Are you suffering from hip pain?

If you are experiencing hip pain, nonsurgical treatments are your first line of defense. Whether your hip pain is chronic or temporary, relief is possible without going under the knife. In fact, there are several ways to treat hip pain without surgery. These include medication, injections, exercise, weight loss and physical therapy. Let’s go through each one to see how they can help.

Hip pain treatment without surgery

Hip pain can be caused by a number of factors, age and usage being large contributors. The pain can make simple tasks difficult and, left untreated, can quickly decrease your mobility and quality of life. The good news is there are methods to target and alleviate this pain. 

• Medication — Over-the-counter drugs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help reduce the pain if the cause is arthritis. If these do not work, a doctor can prescribe something stronger. In some cases, doctors recommend corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation.
• Exercise  — The goal of exercise for hip pain relief is to strengthen and increase the flexibility of the muscles around the hips. Water therapy is a great method of exercising as it decreases the stress on the joints while still targeting the problem areas. Different exercises can help reduce pain while some can actually make the pain worse. A trained physical therapist can help you determine which type of exercise is right for you.
• Losing weight — The hips carry your weight. The more weight you carry, the more stress is placed on them during activity. Dropping a few pounds will help alleviate hip pain without the need for surgery. Exercises to strengthen and increase the flexibility of your hips will help toward your weight loss goals. 

How physical therapy can help hip pain

Studies have shown that those who simply do exercises at home to reduce hip pain do not experience the same level of results as those who commit to physical therapy. Having a trained specialist guide you through targeted exercises greatly increases your chances for success.

The physical therapists at SSOR provide manual techniques that improve daily mobility and quality of life. Our specialists create individualized, holistic and multifaceted programs for each patient. Contact us today to learn how our certified physical therapists can help manage your hip pain treatment without surgery.