The Truth About Complex Hip Pain
Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Treatments
Post hip surgery, you may experience some degree of complex hip pain. This type of pain isn’t necessarily related to damage or injury to your hip joint but may be caused by other factors, such as misalignment or tightness in your muscles, ligaments, and tendons supporting the joint. Complex hip pain can occur after any type of major surgery on the hips or pelvis, including total hip replacement and revision surgeries, among others. Physical therapy can help solve this pain and get you back to enjoying your hobbies!
What are the main causes of complex hip pain?
Many experts believe that complex hip pain is caused by a combination of underlying issues. But what exactly are these causes? The most common reason for complex hip pain is inflammation in the joints. Osteoarthritis, which develops over time and is often referred to as wear-and-tear arthritis, can cause stiffness or soreness in your hips. If you have osteoarthritis, it’s likely you’ll also experience joint pain or discomfort throughout other parts of your body, including your knees and lower back. In addition to causing pain and swelling in your joints, osteoarthritis can also limit mobility and make everyday tasks like walking up stairs difficult. Other causes of complex hip pain include bursitis (inflammation in one or more bursae), tendinitis (inflammation of a tendon), rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease that affects multiple joints), gout (caused by uric acid crystals in your blood) and slipped capital femoral epiphysis (when growth plates become loose).
What should you expect when seeking treatment for your condition?
It is important to talk with your physical therapist about what you should expect when seeking treatment for complex hip pain. Your PT will want to know your symptoms and how they affect your quality of life. He or she will likely recommend a range of possible treatments. Once you’ve developed a game plan, stick with it. It may take time for your body to respond to treatment—it can even be a matter of weeks—so stay positive during these initial stages.
How do PTs diagnose and treat patients with complex hip pain?
Before diving into treatment options for complex hip pain, it’s important to diagnose a patient as accurately as possible. In order to properly treat patients with complex hip pain conditions, therapists have developed a number of effective diagnostic tools. By performing specific tests, physical therapists can determine if there are any issues present in your hips. If you are experiencing complex hip pain symptoms like groin pain or groin tightness, it’s important to get checked out right away!
How Pinnacle Physical Therapy Can Help
Our goal is a long-term recovery, and we’ll do everything we can to achieve it—which might mean some discomfort today but a whole lot of relief tomorrow. We want to help you reach your goals, whether they include returning to your old self or helping you try something new. Schedule an evaluation and see how we can help with all types of complex hip pain.