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Breaking Down the Different Types of Hip Pain Treatments

doctor discussing hip pain treatment with their patient

And How to Find Orthopedic Hip Specialists and Hip Surgeons Near Wichita

The hip is one of the largest joints in the human body, and is critical in everyday functions such as walking, running, navigating stairs, and other actions related to mobility and weight bearing. The joint itself consists of the femoral head (the upper portion of the thigh bone) and the acetabulum (part of the pelvis). These parts are adjoined by a series of tendons, muscles, and ligaments, forming a ball and socket synovial joint (a joint that’s lubricated by fluid).

Considering how much the hip is involved in basic movements, a hip injury or other condition can drastically affect a person’s mobility and cause a significant amount of pain. The last time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a survey on joint pain and stiffness, they found that 7 percent of respondents reported some form of hip pain or discomfort. Although that figure is less than half of those who reported knee pain, hip pain remains an issue that orthopedic hip specialists and hip surgeons regularly see patients about.

What Causes Hip Pain?

The cause of hip pain can be due to injury, disease, or another condition that compromises its function. Some of the most common causes include:

  • Trauma or physical injury (fracture, tear, sprain)
  • Repetitive motion disorder
  • Arthritis (juvenile idiopathic, osteoarthritis, psoriatic, rheumatoid, septic)
  • Bursitis
  • Pinched nerve
  • Cancer
  • Deterioration of bone tissue
  • Bone infection
  • Synovitis
  • Meniscal tears
  • ACL tears
  • Ligament injuries

What Are the Symptoms of an Injured or Compromised Hip Joint?

Considering the wide array of injuries and conditions that can impact the hip joint, symptoms will vary in type and level of severity. Those with an injured or otherwise compromised hip may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

  • Sudden intense pain
  • Ongoing chronic pain
  • The hip is swollen or deformed
  • The hip cannot bear weight like it normally does
  • The hip is dislocated
  • Mobility in the hip is limited
  • The hip makes odd sounds when moved
  • The pain or discomfort in the hip causes lack of sleep

If you are experiencing any of those symptoms, the best course of action is to contact our orthopedic hip specialists and hip and knee pain doctors at Mid-America Orthopedics. Once you’ve been properly examined, our staff of orthopedic doctors and hip surgeons can devise a treatment plan that’s appropriate for your condition.

What Hip Pain Treatments Will My Orthopedic Hip Specialist or Hip Surgeon Administer?

Treatment for hip pain is entirely dependent on the type of injury or condition the patient has. However, the standard practice when treating any hip condition is to try to avoid surgery by utilizing other, less invasive forms of treatment. If those treatments prove to be unsuccessful, a hip orthopedic surgeon will get involved at that point.

The following are the treatments hip and knee pain doctors administer to patients, starting with the least invasive options:

Rest and activity modification: For minor hip conditions, your orthopedic hip specialist may recommend a period of rest and activity modification so that the joint can heal on its own. Compression, elevation, and ice therapy can often speed the healing process along.

Medication: Over-the-counter pain medications and anti-inflammatories are often used to treat minor cases of hip pain and inflammation. For more serious cases, your orthopedic hip specialist may prescribe a stronger medication in the short-term to help reduce your symptoms.

Assistive devices: For those suffering from conditions such as developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) or Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, your hip and knee pain doctor may recommend wearing an assistive device. Slings, casts, and braces for the hip can keep the hip joint in place during the healing process.

Physical therapy: One of the best and most holistic methods of helping a patient regain mobility and ease their symptoms of pain and stiffness is physical therapy. When working with a physical therapist, patients will go through a series of prescribed exercises and movements that are intended to help them regain strength and mobility in the hip joint.

Injections: Depending on your specific hip condition and medical history, your orthopedic hip specialist may recommend either an intra-articular injection, a psoas injection, or a trochanteric bursa injection. Intra-articular injections are a cortisone injection intended to provide the patient with pain relief. Psoas injections are for patients who have an injured psoas tendon. Trochanteric bursa injections are for patients who are suffering from bursitis on the outside of their hip.

Arthroscopic surgery: Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery that uses small fiber-optic cameras and instruments that are inserted through incision points that are strategically made in the hip area. The main advantage with arthroscopy when compared to open surgery is that the healing process is quicker and downtime is minimal. Please note that hip surgeons only recommend arthroscopic surgery in cases where all other treatment methods have proven unsuccessful.

Total hip replacement surgery: Hip surgeons perform total hip replacement surgery in cases where one or both ends of the hip have deteriorated or are damaged beyond repair. Total hip replacement surgery replaces the ends of the hip joints with artificial parts so that patients may regain function and reduce symptoms of pain and discomfort. Patients with osteoarthritis that is affecting their hip joints are the most common candidates for this type of surgery. However, total hip replacement surgery is only used as a final option when other treatment methods have proven unsuccessful.

How to Contact a Hip and Knee Pain Doctor

At Mid-America Orthopedics, we have a team of orthopedic hip specialists and hip surgeons with decades of combined experience working with a wide variety of patients. If you are currently experiencing pain or discomfort, you can take the first step on the path to recovery today by booking a consultation at our practice.

During your first appointment, one of our orthopedic hip specialists will gather your medical history, examine your hip joint, and may even order x-rays or an MRI. Once they’ve gotten to the root cause of your hip pain, they will develop a treatment plan specifically for your condition.

Set up an appointment with us today to get started. You can also reach us by phone during normal business hours at (316) 630-9300. For the convenience of our patients, Mid-America Orthopedics is typically able to offer same-day or next-day appointments.