Non-Surgical Treatments for Hip Pain

When you’re dealing with hip pain and the way it’s slowing you down, surgery isn’t always the answer. After a thorough diagnosis to determine the cause of your hip pain, our orthopaedic specialists look at non-surgical options first when developing treatment recommendations. If a non-surgical treatment can provide the pain relief you need to move more comfortably and do the things that are important to you, that’s always our first choice.

There are different causes of hip pain. Non-surgical treatments are most effective for early-stage arthritis and over-use conditions such as bursitis and tendonitis. You don’t necessarily get immediate pain relief from all non-surgical options. It often takes time for the treatment to relieve your pain. Your doctor will talk with you about what to expect. 

Exercise and Physical Therapy

Exercise may seem like the last thing you want to do when you have hip pain, but it can be one of your best defenses to relieve the pain that’s slowing you down. A rehabilitation specialist designs exercise and physical therapy plans that help strengthen the muscles around the hip, which will help stabilize and protect the joint. Including movement and stretching to increase your flexibility will relieve stiffness and improve your range of motion.

Anti-inflammatory medications

Inflammation in the hip joint is the main cause of pain from arthritis and over-use conditions. Anti-inflammatories, also known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) can help relieve mild to moderate pain caused by inflammation.

Injections

A corticosteroid is a prescription medication for inflammation. Getting a steroid injection directly into a painful hip joint can give you relief for several weeks to several months. Our doctors use high-resolution ultrasound equipment to help guide the needle to the area of inflammation. Ultrasound-guided injections help them target the medication precisely for more effective relief.

Contact Us

Are you ready to treat your hip pain? Schedule an appointment with our Sports Medicine physicians for a treatment plan tailored to you. Call (859) 212-5600 to make an appointment. 

If surgical options are necessary, our physicians can provide a referral to one of our affiliated orthopaedic surgeons.