7 Nonsurgical Treatments for Your Chronic Hip Pain

When you have hip pain, it often interferes with your day-to-day activities. Chronic hip pain can be a real problem and push you toward surgery as a last resort.

However, plenty of nonsurgical treatments may help you eliminate your pain without having to go under the knife.

If you’re tired of hip pain, Dr. Robere Missirian and the Vital Orthopedic and Spine Institute team provide effective therapies to help you overcome chronic hip pain. Dr. Missirian is an orthopedic specialist who takes the time to listen to your symptoms so he can provide you with a customized treatment plan.

Causes of chronic hip pain

You may have hip pain for a variety of reasons, not all of which are chronic issues. Sometimes, hip pain is something that pops up after a minor injury or a fall. However, if the pain sticks around, even after a few days of taking it easy, other issues could be brewing.

You need to know what’s causing the discomfort when you have hip pain to get the correct treatment. Three of the most common reasons behind hip pain are:

Arthritis

Several forms of arthritis may affect your hip joints, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis leads to the degeneration of the protective tissues within your hip joint. In contrast, rheumatoid arthritis results from a misunderstanding in your immune system.

Many forms of arthritis affect your hips, causing pain by damaging your joints.

Injuries

Hip injuries are another common cause of hip pain, especially if you’re older. Common hip injuries include dislocations, fractures, strains, and labral tears. If you suffer any of these injuries, permanent damage in your hip can follow, causing chronic hip pain.

Bursitis

Bursa sacs are filled with fluid and protect the bones in your joints from rubbing against the soft tissues in your body. These sacs can become inflamed from overuse or injury, causing pain and other symptoms in your hips.

Nonsurgical treatments for hip pain

You don’t have to undergo surgery when you suffer from chronic hip pain. Dr. Missirian offers several nonsurgical treatment options, allowing you to alleviate your pain and continue with your normal activities. Some of these treatment options include:

1. Physical therapy

Physical therapy is one of the first treatments Dr. Missirian suggests for chronic hip pain. You can undergo physical therapy by itself or in conjunction with other treatments.

The primary purpose of physical therapy is to decrease your pain by strengthening the muscles and structures that support your hip joint and providing you with exercises and stretches to ease your discomfort.

2. Pain medications

When you have chronic hip pain, Dr. Missirian suggests taking over-the-counter pain medications to relieve inflammation in your hip.

He may also offer you prescription pain medications on a short-term basis to control most of your discomfort so you can move toward other treatments.

3. Steroid injections

Corticosteroid injections are powerful anti-inflammatory medications Dr. Missirian injects into your hip for chronic pain. If you have arthritis or another inflammatory issue, steroid injections offer long-term relief from hip discomfort.

4. Regenerative medicine

Dr. Missirian uses several types of regenerative medicine to rejuvenate tissues in your joints. PRP, platelet-rich plasma, and stem cell injections are successful regenerative medicine treatments that can heal your hip discomfort.

PRP and stem cell therapy use your own cells to trigger your body’s healing response. PRP contains influential growth factors, while stem cells can turn into any cell your body needs, including cartilage and bone cells.

5. Lifestyle modifications

Dr. Missirian may recommend some lifestyle modifications to ease your hip pain. For example, if you’re overweight, simply losing a few pounds reduces stress on your hips, decreasing pain and your risk for osteoarthritis.

Low-impact exercises are also a way to modify physical activity, and they’re easier on your joints than of high-impact activities like running or jumping.

6. Supportive devices

Supportive devices can be extremely helpful in treating hip pain. If you’re walking unevenly, shoe inserts help even your step out to reduce stress on your hip joint. A cane or walker may also help reduce pressure on your hip.

7. Rehabilitative exercise

An exercise routine is a great way to decrease your hip pain while improving your balance and muscle strength, especially around your hip joint. Dr. Missirian provides low-impact exercises that benefit your hip joint and ultimately decrease your chronic hip pain.

To find out more about our nonsurgical hip treatments, call one of our conveniently located offices in Fort Myers, Hollywood, Lake Worth, or Pompano Beach, Florida, today to book an appointment. You can also request a consultation online.