Your hip is the largest ball-and-socket joint in your body. The high degree of mobility in this joint allows you to do everything from walk to run to jump to kick. About 12-15% of adults over age 60 and 30-40% of athletic adults develop chronic hip pain due to injury or arthritis.
Whether you were in a car accident, fell, or are suffering from an overuse injury or osteoarthritis, you don’t have to put up with hip pain. Louis J. Raso, MD, PA, is a pain-management specialist in Jupiter, Florida who takes the time to get to the root of your pain and custom-design a pain-management treatment.
Hip pain, like other kinds of joint pain, can originate in any of the tissues that protect and support your joint. If you have hip pain, it could be caused by one or more of the following:
During your consultation, Dr. Raso examines your hip and back. He also has you move your leg and may move your leg in its joint himself to evaluate your current range of motion.
He may order imaging studies, such as X-rays, that help him pinpoint the source of your pain. Your hip pain may also be the result of an injury in a nearby area of your body, such as a pinched nerve in your back, that you’re experiencing as referred pain. Once Dr. Raso has a full picture of why you’re suffering from hip pain, he tailors a treatment plan for you.
If your pain is partly or solely caused by injured and inflamed tissues, Dr. Raso may recommend over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen. He may also advise that you undergo cold-and-hot therapy by alternating between icing the area and warming it with a heating pad.
He may treat severe inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis or other causes by injecting steroids directly into the joint. You might also need disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) if you have rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr. Raso always balances your need for immediate pain relief with the long-term effects of medications. He usually advises a multi-pronged approach to hip pain, which combines medications with more supportive therapies.
Hip pain can be caused or exacerbated by stress, including tense muscles. To help you manage pain and relax your body, Dr. Raso may recommend working with a physical therapist or a stress-management specialist. Physical therapy helps strengthen and stretch the soft tissues that support your hip joint so that it’s better protected from future injury.
Relaxation techniques, including deep breathing, teach your muscles to let go of unnecessary tension. Relaxation techniques also help you manage the pain you’re currently experiencing.
Though you may not feel like moving your hip joint, exercise is actually an extremely effective way to help you manage pain. When you move your legs, a membrane that protects your hip joints releases lubricating synovial fluid. Exercise also helps build strength and flexibility in the joint to keep it safe over time.
If your hip hurts too much to perform weight-bearing exercises, including walking, Dr. Raso may recommend swimming. You can add in other exercises as your pain diminishes and you gain strength. In addition to physical therapy, he may recommend walking and weight lifting as you gain strength and get relief from pain.
If you have a fracture or a dislocation, or if your joint is extremely degraded from arthritis or another cause, Dr. Raso may refer you for surgery. Joint replacement surgery, for instance, replaces parts of your diseased or degraded joint with a titanium and plastic prosthetic.
Get a diagnosis and treatment for your hip pain by contacting us at 561-264-2929.
