Unbearable pain 1 week after cortisone shot for hip labral tear

Sounds like you need to see a different doctor. Preferably one that specializes in hip injuries in athletes. These are rare, hard to find.

Considering what cortisone does...it is baffling that they would do this in labial tear after over 6 weeks chronicity.

Your body responded to the cortisone with a flare or rebound pain.

This is completely within the realm, unfortunately.

I would consider reducing the inflammation with other approaches.

Do you know how long such flares last? My doctor did mention that possibility of a "cortisone flare," but said that it would have resolved within 48 hours.

After speaking to my doctor this morning, he said he has never seen this reaction to cortisone in his 10 years of practice. All I know is that the pain is increasing dramatically. As of today I can no longer put weight on the injected hip without severe shooting pains that cause me to cry out. Now he wants to test for infection or possible necrosis of the bone. My biggest fear is that he will find nothing and I will be forced to live with even worse pain than I initially had. My only hope at this point is that I've had some sort of horrible reaction to the cortisone that will pass in time.

I had an injection of cortisone as part of the process of determining if it was a labral tear. I had relief for a few days before the pain returned. I think that is what they are usually looking for. I had more reactions to the cortisone shots after the surgery at two different times, but it was more of a flush feeling and not pain (or relief). I would hope that the pain eventually goes away, and most certainly after surgery if that is the route that you go.

It sounds like the labrum tear might not be the cause of your pain then. Usually they give a cortisone shot to see if it takes the way the pain temporarily. If it does, then it means the labrum tear was the cause. In your case though it sounds like you didn't get any relief, in which case your pain might be caused by something else.

Have you had an mri done yet? I think Dr. Phillipon(?) out of Vail Colorado did a study that showed 69% of athletes show labrum tears on mri's, even if they are asymptomatic and have never had pain.

I was diagnosed with a Labrum tear in late August this year (via mri), after a couple of weeks of pretty severe hip pain (to the point where I couldn't walk without a limp). I didn't do the recommended surgery consult, or do pt, I figured based on the conflicting info online I'd just give it 8weeks of rest and see where I was at.

I started running in mid-october. It was a little painful at first, but I was careful. I'm now at my usual training volume (about 45mpw) and have been completely pain free.

I don't think my labrum tear was ever the true cause of my pain. I have no idea what the actual cause was. I think stress fracture, because it felt like bone pain, especially the dull ache after I had taken about two weeks off (and there was non weight bearing pain at night). But I also figure that would've shown up on mri.

Anyway, I'm not really giving you specific advice other than just proceed with caution and get a second opinion from a different doctor.

I gotta wonder if the nerve was hit when the corstisone injection was done. That would be bad.

There are some threads that talk about labral tears healing on their own. Check them out.

A labrum tear will never heal on it's own. But it might become asymptomatic over time.

I am a working in hospital and I am on my feel all day long. I had gotten to the point that I could barely walk at the end of the day. I would have to go home and prop my feet up for the rest of the night. orthofeet shoes have really helped with my heel pain, and I am able to be active after work again. I Love My Shoes! I tell my shoes EVERYDAY how much I love them.

received a Cortisone shot to both knees. One is fine. The other one became swollen with intense pain just like you described. This is going into week 6. The orthopedic doctor who gave me the shots ordered a MRI. The office cancelled my follow up appointment due to illness in the doctors family. ( This is the second cancellation) So I went to a different orthopedic surgeon. He did an array of other Xrays. However, was baffled at what is going on. He bumped up my over the counter pain medicine ( Aleve and Tylenol) rest, ice, compression, elevation) all of which I had been doing. I am using a walker or wheelchair and sometimes, it hurts so bad I am screaming. Mind you, I have a high pain tolerance. Two different surgeons cannot figure this out. I've looked and googled and cannot figure it out. Good luck with your recovery. You are the closest to what I am dealing with since the cortisone injection.

