If one or both of your hips is in constant pain, you might find it difficult to walk and stand. Your daily quality of life could be greatly affected. Additionally, an uneven gait due to hip pain could affect other parts of your musculoskeletal system. Truly, persistent hip pain should not be ignored! What is the best solution for this problem? That depends on what is causing it. This blog post discusses common causes of hip pain and a few potential ways to treat it.
What Causes Hip Pain?
There are multiple potential causes of chronic hip pain, including:
- Osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that reduces the amount of cartilage around the joint.
- Injuries, such as from overuse or accidents.
- Labral tears, tears in the rim of cartilage around the hip joint.
- Impingement, which occurs when the pelvis and hip bones rub against one another.
Treating Hip Pain
There are a number of methods that can be used to reduce or possibly eliminate hip pain:
Home Remedies
Careful exercises, ice, and other home remedies can reduce hip pain. However, they are usually not a long-term solution. If your hip pain is severe or prolonged, it would be best to consult a doctor.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can help to strengthen your joints and improve flexibility. Your therapist may encourage you to perform some specific exercises at home in order to optimize your results.
Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT)
OMT involves careful, planned manipulation of the body in order to promote strength, flexibility, mobility, and pain relief. On the surface, it can look similar to physical therapy or chiropractic (which may also help with hip pain).
Corticosteroid Injections
These injections can relieve inflammation and joint pain for months at a time. However, they do not promote long-term healing.
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine often involves the use of specific types of injections to encourage healing of damaged tissues. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), stem cells, and prolotherapy all fall into the category of regenerative medicine.
Surgery
In some cases, full or partial joint replacement is the best way to provide long-term relief from hip pain. However, surgical intervention is usually viewed as a last result.
Which Pain Relief Method Is Best for You?
A qualified doctor is the best person to help you determine how you should approach your hip pain. Their recommendation will depend on the cause of your pain, its severity, and your personal preferences. Typically, it is best to start with conservative options. If they prove to be inadequate, you may consider more extensive therapies.
Hip pain can be complex, and fixing it is not always fast or easy. However, with the help of a qualified medical team, there is hope that you can enjoy improved mobility and an increased quality of life!
Meet the Practice
Dr. Paul Tortland is an orthopedic physician with extensive experience in regenerative medicine and sports medicine. He offers a broad range of treatments for hip pain relief, including precise regenerative medicine injections. If you would like to consult with him about your condition, our team would be pleased to serve you. Contact our Glastonbury office at 860-430-9690.