected area. An injection may also help your clinician understand how much of your pain comes from the hip joint. It does not reshape the bone or remove the underlying impingement, so physiotherapy, movement changes, or other treatment may still be needed.

Share your medicines, allergies, diabetes history, infection symptoms, and any previous injection problems. The clinician may use imaging to guide the needle, especially when the target is deep. Arrange transport if your hip feels weak or sore afterward. Keep activity gentle at first and avoid movements that repeatedly pinch the front of the hip. Resume prescribed mobility and strengthening work progressively, using pain and walking quality as guides. Record which positions, stairs, and daily activities become easier or remain restricted.

Contact the treating team promptly for increasing hip pain, spreading redness, marked swelling, fever, or feeling unwell. Seek urgent help for breathing difficulty, facial swelling, or widespread hives. New leg weakness, persistent numbness, inability to walk safely, or a foot that becomes unusually cold or pale requires prompt assessment. Do not assume severe or progressively worsening pain is a normal recovery response.

Is the suspected pain coming from the joint or nearby tissues? Will imaging guide the injection? Which hip movements should I limit, and when can strengthening restart? How will we decide whether another treatment is appropriate?