joint. The "ball part of the joint is the top part of the thigh bone. It is the femoral head. The "socket" is a part of the pelvic bone. There are many muscles and tendons that attach on and around these bones. There are also bands of strong tissue that connect the bones together. These are ligaments. Cartilage is a smooth tissue that covers the bones inside of the hip joint. It lets the hip joint glide more easily. Sometimes, you have an injury to one of these parts of the hip joint. It may be inside of the joint or around the joint. This can lead to hip pain. You may feel hip pain on the outside of the hip. You may also feel it on the inside near the groin area. ‚
View OriginalView Original
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Rest. Allow your injury to heal before you do slow movements.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Prop your hip on pillows to help with swelling.
- Heat may be used later but not right away. Heat can make swelling worse. If your doctor tells you to use heat, put a heating pad on the painful part for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never go to sleep with a heating pad on as this can cause burns.
- Crutches, a cane, or walker may help take pressure off your injured hip when walking.
- Padding, brace, or compression wraps or shorts may help lessen swelling.
- Exercises
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. You doctor may send you to a specialist called an orthopedic doctor. Your doctor may also send you to physical therapy or a chiropractor for treatments and to learn exercises to help lessen your pain. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling, like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). These are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
- Help with pain, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Fight an infection
The doctor may give you a shot of an anti-inflammatory drug called a corticosteroid. This will help with swelling. Talk with your doctor about the risks of this shot. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest your hip for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. If you run, work out, or play sports, you may not be able to do those things until your health problem gets better. ‚
What problems could happen?
If you need surgery for a bone break or some other problem in your hip, these problems could happen: ‚
- Infection
- Lung infection called pneumonia
- Blood clot or deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Talk to your doctor about how to prevent these problems if you have had surgery. ‚
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
- Keep a healthy weight so there is not extra stress on your joints. This makes it more likely to be hurt.
- Stand with your weight equal on both legs.
- Bend your knees when you lift to avoid extra pressure off your hips.
- Wear the right equipment when playing sports. This includes protective equipment and padding.
- Warm up slowly and stretch before you work out. Use good ways to train, such as slowly adding to how far you run. Do not work out if you are overly tired. Take extra care if working out in cold weather.
- Wear supportive shoes. If your feet are flat, talk with your doctor about getting inserts or orthotics for your shoes.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Trouble walking
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Helpful tips
If you have hip pain: ‚
- Take breaks often when doing things that use repeated movements.
- Try to limit working in a stooped position.
- Do not sit or lie in one position for a long time. Do not lie on your painful hip. Use a pillow between your legs if you lie on your side.
- Avoid activities that put a lot of stress on your hip joints. These are ones with a lot of twisting, bending, running, and jumping. Also stay away from those with a lot of sudden stopping and starting. Sports like basketball and tennis can put stress on your hip joints. Better sports if you have hip pain are swimming or bicycling.
- Try to go up and down stairs as little as possible.
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my pain.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do to help prevent pain in the future.
Where can I learn more?
Better Health Channel ‚
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Hips_explained ‚
NHS Choices ‚
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-hip/Pages/Introduction.aspx ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