Pain is unfortunately something you’re going to experience during your life. This is especially true when referencing your joints, as they wear down with age. Your hips are one of the joints that suffer from breakdown, which eventually leads to debilitating pain.
At Alpha Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, our team helps you with all kinds of orthopedic conditions, including hip problems. Whether your pain is new, or you’ve been dealing with it for awhile, our orthopedic surgeons get you the professional treatment you need.
Your hips are more important that you think—they help you walk, get up the stairs, and enjoy other physical activities. So when pain strikes in your hips, it can be disabling in some circumstances. So how does hip pain come about?
Your hips may hurt for a variety of reasons, with the most common reason being injury. If you play sports, injuries to your hips may involve your muscles or tendons, while injuries sustained in a traumatic accident are more severe. There are many other causes of hip problems, including:
Although injuries account for a lot of hip injuries, you could be dealing with a number of conditions that lead to pain as well. One of the most common conditions that leads to pain in your hip is arthritis.
There are many different types of arthritis, but by far the most common type that affects your hips is known as osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative type of arthritis that’s caused by the deterioration of protective tissues in your joints, also known as cartilage. This usually occurs over time, but leads to inflammation in the joint space.
Another type of arthritis that could affect your hips is known as rheumatoid arthritis. This type of arthritis occurs when your immune system attacks the protective lining that’s in your hip joint—often leading to an inflammatory response. You may also notice other signs of a problem, including redness or swelling at your hip.
No matter what the cause, it’s important to take hip pain seriously, so you don’t end up with more complications later on.
If your pain is mild and you don’t notice any severe signs of infection or broken bones, you may be able to manage your hip pain at home. If the pain is going to let up, it should subside within a few days, with rest and other comfort measures.
However, if your pain doesn’t get better with home treatment, or you notice other symptoms as well, you should see one of our doctors as soon as possible to rule out any severe problems. Symptoms in your hip that require immediate care include:
You should also get immediate treatment if you have bleeding around your hip that doesn’t get better, or if you’re unable to put any weight on the injured hip.
A fractured hip may present with exposed bone or other tissues, so if you notice this, make sure to get help quickly. Your pain might not get better within a few days, and this is yet another reason to make an appointment with our doctors to get the treatment your hip requires.
When you come in for hip pain treatment, our doctors examine the hip that’s bothering you, and ask you about your symptoms. They may also order diagnostic imaging studies, such as an X-ray or MRI to rule out fracture or dislocation.
Once they have all the information they need, our doctors form a treatment plan to help ease your pain and get you the relief you’ve been hoping for. If your condition is mild, they may offer conservative treatments for your pain that may include:
However, if you’ve tried these treatments without significant relief, or your condition is severe, they may opt for more aggressive treatment. Our doctors offer minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery, which helps them to diagnose and treat problems within your joint.
In severe cases, you may need hip replacement surgery, which involves taking out the damaged areas of your hip and replacing them with artificial joint materials.
Don’t suffer any longer from hip problems. Call our team at Alpha Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at one of our three convenient locations to schedule a consultation, or find us online to set up an appointment today.
