Hip Replacement? You May Have Other Options First

Chronic hip pain can sap all of the fun out of life by preventing you from taking part in activities you enjoy. For some people, relief may only come from a hip replacement.

But that’s not the only option for your pain. There are other, more conservative options that could help you regain your mobility and the freedom that comes with it.

Pinpointing the source of your discomfort is the key to evaluating your options.

Why Does My Hip Hurt?

There are several potential issues that could be causing your pain. A thorough physical evaluation, along with X-rays, can help your doctor develop a diagnosis of what’s going on with your hip and surrounding areas. Among the potential issues:

• Arthritis: The most common form of the disease is osteoarthritis, a slow-developing condition that erodes the cartilage that covers the ends of your bones where they form a joint. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, loss of flexibility and a grating sensation when the bones in the joint move against each other.
• Bursitis: This is swelling in one of the small fluid-filled sacs (bursa) that provides a cushion around your bones. Hip bursitis occurs when your hip bursa is irritated.
• Injury: There are many ways to hurt your hips. Dancers and athletes who move their hips in all directions are more likely to suffer these injuries. For non-athletes, car accidents and falls are common culprits.
• Repetitive strain: Repeated activities can put strain on the muscles, tendons and ligaments around your hips, causing inflammation, pain and stiffness.
• Referred pain: Pain in your hip is sometimes a symptom of trouble elsewhere. For example, spinal disk problems – including pinched nerves – can create pain in your hip.

Try Conservative Approach

Depending on the source of your pain, treatment may start with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and over-the-counter pain medications. These treatments may be able to keep the inflammation in check and provide enough pain relief to get you active again. Steroids may also be injected into the joint for a stronger approach to taming inflammation.

You may benefit from working with a physical therapist. Stretching exercises can increase the mobility of your joint, while strengthening exercises can reinforce the muscles that contribute to the movement of your hip. Specific exercise will vary, based on your condition. But a therapist may also recommend gentle aerobic exercises, including walking, swimming, yoga or Tai Chi.

There also may be minimally invasive surgical options for younger patients who are dealing with hip pain related to sports injuries, trauma or structural problems from birth. Arthroscopic procedures may be able to address conditions such as labral tears or hip impingement before they have a chance to become arthritic and more difficult to treat.

That’s why it’s important to let your doctor know if you have chronic pain or stiffness in your hip. For some conditions, earlier treatment may offer a much better outlook.

Knowing When It’s Time

Deciding when it’s time for a hip replacement is completely in your hands. If you have tried all of the more conservative treatment options without success, you’ll have to decide whether the pain is keeping you from living a fulfilling life.

Are you able pick up your grandkids? Can you walk around the neighborhood with your spouse? Are you an avid golfer who can no longer hit the links? Can you ride a bicycle? Is it difficult to get out of your chair?

If you are dealing with arthritis, the pain and stiffness may likely become worse over time as the joint continues to degrade. The only definitive treatment in that scenario that restores function and relieves pain is a hip replacement.

Ultimately, this is a lifestyle choice. No one absolutely needs a hip replacement. But you will know it’s time when your willingness to undergo an invasive procedure is greater than the discomfort you feel about sacrificing your quality of life.

The good news, however, is that hip replacements have come a long way in the past decade. Long hospital stays and extended periods of immobility are gone. In many cases, patients leave the hospital the same day and start walking – with a therapist’s assistance – within a few hours of the procedure.