The essential guide to hip pain relief

Not all pain in your hips is created equal. Depending on the frequency, severity, and type of symptoms you’re experiencing, the causes and appropriate treatments can vary. To find hip pain relief, it’s essential to understand the differences and know when it’s time to get checked out.

Frequently asked questions about hip pain

What’s the difference between acute and chronic hip pain?
Acute pain is the pain you might experience temporarily after a traumatic hip injury like a car accident or fall. Chronic or persistent pain is more long-term and can indicate an underlying condition, such as runner’s hip or arthritis.

What does serious pain in your hips feel like?
Like any bodily pain, hip discomfort can range in severity, from a dull ache to a stabbing sensation. It typically originates in the groin area, where your leg meets your body. With some conditions, you might even feel a clicking or popping in that area.

When should I see a doctor about pain in my hip?
Consult a doctor about options for hip pain relief if you experience any of the following:

• You have difficulty reaching your feet to put on socks or shoes
• You cannot move or put weight on your hip
• Pain in your hips that prevents or hinders your daily activities
• You experience intense pain in your groin or buttocks
• You notice a sudden change of appearance in your hip (e.g., swelling, redness, deformity)
• Home remedies like ice compresses, heating pads, or over-the-counter medications have not provided hip pain relief within a week

How pain in your hips is diagnosed

Doctors use a variety of methods to determine the origins of your pain. This gives them better insight into the causes and extent of your pain so that you can work together on an appropriate treatment plan for hip pain relief.

Physical exams

The physical exam will narrow down possibilities for the cause of your discomfort. During the exam, your doctor will ask about your personal and family health history. This helps them determine if you or someone in your family has a health condition associated with pain in the hips that could potentially put you at higher risk.

While examining you to develop a personalized, hip pain relief treatment plan, your doctor will also ask where the pain is located, how severe it is, and when it occurs. They may also touch your hip and ask you to move it in different ways.

Medical imaging tests

Your doctor may be able to diagnose your hip soreness from the physical exam alone. However, medical imaging tests, like X-rays or MRI scans, may sometimes be needed to get a better look.

An X-ray can show the growth of bone spurs or the loss of joint space. An MRI scan can reveal problems with tendons, bones, muscles, or the bursae. Your doctor may order one or both of these tests to reach a solid conclusion about what’s making you hurt so that they can recommend solutions that will help you find hip pain relief.

Lab tests and Injections

Your doctor may also perform a joint aspiration test, in which they take a sample of fluid from the hip joint to determine the best treatments to bring you hip pain relief. That’s because they use these tests to “see” what’s happening in your hip. Specifically, they’ll check if there is any infection in the fluid, and drawing the fluid sample may even alleviate swelling in the joint.

Injection of a corticosteroid along with a local anesthetic may also be helpful in relieving symptoms of hip pain. There are two kinds of injections—one is put straight into the hip joint, and the other is put into the hip bursae or jelly-filled sacs. To inject into the hip joint, a radiologist performs a short, image-guided procedure. An injection into the hip bursae is performed in the office. Your orthopedic surgeon can determine which type of injection may give you the best chance for pain relief.

An injection may provide temporary (months) or permanent relief. If your pain and inflammation return, additional injections may be needed. Any additional injections have to be given at least a few months apart, determined by your surgeon about what will be best for you. It is important to limit the number of injections you receive, as prolonged corticosteroid injections may damage the surrounding tissues.

With proper rest, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and by maintaining a healthy body weight, you can age-proof your hips and improve your overall joint health.

In some cases, your doctor may conclude that hip pain relief is possible with treatment at home. If recommended, those home remedies can include:

Rest

If you’ve been pushing your body too hard and that’s the reason your hip is hurting, finding hip pain relief might be as easy as keeping pressure off your hip for a while and minimizing any vigorous activities.

Therapeutic heat and icing

Gently applying a heat pad or an icepack can help alleviate your discomfort and help you get hip pain relief. You should only use an ice pack for twenty minutes or less, but you can apply a heat pad for as long as needed.

Gentle exercise or stretching

If your pain keeps you from moving as well as you once did, gentle exercises and stretching can help keep you active and obtain hip pain relief. Plan to exercise when your aches and stiffness are at a minimum. Stretching after a warm shower or bath is an excellent option as muscles are usually relaxed.

Medications to treat inflammation

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers might do the trick and provide hip pain relief if you’re hurting because of inflammation. Common examples include ibuprofen and naproxen, found in medications like Advil or Aleve.

Weight loss

If you’re carrying some excess weight but also need to take pressure off your hips, weight loss might help. Just losing a few pounds can be beneficial to hip pain relief.

When non-surgical treatment options have been exhausted, and you’re still struggling with pain, your doctor might recommend hip surgery. Your hip surgeon can do several different types of hip replacement procedures to provide hip pain relief.

The following are two of the most common operations your doctor may recommend when conservative treatments aren’t enough to give you back your mobility and stop your hip from hurting.

Hip replacement (total hip arthroplasty)

During a total hip arthroplasty procedure, a hip surgeon replaces a worn-out or damaged hip joint with an artificial ball-and-socket joint to make a new hip so that you can get hip pain relief.

Anterior hip replacement

An anterior hip replacement is a way of doing the procedure that approaches the hip joint from the front. Performing the procedure this way does less damage to muscles and other soft tissues, patients can typically experience less pain after surgery, and there is a reduced frequency of hip dislocation. Recovery is typically faster and easier, and you have to take fewer post-surgical precautions.

What to expect after having hip surgery

How quickly you recover after joint replacement surgery and find hip pain relief will depend on several factors, including which tissues were cut during surgery, your level of support at home, and what type of prosthetic hip you have.

Your doctor will typically prescribe pain medication to help during your recovery. As time goes on, you may need the medication less frequently and in smaller doses. After roughly 2-6 weeks, you may only need over-the-counter pain medications.

It’s important to follow your doctor’s orders to ensure you find hip pain relief and use medications safely when managing pain after surgery.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy is minimal after hip replacement surgery. It is typically done in the hospital before you leave to go home, to show you how to sit, stand, walk, climb stairs, and safely move in other ways with your new hip joint. Repetitive physical therapy sessions are not typically recommended to help recover from a hip replacement.

Returning to your day-to-day routine

For the first two weeks or so after surgery, you may need some help with simple chores around the house. Before surgery, be sure to get a helper lined up, like a friend, spouse, family member, or someone you hire to lend a hand as you recover.

As you feel more hip pain relief post-surgery, you’ll gradually be able to move around and perform tasks around the house more easily, but remember that the timeline for performing certain activities will depend on your doctor or physical therapist’s advice. It takes an average of 6 weeks to recover enough to resume driving.

Returning to work

If you have a sedentary job, where you sit often or have limited amounts of physical activity, your surgeon may recommend going back to work after 6 weeks. If you have a job that is physically active and more labor-intensive, your surgeon may recommend waiting 3 months or more to go back to work safely.

Safe Activities Before and After Hip Surgery »

You don’t have to live with hip pain—relief is possible. With the proper treatment, you can get back to doing the things you enjoy with the people you love.