Hip

What causes hip pain?

Hip pain has a number of potential causes. Some of the most common reasons for hip pain include: 

• Arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Joint inflammation (bursitis)
• Tendinitis
• Sprains and strains
• Osteoporosis (bone loss)
• Labral tear, a cartilage tear
• Stress fracture
• Avascular necrosis: Bone death due to lack of blood

If your hip pain is persistent, and it’s interfering with your ability to function, it’s important to schedule an appointment at Orthopaedic Associates as soon as possible. 

How is hip pain diagnosed?

The team at Orthopaedic Associates uses a variety of tools to determine the underlying cause of your hip pain. They ask you to describe your symptoms and how the hip pain affects your daily life. They also consider your medical history, family history, symptoms, and physical condition to determine the possible pain triggers.

All types of imaging, like X-rays and ultrasound, are done on-site so they can find the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible. Sometimes, the exact cause of hip pain is hard to determine without a close look at your inner hip. 

In that case, they may perform arthroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure in which they view the hip joint through a single small incision, to help make a diagnosis. 

How is hip pain treated?

The team always begins with conservative treatments such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and stem cell therapy to help you restore damaged cartilage and other tissue. PRP and stem cell therapy also alleviate pain and speed up your healing. 

Regenerative medicine treatments may give you such great results that you don’t need surgery. Or, if you do need surgery, regenerative medicine treatments might help you delay it for a long time.

There are several possible hip surgery options, including hip bone realignment, hip resurfacing, and hip replacement. 

In partial hip replacement surgery, your surgeon removes and replaces only the ball part of your hip joint (the head of the femur). In a total hip replacement, your surgeon removes both the head of your femur and the hip socket to replace them with biocompatible materials. 

Hip surgery can completely eliminate your pain and restore full range of motion, too. But, you’ll need physical therapy after the surgery so you can improve strength and function safely and gradually. 

For expert hip pain help, use the online scheduling tool or call Orthopaedic Associates for an appointment today.