Orthopaedic surgeons at the University of Chicago Medicine provide innovative, comprehensive hip pain care. Our team uses the latest treatment approaches and technologies, which we tailor to each patient to treat hip pain, instability or disability. We offer non-operative, arthroscopic and joint replacement.

 

What causes pain in hips?

The hip joint is responsible for keeping your body upright and providing mobility. Hip pain can develop in the muscles, tendons, cartilage and more because the hip joint bares a lot of your body weight. Hip pain can be caused by pre-existing conditions, such as arthritis, an accident resulting in a fracture or a pinched nerve, as well as overuse/repetitive motion or a lack of activity. There are several reasons you could be feeling hip pain, and overtime, this hip pain can lead to:

  • Hip bursitis
  • Hip arthritis
  • Torn hip labrum
  • Hip fracture
  • Hip tendonitis
  • Dislocated hip
  • Hipe osteoarthritis
  • Hip displasia
  • Hip impingement
  • Pinched hip nerve
  • Hip flexor strain

Hip Pain Symptoms

With hip pain in or around the hip joint, the symptoms of a hip condition can vary depending on where the pain is and what triggered the pain. You should see a hip expert if you have one or more following symptoms:

  • Hip pain or groin pain
  • Swelling of the hip
  • Hip stiffness or hip aching
  • Weakness, instability or decreased flexibility of the hip
  • Changes in gait, such as limping while walking
  • Popping sound from the hip
  • Unable to bear weight on your leg comfortably 

Treatment for Hip Pain

Medical Management and Nonsurgical Hip Treatments

If you have persistent hip pain, it is important to consult a physician. An examination will help to determine what is causing the soreness, as hip pain can come from locations other than the hip, such as the spine, pelvis or leg. Common nonsurgical treatments for hip pain include:

  • NSAIDs. Anti-inflammatories, commonly known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (usually abbreviated as NSAIDs) are used primarily to treat mild to moderate hip pain.
  • Physical Therapy. Physical therapy is an integral part of managing hip pain. The hip joint is a very deep joint surrounded by many muscles. Physical therapy aims to strengthen these muscles, increase flexibility, maintain range of motion of the joint, and decrease associated inflammation.
  • Injections. Hip joint injections involve injecting medicine directly into the joint. Injections can help diagnose the source of pain and alleviate the discomfort. Cortisone is a common time-released injection that can help reduce inflammation and its associated pain.

Hip Preservation Treatments

For younger people with hip pain, eventual replacement of the joint is no longer a given. Our orthopaedic surgeons are skilled in the latest advancements in hip arthroscopy for soft tissue tears, dysplasia and abnormalities which can help patients with non-arthritic hip pain. This can relieve pain and preserve the natural joints in order to delay or avoid total hip replacement.

Hip preservation at UChicago Medicine focuses on the following tailored treatment for patients under 50 with hip pain:

  • Arthroscopy
  • Femoral and acetabular osteotomy (surgery to reshape the hip joint)
  • Cartilage restoration
  • Hip resurfacing
  • Hip replacement (arthoplasty)

Hip Replacement Surgery

At UChicago Medicine, orthopaedic surgeons are experts in hip arthroplasty and use less-invasive techniques to reconstruct diseased hip joints or bones. We are committed to providing innovative and effective treatments for patients who are suffering from severe hip pain or disability. We are extremely skilled in helping those experiencing discomfort due to:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Traumatic injury
  • Failed joint replacements
  • Deformities
  • Cancer

We perform a large volume of joint replacements every year. Our experience and expertise contributes to our patients’ excellent outcomes and low rate of complications.

In many cases, hip replacement surgery is performed with robotic-arm assisted technology, a technique that improves the accuracy of hip implant placement. We also preform anterior hip replacement surgery, a unique alternative approach that accessing the hip joint from the front, or anterior.

Recover Faster, Walk Sooner

Many of our patients are up and walking within a day of surgery. This quick recovery is due to a multifaceted program for hip arthroplasty that includes less invasive surgery, specialized anesthetic techniques, multi-modal pain management and rapid-recovery physical therapy.

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High Performing in Orthopaedics

According to U.S. News & World Report's 2024-25 Rankings

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High Performing in Hip Fracture

According to U.S. News & World Report's 2024-25 Rankings

Joint Replacement Education Class

There is wide range of specialists at the University of Chicago who specialize in simple arthritic issues, also complex arthritic issues, such as total hip and knee revisions, oncological issues, such as tumors of the bone, soft tissue tumors and more.

Meet Our Hip Care Team

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