Chronic hip pain that interferes with daily activities or seems to be worsening with time could be a symptom of a serious underlying hip condition. It may be time to visit an orthopedic hip specialist for evaluation and treatment.
The most common cause of hip pain is arthritis. Arthritis can lead not only to pain, but also joint deformity that can severely limit mobility. The wearing away of cartilage that occurs in osteoarthritis can cause bone-on-bone contact in the ball-and-socket joint of the hip. This is a very painful condition that can make it difficult to perform normal daily activities such as walking, tying your shoelaces, getting in and out of a car, and even getting a good night’s sleep.
Acute hip pain resulting from traumatic injury accompanied by a popping or clicking sound when moving the hip or other symptoms such as swelling, warmth, and redness should be evaluated as soon as possible.
Treatment will depend on the cause of the hip pain. Soft tissue injuries such as ligament or tendon tears may be treated arthroscopically with minimum damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Chronic hip pain caused by early stage arthritis may benefit from hip injection treatments such as platelet rich plasma therapy or cortisone injections.
End-stage arthritis is usually treated with a total hip replacement. The procedure can be done using minimally invasive surgical techniques, during which the damaged portions of the hip joint are replaced with long-lasting implants. Patients generally experience significant relief of hip pain and are able to return to their normal activities with minimal delay.
Dr. Ajay C. Lall is a dual fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and hip arthroscopy. He is an avid clinical researcher with numerous presentations and publications at international academic meetings and in top peer-reviewed journals. The doctors at the American Hip Institute have been global leaders in Hip Arthroscopy and Robotic Surgery for over a decade. While some would call this excellence, we simply call it the American Hip Institute standard
