Note from Dr. Elena – As a doctor of physical therapy that has been caring for patients for over a decade, and has experienced hip pain myself as a professional dancer, I know how debilitating hip pain can be. As such, I wanted to provide some quick answers to common questions my patients have asked me over the years.
If you need help, my practice, Prime Fitness Physical Therapy is located here in Brighton Beach – please don’t hesitate to call (718) 676-4112.
For more information about my hip specialization, please visit my hip pain treatment page.
Can Hip Pain Be Cured Without Surgery?
Hip pain is a symptom oftentimes of muscle, joint, or supporting soft tissue dysfunction. Clinical research papers have concluded that while x-rays and MRI tests may show abnormalities, conservative care consisting of:
- Therapeutic strengthening exercises,
- Mobility & range of motion exercises,
- Hands-on manual therapy, and
- Activity modification…
…can regularly result in pain-free movement and recovery of the ability to perform daily activities. This being the case, if you are looking for conservative, natural treatment – physical therapy is your best choice and should be your first choice.
Can Hip Pain Be Dangerous?
There are instances where hip pain can be dangerous. It is rare though. It’s common to assume that there is something seriously wrong if you have serious hip pain. In most cases though, hip pain is not dangerous. Infections, blood vessel problems, and fractures, and neoplasms are all serious but rare causes of hip pain. If you are experiencing discomfort in or around your hip, don’t wait around – schedule a visit with our doctor of physical therapy at Prime Fitness Physical Therapy in Brooklyn (Brighton Beach). We specialize in hip pain treatment.
Can Hip Pain Be Hereditary?
There is some clinical research suggesting that certain types of hip pain caused by various forms of arthritis may be hereditary in nature. As experts in treating the physical limitations associated with these types hip pain, it’s almost always a great idea to see a physical therapist. We will evaluate you, create a custom treatment plan, and if necessary refer you to a medical doctor.
Can Hip Pain Be From The Back?
A quick question. If we ask you where pain in the hip is, would you say the front, back, inside, or outside of the hip? The point is that pain around that hip can vary and so can the causes of hip pain. Soft tissue injuries to the lower back can be a cause referred pain. Therefore, pain in the back of the hip (i.e. your gluteal region) or the outside of your hip may be coming from the lower spinal segments (L4-L5 or L5-S1) – it’s pretty common. We have the capability, with clinical tests, to determine the probably cause and then provide natural treatment for the lower back and associated referred hip pain.
Can Hip Pain Be Severe?
Absolutely! The good news is that in most cases the severe pain can be resolved when the dysfunctions of the hip are addressed – weakness, compensations, limited range of motion, changes in the way you walk and/or the addition of an assistive device (a cane or a walker). It all starts with a thorough initial evaluation.
How Do Doctors Treat A Broken Hip?
Broken hips are addressed in a number of different ways. First, it depends on the severity of the fracture and location of the injury. If the fracture is below the surgical neck of the femur and is a partial breaks, it may be left to heal on its own. If the break is at the anatomical neck or the femur, blood supply may be interrupted an surgery is the only option. The type of surgery will vary but hip screws, pins, and even a total hip replacement are all possibilities with the surgical treatment of a hip fracture.
How Do Doctors Treat Hip Pain?
It depends on the type of doctor. Your general practitioner usually treats you with a “watch & wait” (which means do nothing) approach and medications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are common. A surgeon is going to address a hip problem, in many cases with surgery.
There is a better option – seeing one of our hip physical therapy treatment specialists in our Brooklyn office. We will treat the underlying causes of the pain, which are often weakness and abnormal compensations, or even overuse.
What does a physical therapist do during the first visit?
The first step is a thorough initial evaluation. A detailed health history and list of current complaints and challenges with daily activities will be discussed. Patient goals are identified as well. This is followed by an in-depth physical examination. Special clinical tests, strength, range of motion, walking patterns, and more are examined. From this discussion and examination a personalized treatment plan is developed to help a patient reach their goals.
What does hip pain physical therapy consist of?
Physical therapy for hip pain depends on the diagnosis, patient goals, restrictions, dysfunction, and level of pain. Generally, pain is addressed with hands-on techniques and modalities (ice, heat, electrical stimulation, etc.). Here’s more information about hip pain treatment approach by Dr. Elena Vaynshtok and why many consider her as one of the top providers of hip pain treatment in Brooklyn.
Next motion is introduced – this may include joint mobilizations to loosen a stiff hip capsule, passive range of motion, active-assisted range of motion, and active range of motion exercises. Stationary cycling is often an excellent modality to improve hip range of motion (and later on, hip muscle endurance). During this time, the hip physical therapy treatment will include modification or the reintroduction of movements routinely performed during the day.
Third, progressive strengthening is introduced. This may start with simple leg raise exercises, then progress to resisted therapy bands and progressively increased resistance training.
