Hip pain can significantly affect the quality of life. The debilitating pain can make it hard for you to have a good sleep at night and make walking to be a nightmare. If you are having hip pain, finding what causes it and an effective treatment plan to relieve pain becomes a priority. At Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine, Dr. Steven Ferrer helps patients in Ramsey, NJ, to overcome bothersome hip joint pain through personalized care and rehabilitation.
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Causes of Hip Pain
Hip pain occurs due to several medical issues, with arthritis being the biggest. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common forms of the disease that affect the hip. Osteoarthritis is caused by the wear and tear of the joints and the surrounding ligaments, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder caused by inflammation. Other causes of hip pain include:
- Synovitis
- Osteoporosis
- Tendonitis
- Labral tear
- Dislocation
- Sprains
There are various noninvasive treatment options, regardless of the cause of your hip pain problem. Your doctor will advise on which method will help achieve your unique needs and put you on the path to complete recovery.
What to do When you Experience Hip Pain
Like with any other condition, seeking early treatment and diagnosis when you have joint pain can significantly help prevent further complications and the need for a more aggressive treatment plan. Your doctor will start by recommending home-based heat and cold therapy combined with rest. The heat helps in muscle relaxation while cold prevents the surrounding areas from becoming inflamed during treatment.
Medical therapy is another early treatment option for hip pain. Your doctor will use one of the following medications to manage your pain:
- Oral steroids
- Anti-inflammatories
- sleep aids
Your doctor will schedule you for corticosteroid injection if oral medications fail to provide results. Physical therapy can also be recommended to help increase flexibility and provide range-of-motion in your joints. Other conservative treatment plans include:
- weight management
- low-impact exercises
- use of a walker
- hip bracing for stability
- gait retraining to help regain good body posture
Your physician may also discourage you from high impact sports, lifting or pushing heavy loads, excessive bending or kneeling, and other activities that require abrupt body movements.
Avoiding surgical intervention
Hip replacement surgery has an extended downtime. At times, surgery may be the only treatment option that can give you a complete recovery. Conservative treatment plans including lifestyle changes and exercise, play a vital role in helping you avoid surgery. Unlike when hip pain occurs suddenly, you may keep on postponing a visit to your doctor if you live with a chronic condition that causes joint pain. Early intervention is vital in reversing the progression of joint pain caused by conditions that worsen with time, such as arthritis.
Hip pain is a common problem among young and old Americans. Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine can help you get relief from hip pain using nonsurgical procedures that require little time to heal.