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Precision Diagnosis, Hip Arthritis Treatment, and More

The hip is not only one of your body’s biggest joints, but it is also one of the most essential to your mobility. When the hip joint experiences an injury or wear and tear over time, it can lead to pain, stiffness, and problems with range-of-motion. In turn, this may significantly impact the way you move, walk, and perform even the simplest tasks. Whether you need hip arthritis treatment, solutions to reduce hip joint pain, or a surgical option for addressing your symptoms, it is important to consult with an expert orthopedic physician.

At EmergeOrtho—Triangle Region, we have an entire team of board-certified, fellowship-trained surgeons who specialize in addressing hip conditions and injuries. Our hip experts explore all treatment options, utilizing advanced approaches to help patients find pain relief, restore mobility, and Emerge Stronger. Healthier. Better.

Precision Diagnosis, Hip Arthritis Treatment, and More

There are multiple conditions and injuries that affect the health and mobility of the hip. Being evaluated by a skilled and practiced subspecialty hip specialist for hip pain and other symptoms helps to ensure that you receive the correct diagnosis and treatment plan.

One common hip condition (and source of pain) is hip osteoarthritis. Also described as “wear-and-tear” arthritis, osteoarthritis of the hip typically happens as a result of the aging process. People age 50 and older are often more susceptible to developing the condition. Family history, previous hip injuries, obesity, and hip dysplasia (a congenital condition), are additional risk factors associated with hip osteoarthritis.

Symptoms of hip osteoarthritis can include:

  • Pain that starts in the groin and extends to the buttocks or knee
  • Pain that increases with activity
  • Hip stiffness
  • Hip joint locking, sticking and grinding with movement
  • Problems with range-of-motion in the hip
  • Difficulty walking and performing simple tasks without pain

Hip osteoarthritis, while common, is only one of many other hip conditions and injuries. Additional hip problems/diagnoses can include:

While hip injury symptoms vary, some of the side effects caused by the conditions above can include:

  • Pain that increases when the hip muscle is engaged
  • Pain at the hip point, often extending to the outer thigh (often indicates bursitis)
  • Pain that worsens at night
  • Pain that increases with movement after a period of rest
  • Pain that is sharp or intense
  • Swelling
  • Weakness
  • Mobility loss or difficulty

When it comes to hip osteoarthritis treatment or therapy for other hip conditions or injuries, conservative approaches are often similar and include:

  • Physical therapy, consisting of special exercises and stretches prescribed by a physical therapist, designed to strengthen the hip and improve flexibility.
  • Assistive devices such as crutches, a walker, or a cane to help reduce pain linked to certain movements.
  • Medications/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help alleviate pain and inflammation.
  • Lifestyle modifications that include weight loss and replacing high-impact exercises with low-impact activities to reduce stress on the hip joint.
  • Cortisone injections to reduce pain and inflammation.

When Hip Surgery is Needed

Although our EmergeOrtho—Triangle Region doctors are dedicated to exhausting all nonoperative treatment methods for hip conditions and injuries whenever possible, sometimes surgical intervention is recommended. If stiffness, mobility problems, pain, and swelling continue despite the aid of conservative approaches, or a hip diagnosis is severe, surgery may be suggested.

If your hip physician advises surgery, our fellowship-trained hip surgeons provide a variety of minimally-invasive and advanced surgical approaches and techniques, which include:

If you are experiencing symptoms of a hip condition or injury, request a consultation now. Or, please call us any time at 984.279.3659.

Find a Hip Specialist.