Article At A Glance
- Hip pain occurs for various reasons. Some pain responds to less invasive treatments, while some require surgical correction.
- Using recommended at-home treatments for hip discomfort might improve the effectiveness of nonsurgical solutions and circumvent invasive procedures.
- A holistic hip pain treatment will take your preferences, goals, and the health of your whole body into consideration.
If you deal with chronic hip pain, you know how it affects your everyday life. However, you might also feel anxious about what medical professionals recommend to treat that ever-present pain. Orthopedic Specialists, S.C., dispels your anxieties by outlining where your pain may come from and some hip pain treatment recommendations to consider.
What Causes Hip Pain?
Managing and alleviating hip pain begins with finding the source of your discomfort. First, visit an orthopedic specialist to diagnose the cause. Some common reasons for chronic or intermittent hip pain include:
- Previous injuries: Strains, fractures, and sprains can cause continuous pain, especially when they heal incorrectly. You might become injured on your job, while playing sports, or during childbirth. The pain may continue in the following years.
- Arthritis: Your hip joints house soft tissues called cartilage. The cartilage becomes inflamed and puts pressure on surrounding tissues.
- Bursitis: Joint connections contain thin sacs filled with fluid called bursae. A bursa absorbs shock and relieves tension when you use a joint. Bursae can become inflamed following injuries.
- Tendinitis: The tendons connect muscles to bones, helping the muscles control movement. Overusing a particular body part can cause tendinitis, which results in irritated tendons.
- Femoroacetabular impingement: If the hip joint’s ball moves from its original spot, it may push up against the bone and surrounding soft tissues, causing pain during movement.
At-Home Hip Pain Relief Methods
Once your orthopedic specialist diagnoses you, they will identify a few solutions for hip pain relief to help you manage or recover from your condition. Many hip pain treatment methods begin at home. You can integrate the following recommendations into your daily lifestyle:
- Weight management: Weighing too much or too little can put undue stress on your musculoskeletal system. Your specialist can set weight goals and recommend changes to help you achieve them.
- Exercise and stretching: Many stretch and exercise routines strengthen the hips without putting too much stress on them. Gentle daily exercises and stretch sessions each morning and night could improve your flexibility and strengthen your hips.
- Posture changes: How you carry and support your body directly affects your hips. Be mindful of your posture and shift it when you notice habitual slouching or leaning.
- Rest: Sometimes, painful hips just need some rest. Prop your legs up and relax to relieve pressure on the hip joints.
Non-Surgical Hip Pain Treatments
Orthopedic specialists frequently suggest professional therapeutic approaches for hip pain, especially for patients with chronic conditions. You might fear that they might immediately jump to surgery as an option. However, experts at Orthopedic Specialists, S.C., usually prefer to try nonsurgical methods first:
- Physical therapy: A physical therapist helps you safely maneuver your hips through modified strength-training exercises. They also use therapeutic equipment to enhance each treatment session.
- Medications: Pain medications can take the edge off of your pain. Intense discomfort might prevent you from participating in exercise and therapy sessions. Pain prescriptions decrease inflammation, enabling your participation.
- Injections: Your specialist might inject steroids to alleviate pain and eliminate inflammation. They may also administer shots with vitamins or other substances to address whole-body issues that manifest via hip pain.
Surgical Options for Hip Pain Discomfort
Finally, your specialist might recommend surgical treatments if the above approaches fail to achieve the desired results. Not all surgeries are equally invasive. Explore some common procedures below:
- Hip replacement: Like many people, you are likely familiar with hip replacements. These highly invasive procedures involve removing and replacing damaged portions of the hip, followed by an intensive recovery process.
- Osteotomy: Like hip replacements, osteotomies are also major procedures. However, they are slightly less involved and don’t involve removing hip portions. Instead, the surgeon will reshape the femur joints to better fit the rest of your body.
- Arthroscopy: Finally, arthroscopy repairs damaged soft tissues surrounding the hip joint. It is minimally invasive with less intense recovery requirements.
Key Takeaways
If you experience hip pain, you should know the following:
- Promptly speak to a doctor about injuries and chronic pain symptoms to get a head start on healing.
- Reputable orthopedic specialists prefer non-invasive approaches and may recommend holistic therapies with lifestyle changes.
- If you need surgery, you might qualify for a less invasive procedure with a shorter recovery period.
Contact Orthopedic Specialists, S.C. To Find a Hip Pain Treatment That Works for You
Ready to discover what hip pain treatment might look like for you? Make an appointment with Orthopedic Specialists, S.C., in Elmhurst, Illinois. You can also call 630-782-9600 to ask any questions about our practice.
