What is hip pain?
Your hip is a complex joint consisting of bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and bursae. The many components of your hip work together to support your mobility. Any injury or disease that affects the components that make up your hip may lead to hip pain.
What causes hip pain?
You may develop hip pain from an injury, overuse, or the general degenerative changes that occur as you get older. Some of the common causes of hip pain treated at Northern Virginia Orthopaedic Specialists include:
- Avascular necrosis of the hip
- Fracture
- Femoroacetabular impingement
- Labral tears of the hip
- Osteoarthritis of the hip
- Stress fracture of the hip
- Trochanteric bursitis of the hip
- Artificial hip dislocation
Though the causes of your hip pain vary, recovery can take time and requires expert management.
How is hip pain diagnosed?
Northern Virginia Orthopaedic Specialists conducts comprehensive evaluations when you come to the office with hip pain to ensure you get an accurate diagnosis. During the exam, your provider asks detailed questions about your symptoms, including location, type, and frequency of your pain. They also inquire about activities that worsen your pain.
Your provider then performs a physical exam, closely evaluating the structure and function of your hip to determine the cause of your pain. You may also require X-rays to confirm or rule out a suspected diagnosis, which you can conveniently take at the Northern Virginia Orthopaedic Specialists office.
What treatments can relieve my hip pain?
Treatment for your hip pain is individualized based on your diagnosis and symptoms. When possible, your provider at Northern Virginia Orthopaedic Specialists takes a conservative approach for managing your hip pain, which may include treatments such as:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Over-the-counter pain medication
- Physical therapy
- Cortisone injections
- Immobility or activity modification
If conservative measures fail to improve your hip pain or the cause of your hip pain benefits from it, your provider may recommend surgery. Northern Virginia Orthopaedic Specialists performs many hip procedures, often via minimally invasive techniques, including:
- Artificial joint replacement of the hip
- Compression fracture fixation for a fractured hip
- Hemiarthroplasty
- Hip arthroscopy
- Hip pinning surgery for a fractured hip
- Hip resurfacing arthroplasty
- MAKOplasty® robotic arm-assisted total hip arthroplasty
- Revision arthroplasty of the hip
- Trochanteric bursitis surgery
To help you recover from your hip surgery, your provider refers you to the in-house rehabilitation team.
For comprehensive management of your hip pain, call Northern Virginia Orthopaedic Specialists today.
