I've had 3 lots of this kind of injection. All spinal/ around back and neck areas. They are scary, but if they work it's really great.
Here's my honest but overall positive experiences. Basically, it depends on the expertise and competence of the anaesthetist, radiologist and nurses. I had 2 out of 3 good experiences. 1 bad but that was the first time and even considering the terrible doc, I still got enough benefit with the few injections I managed, and went back for more. So even bad was useful!
I had the first lot done by a terrible anaesthetist who treated patients like shit, told me incorrect and completely illogical nonsense and was awful. In his clinic, you could hear the screams echoing down the corridor from him doing the injections. The nursing staff were muted and pretty much silent anywhere near him. A lot of exchanging glances. They begged me to get up and walk as the wanker demanded every patient did this to prove he had 'cured' them. Apparently the nurses got blamed and shouted at if patients didn't do this 'yay Jesus cured me' walk. Ugh. I can't walk more than a few meters on a good day, let alone after travelling to hospital, waiting, going through the injections etc. but he still made me walk! Wanker.
I did 4 injections and had to stop. I have a high pain tolerance, and am generally a very easy patient. He was insulting and said I'd wasted his time and I obviously wasn't ill enough as if I was I'd do anything to alleviate the pain. Arse.
Luckily he vanished (oh boy, I hope he was fired), and with his departure, the desperately unhappy patients screaming in agony have also completely disappeared!
The last 2 lots I've had have been brilliant. Done very well by experts who are very good at their jobs. No screams. At all.
I had 30 injections in April. And not sure how many 18 months before. Both were great.
Even with the initial bad experience, I'm still glad I went through all 3 procedures.
They numb the injection site with local anaesthetic injected before the cortisone injection. But they can't numb the joint and directly around it so that's where the pain comes from. As you're only having one joint done (? Is that right? One hip?), it's bearable as the pain is sudden, sharp and yup, bloody hurts but is over so quickly that it's almost done before you can react.
If you're having a whole lots of injections done, and you're really worried, they can do it with sedation. I had sedation and it was great. No pain, just sensation. And super reassuring staff.
Recovery time was that day, maybe the next. I'm ill with other stuff so I had a slower recovery time, but even so I could move around, cuddle with my DS etc. Some bruising, but nothing completely debilitating. The benefits kicked in about a week after, and lasted months.
I think you'll be fine. 