Hi just wondering if you have any improvement? I had a steroid injection in the knee 6 days ago. Same reaction sever pain can't weighbear or bend knee been searching but you are the only other person I can find who has this reaction.

No painkillers are helping. Can't even get downstairs.

Hi just wondering if you have any improvement? I had a steroid injection in the knee 20 days ago. Same reaction sever pain can't weighbear or bend knee been searching but you are the only other person I can find who has this reaction.

No painkillers are helping. Can't even get downstairs.

Is yours easing at all?

I had a similar reaction to a cortisone shot for a labral tear. In my case, the purpose of the shot was to try to accurately locate the tear in the hip, not as pain relief. Prior to the shot, the labral tear presented as discomfort in the hip and abdomen, but not outright pain. A few days after the shot, I became aware of acute pain in the hip almost exactly where the shot had been placed. Sometimes it was a dull pain that felt like nothing more than weight on the location. Other times, sharp and very pointed pain making walking a challenge. I spoke with the doctor who administered the shot and my PT about this. Both thought it was likely that I had simply become more aware of the location of the pain from the tear due to the shot and it had now been locked into memory. I'm not sure if I agree with this. However, a few month later and that pain has largely resolved. From time to time, I notice it...but rarely. Now I'm just back to dealing with the abdomen and hip discomfort that I began with. All in all, a discouraging experience. But not permanent.

Hi

Thanks for your reply. I cant believe we are the only people who have had this response to steroid injections.

I'm in the UK , I take it you are else where.

My orthopedic surgeon says he has never heard of it before and does not understand why it's happened.

It's a month on Friday and I still can't walk.

Would be interesting to know which drug and dose you were given. I am seeing mine on Friday and will get a copy of the prescription he used.

Best wishes

Joanne

I wanted to share my experience after reading about yours. I have been going to the doctor with a knee issue that has added a hip issue. It started as a tightness when walking with normal gait. The doctor prescribed physical therapy and after two visits to PT my hip pain was getting worse. I went back to Ortho Doc where they took xrays which found no problems. He decided to give me an ultrasound guided injection in my hip for diagnostics to help determine labrum tear. I never found any relief from the shot. At first i had fairly intense burning and I've been experiencing dull burning pain mostly at the top rear of my hip ever since if this makes sense. It's been one week and I've been popping more advil since the shot than i ever took before. I'm able to walk and go about my business but the dull ache in my hip is really driving me crazy. I just wanted to share that you all are not alone! Here is my doctors note with injection cocktail.

Hip pain, acute, right-possible labral tear

XR Hip 2-3 Vws RT

lidocaine injection 1%

triamcinolone acetonide (KENALOG-40) injection 40 mg

bupivacaine (MARCAINE-PF) injection 0.5%

Hi, I know I’m replying way after you posted but I came across this and it sounded similar to what I experienced. I fractured my hip (femoral neck) about 3.5 years ago, and have had constant pain ever since. Some days it’s only like a 4-5, some days I can’t even get out of bed. So I got all kinds of imaging done and they couldn’t find anything, and PT wasn’t helping. So my ortho wanted to try a cortisone injection to confirm that the pain was actually coming from my hip. Got the shot, it hurt really bad during, then like a 6 the rest of the day. Then I woke up the next morning in the worst pain I ever felt in my hip (even worse than when I fractured it). I have prescriptions for tramadol and gabapentin , neither of them helped one bit. It hurt like that for about 8 days after the shot, then slowly started to get better. After that I was nearly pain free (as long as I didn’t run or stretch too far) for 4 months. Now it seems to have worn off but my hip pain is now in the back of my hip, instead of the front and groin, so I am confused.

Did you find any answers or relief? I have been surprised to not find more answers about worsening of pain weeks after the injection.

are you still in pain?

Thankful to come across your post. Feel bad for you. This describes my symptoms as well & I'm freaking out. My bilateral hip injections were 3 weeks ago. Currently my pain is excruciating! I don't know what to do ! OTC pain medication doesn't touch the pain. Difficult to work!

Doctors seem dismissive.