A serious hip injury can have a big impact on your daily life, and may even affect your ability to work. If you’ve suffered a hip injury at your Georgia Workplace, then you may need a medical procedure such as a hip injection to facilitate your recovery and return to work. Understanding the basics of hip injections and their uses, the safety of injections, and how hip injections may best fit into your care plan is essential to get the best outcomes.
Your specific hip injury, and the best type of injection for the injury, will be unique to you. However, regardless of your injury it’s important to build a strong case around your injury to make sure you can get the benefits that you deserve from your employer. This means that you’ll need to make a clear connection between your injury and your history with your Georgia employer.
Working with your employer and the workers’ compensation system can be frustrating and often challenging, which is why we recommend working with one of our expert injury attorneys at Gearthart Law. With our help, you can get the best legal representation possible to build a strong case and get the compensation that you deserve for your injury.
Hip Injections
While there are many types of injections to consider, in this article we will break down three of the most common: steroid injections, platelet-rich plasma injections, and hyaluronic acid injections.
Steroid Injections
The most common type of hip injection is a steroid injection. Steroids are a popular treatment for hip injuries because they can help reduce inflammation, pain, and swelling around the hip joint. Steroid injections are usually administered directly into the affected area of your hip to relieve pain and restore mobility. In many cases, these injections can also be used to temporarily relieve symptoms that are preventing you from participating in physical therapy to facilitate faster recovery.
Cortisone is among the most commonly used steroids for an injection because it has potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-killing) properties that are generally fast-acting, but there are several other commonly used steroids for hip injections, including methylprednisolone and triamcinolone. It’s important to talk to your doctor to determine the best steroid for your specific injury.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections
Another common injection for the hip is known as a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection. This type of injection is used for a variety of injuries because it has the potential to speed up the healing process by delivering a concentrated dose of platelets directly to the injured area. Platelets are a naturally produced component of blood that are important for tissue repair and regeneration, so delivering them directly to the affected area can improve your healing outcomes.
The procedure involves drawing some of your own blood, separating out the platelets in the laboratory, and then injecting them into your injured hip. This is often done through ultrasound guidance to ensure that the injection goes exactly where it’s intended. While research on platelet-rich plasma injections is still developing, there are many success stories that are driving the popularity of this procedure.
Hyaluronic Acid Injections
A less popular injection that has been gaining traction in recent years is the hyaluronic acid injection. Hyaluronic acid is a lubricant that is naturally produced by healthy joints to limit friction during motion, and it can be injected into the hip to help rebuild cartilage and minimize pain with movement. This type of injection is often used for people with degenerative hip conditions like osteoarthritis or degeneration of the hip labrum.
Hyaluronic acid injections are typically done under ultrasound guidance and can provide long-term relief from pain and stiffness. Generally, the procedure involves a series of three injections that are separated one week apart to allow for optimal efficacy. The results of hyaluronic acid injections vary from person to person, but many report experiencing a significant improvement in their mobility and range of motion.
Are Hip Injections Safe?
Generally speaking, these three types of hip injections are safe when administered by an experienced medical professional. However, it’s important to keep in mind that all medications and procedures come with some level of risk, so it’s important to discuss the potential side effects of any treatment with your doctor before proceeding. Additionally, you should always be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions after the procedure, as this will help ensure that you get the best results from your treatment.
Common side effects after a hip injection procedure may include temporary pain, swelling, bruising, or soreness at the injection site. Other potential side effects will vary depending on the type of medication used in the injection. For example, steroid injections may cause limitations in tissue healing or unwanted weight gain with repeat use. Platelet-rich plasma injections are generally safe and carry a lower risk of allergic reaction because the injection contains your own platelets. Finally, hyaluronic acid injections may cause temporary joint stiffness or mild discomfort, but are not known to carry many other risks. It’s important to talk to your doctor about any potential side effects or concerns before having a hip injection of any kind.
Will I Need Other Treatments?
In some cases, a hip injection may be all that’s needed to relieve your pain and improve your range of motion. However, depending on the underlying cause of your hip pain, you may need additional treatments or therapies to fully address the issue. For example, if arthritis or a movement disorder is causing your hip pain, physical therapy exercises may help reduce joint irritation and improve your overall hip mobility.
Physical therapy for your hip injury may include stretches and exercises to strengthen the muscles around the joint, improve range of motion, reduce inflammation, and improve joint circulation. Your physical therapist will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that addresses your specific needs and focuses on the activities you wish to return to. This may include other types of activity such as massage, aquatic therapy, yoga, or tai chi. Ultimately, the goal of physical therapy is to help you regain the function of your hip joint while also teaching you how to prevent future injuries.
You may also need to take medications or make lifestyle changes to further improve your hip symptoms and overall health. This might include changing your work duties or recreation to accommodate the needs of your hip during and after your recovery. Additionally, if the injection doesn’t provide you with the relief you were hoping for, surgery may be considered as an option for long-term results. Make sure to discuss all of your treatment options with your trusted doctor before making any decisions.
To get the benefits that you deserve, you need legal representation from a law group that specializes in workers’ compensation claims.
Contact an Atlanta Injury Attorney
Our Georgia workers’ compensation lawyers at Gearhart Law Group represent victims of work-related injuries and help them get the workers’ compensation benefits that they deserve. Our lawyers understand how your employer and their workers’ compensation insurance companies will try to save money by denying or underpaying your claim. We know how to fight any objections they may have and pursue all the Georgia workers’ compensation benefits that you need. Call us now so we can evaluate your specific case and advise you of your next legal steps as well as ensuring that you are receiving the best medical care for your injuries.
