Many people experience hip pain at some point in their lives. It may result from strenuous exercise, incorrect movement, overstretching, or tearing of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments that support the hip joint. It may also develop from a too-sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, or having less flexibility.
But more often, it is caused by arthritis as we age. The three most common types of hip arthritis include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis – although other forms can also occur.
- Osteoarthritis, the most common form of hip arthritis, involves the wearing away of the protective cartilage covering hip bones where they form a joint. As the bones end up rubbing against each other, it may result in pain and stiffness.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune system disease that attacks the hip joints – inflaming the protective synovial membrane, causing pain, swelling, and eventually, joint erosion. This can lead to pain, stiffness, and disability in the hip.
- Post-traumatic arthritis develops quickly after an injury – instead of over years of wear and tear like other forms of arthritis. It’s usually temporary, but many people recover in a few months without a need for major surgery.
At-Home Treatments
You may not need to see a doctor immediately if your hip pain is mild and not debilitating. Your options might include:
- Rest: Initially, resting and avoiding the activities that bother you for a few weeks is a good starting point for self-treatment. However, if your symptoms bother you after two to four weeks, it is a good time to see a doctor.
- Lose weight: Losing weight often will help to ease chronic hip pain. Every extra pound you carry places 3 to 5 pounds of extra pressure on your hips. Losing excess weight can significantly reduce stress on the hip.
- Stretch to ease stiffness: If you are unsure how to stretch your hips properly, work with a physical therapist or personal trainer to learn.
- Start your day with low-impact exercises: Sometimes, moving is the best thing to do if it involves low-impact activities. Walking, swimming, yoga, and resistance exercises can help reduce stiffness and build muscle around the hip joint. Individuals who exercise regularly despite their arthritis generally have less pain and better function than those who are inactive. Just avoid high-intensity exercises that put too much pressure on the hips.
- Avoid carrying too much: The added weight of heavy packages can hurt your hips. Remember the adage to bend at the knees when you carry anything.
- Use heat and ice: Cold compresses can provide relief when you have acute hip pain. And before you exercise or stretch, consider applying heat to loosen the muscles around the hip joint.
- Consider NSAIDS: While you should use them sparingly, over-the-counter NSAIDs, such as Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), Naproxen (Aleve), low-dose aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can help ease inflammation and discomfort when hip pain flares up.
However, if you’ve tried these approaches and you don’t seem to be able to get control of your hip pain – or it gets worse – it’s time to see a doctor. If your pain is severe or you have difficulty moving, you should see a doctor immediately.
Conservative, Noninvasive Treatments for Hip Pain
Usually, your doctor will begin by considering conservative, noninvasive options to effectively manage and treat hip pain. Specialists who focus on this approach include Physiatrists, also known as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation doctors. They focus on options to resolve musculoskeletal problems that don’t require major orthopedic surgery.
Physical Therapy
Your doctor will often recommend that you see a physical therapist as a first step to help with your hip pain. In fact, physical therapists regularly work with physiatrists to target treatment for your hip condition.
Physical therapists can help you strengthen the muscles around the hip to relieve pressure on the hip joint and increase hip flexibility to reduce joint stiffness and pain.
Injections for Hip Pain
Depending on your pain severity, corticosteroid injections can be another option for easing your joint pain and getting you moving again.
These injections offer a first line of defense against osteoarthritis symptoms. They can help relieve hip joint pain and inflammation. Your doctor will use fluoroscopic (x-ray) guidance to precisely target these injections during an out-patient procedure.
Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP)
PRP utilizes anti-inflammatory factors in a patient’s own blood to decrease inflammation. This option has fewer side effects and is often more potent than other types of injections like steroid injections.
PRP is only appropriate for certain hip pain conditions. When it is appropriate, many patients experience significant relief within the first week or two. However, this treatment is not covered by most insurance plans.
Reasons to See a Doctor, Sooner than Later
If you delay seeing a doctor for treatment until your pain is bothering you every day or is more intense, you run the risk of it becoming a chronic (ongoing) problem. When you find yourself questioning if it is the right time to schedule an appointment, it probably is the right time.