This joint is largely affected in arthritis and requires early intervention to stop the pain from worsening. The clinical diagnosis of osteoarthritis is supported by radiologic evidence of osteoarthritis of the hip joint such as joint space narrowing, subchondral sclerosis, osteophytes and subchondral cysts. The hip injection includes numbing medicine that is placed into the joint, and the amount of pain relief experienced helps confirm or rule out the joint as a source of pain. If no pain is experienced while the joint is numb, then the joint is likely to be the primary source of pain.