Hip Pain and Hip Health

The proper treatment for your hip pain depends on the specific cause of the pain. Your doctor will be able to help diagnose the cause of your pain and choose the best treatment plan available. The most common forms of treatment for hip pain are medication, physical therapy, and surgery.

Medication

Pain relief medications come in different forms and strengths. All medications have side effects, and many pain-relieving medications can be highly addictive. Speak with your doctor about what side effects you can expect from the medications you are taking.

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications include:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol, aspirin-free Excedrin). Acetaminophen works on the parts of the brain that receive the “pain messages.”
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil) or naproxen (Aleve and Naprosyn). NSAIDs also reduce inflammation (swelling and irritation) and are also available in prescription strength.
• Topical pain relievers are also available without a doctor’s prescription. These products include creams, lotions, or sprays that are applied to the skin in order to relieve pain from sore muscles and arthritis. Topical pain relievers may be especially effective in dealing with the pain of arthritis in joints (including knee) back pain, and even headache pain. These include:
  • Counterirritants, such as menthol and camphor, which create a burning or cooling sensation to distract from the pain
  • Salicylates, which relieve pain using the same ingredients as aspirin.
  • Capsaicin, the substance responsible for the spice of hot chili peppers, which relieves pain topically in an unknown manner.

Prescription pain relievers include:

• Corticosteroids. Prescription corticosteroids provide relief for inflamed areas of the body by easing swelling, redness, itching, and allergic reactions. These include:
  • Bethamethasone (Celestone)
  • Prednisone

• Opioids. These are narcotic pain medications that contain natural, synthetic or semi-synthetic opiates. Opioids are often used for acute pain, such as short-term pain after surgery. MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of medicine warns that these drugs can be abused, can be addictive, and have been associated with accidental overdose deaths. Always take opioids precisely as prescribed.  Typically, prescriptions should not last more than three or four months:
  • Codeine
  • Fentanyl (Duragesic) — available as a transdermal patch
  • Hydrocodone (Vicodin)
  • Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
  • Meperidine (Demerol)
  • Morphine (MS Contin)
  • Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet, Percodan)
  • Tramadol (Ultram)

Surgery may be necessary for patients experiencing chronic hip pain or for those who do not experience relief with other treatment methods.

In some cases, arthroplasty, or hip replacement, may be necessary. In arthroplasty, damaged or diseased areas of the hip are removed and replaced with artificial parts. Provided the surgery is successful, the artificial parts decrease pain and allow for increased mobility. The success rate for hip replacement surgery is very high, with only 3-5% of patients requiring re-operation in the first ten years after surgery. Artificial hips are also extremely durable, lasting on average thirty years before requiring replacement. In rare cases, arthroplasty can lead to infection, blood clots, and abnormal bone growth. Talk to your doctor about whether or not arthroplasty is right for you.

Physical therapy is a necessity after many surgical procedures to help regain strength and mobility of the hip. It can also help reduce pain and increase mobility for patients experiencing hip pain who have not undergone surgery.  

Walking aides such as canes and walkers may be prescribed temporarily after surgery during rehabilitation periods, or as permanent aides to take weight off the hip joint and reduce pain.