What causes hip pain?
Hip pain often develops when you strain a muscle or injure a ligament. An acute injury or osteoporosis may result in a painful hip fracture. As you get older, degenerative changes occur that cause pain.
The most common orthopedic conditions responsible for hip pain include:
- Arthritis
- Labral tears
- Hip impingement
- Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Synovitis
- Congenital dysplasia
When you continue to use the joint without seeking medical care, you can cause further joint damage and develop more pain.
Will I have symptoms other than pain?
The conditions that cause hip pain may result in additional symptoms such as swelling, loss of movement, and difficulty placing weight on the joint. Some types of hip problems, such as sacroiliac joint dysfunction, cause low back pain in addition to hip pain.
Additional problems arise when you change the way you move to reduce ongoing hip pain. As a result, you place extra stress on your spine and other joints, especially your knees. The pressure leads to pain in the affected areas.
How does Dr. Moore treat hip pain?
After reviewing your medical history and performing a physical examination, Dr. Moore may order diagnostic imaging to accurately assess the underlying cause of your hip pain.
In most cases, Dr. Moore begins your treatment with conservative therapies. However, some traumatic injuries may need immediate surgery to relieve your pain and ensure proper healing. For example, a hip fracture, dislocation, or complete ligament tear may require surgical repair.
Nonsurgical treatments include options such as:
- Activity modification
- Resting your hip joint
- Physical therapy
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Steroid injections
- Viscosupplementation
If your hip pain worsens despite several months of conservative treatment, Dr. Moore may recommend surgery to repair the underlying problem or to replace the hip joint.
When does hip pain require a total hip replacement?
You may need a total hip replacement after a severe fracture, or you develop a condition such as avascular necrosis, which causes bone death due to blood supply loss. However, arthritis is the most common reason patients need a hip replacement.
As hip arthritis progresses, it causes significant tissue damage. You may experience symptoms such as constant pain, joint deformity, and severe pain and stiffness that prevent you from engaging in your normal daily activities.
If you develop sudden severe hip pain or hip pain that doesn’t improve, it’s important to seek prompt treatment. Call Moore Advanced Orthopedics, LLC at (602) 456-1835 today.