Finally, functional movements added. This might be walking up/down hills, jogging, sports training, practicing stairs or uneven surfaces, and transitioning a patient to recreational activities or health club exercises.
How many visits will I need?
The number of hip physical therapy visits you will need is highly variable. We’ve seen patients for as little as 1-2 visits to simply provide them with expert home program advice; others may need 10-20 visits if they are suffering with complex or chronic/long-term pain. The goals are more than diminishing pain, we also want to help you get back to the things that matter most to you.
How do I transition to doing this myself?
Our hip physical therapist specialists here at the Brooklyn office, will help you transition to an independent program. It might be as simple as sharing a list of gym exercises, having you try them out and providing us feedback, or we might even accompany you to your health club for instruction. A safe, fast, and easy transition is the goal.
Where should I go for hip pain treatment?
There are a number of options when it comes to hip pain treatment. The doctors of physical therapy at Prime Fitness Physical Therapy have years of experience treating hip pain. We’re biased, but we think you should come to us if you are looking for hip pain physical therapy in Brooklyn (specifically, we’re located in Brighton Beach).
Is there a permanent solution for hip pain?
Maybe. It depends on your problems. There’s no cure for hip osteoarthritis but physical therapy for hip osteoarthritis can be very effective. When a patient gets an arthritic hip moving, works on strengthening the muscles around the hip joint, and stabilizies the hip, the patient may experience long-term relief.
Where should I go for hip pain treatment?
There are a number of options when it comes to hip pain treatment. The doctors of physical therapy at Prime Fitness Physical Therapy have years of experience treating hip pain. We’re biased, but we think you should come to us if you are looking for hip pain physical therapy in Brooklyn (specifically, we’re located in Brighton Beach).
Is there a permanent solution for hip pain?
Maybe. It depends on your problems. There’s no cure for hip osteoarthritis but physical therapy for hip osteoarthritis can be very effective. When a patient gets an arthritic hip moving, works on strengthening the muscles around the hip joint, and stabilizies the hip, the patient may experience long-term relief.
We’ve had similar experiences working with a number of other hip pain diagnoses as well. We recommend you come in for a physical therapy evaluation so we can address your specific needs and let you know if we can provide you with a permanent solution to your hip pain.
Can Hip Pain be Treated Without Surgery?
Yes, hip pain can be treated without surgery in many cases. As mentioned above, certain hip fractures, serious infections that have damaged the femoral head and the socket called the acetabulum, may require surgery. Degenerative or inflammatory arthritis may require surgery as well. Again, most hip pain that is not the result of a trauma, can be treated very effectively with conservative/natural care provided by our hip pain physical therapy clinicians.
What is Femoral Acetabular Impingement (FAI) and can physical therapy help?
Femoral Acetabular Impingement (FAI) is a diagnosis of the hip joint. During growth and development or as the result of a trauma, extra bone grows occurs on one or both bones that form the hip joint. When this happens, the joint takes on an abnormally irregular shape. Because they do not fit together properly, the bones rub against each, and can pinch (i.e. that’s why it’s called “impingement”) the ring of cartilage around the hip socket during movement. When this happens repeatedly, the friction can damage the joint, causing pain, limited mobility, and restrictions in daily recreation and activities.
If you’re looking for hip physical therapy in Brooklyn, Dr. Elena Vaynshtok, PT is an expert at providing natural, hands-on care for FAI. By restoring mobility, strength, proper hip biomechanics, patients often can avoid more aggressive care like injections or arthroscopic surgery.
Why Hip Pain After Knee Replacement?
Hip pain after a replacement is common because the hip replacement surgery requires that a number of soft tissue structures and bone be cut through, stretched out, or removed. The good news is that once the surgical pain subsides, in most cases the hip pain will be significantly reduced. Physical therapist directed care to help recover strength and stability of the hip can be very helpful.
Will I need Physical Therapy After a Hip Replacement?
The answer is that it will vary. If you’ve had years of pain and limitations, then physical therapy can help get back on the path to a pain-free lifestyle. We commonly teach patients, in our hip pain treatment clinic in Brighton Beach, how to walk properly again, how to retrain the muscles surrounding the hip joint, and how to move without the risk of damaging the hip prosthesis (the medical device that is implanted in the hip).
It should be noted that some clinical research suggests that patients don’t need physical therapy after surgery. In our experience it depends. If you were active before surgery, intend to return to a health club and recover your strength on your own, you may not need more than one or two PT visits. However, if you were sedentary, don’t exercise, suffered with pain for many years, and want help to reach your full post-surgery potential, then we recommend you have a consultation with one of our hip physical therapy specialists at Prime Fitness Physical Therapy.
Why Hip Pain Comes And Goes?
There’s no easy answer to this. Some report that hip pain comes and goes depending on the weather. Others feel their hip pain concurrently when they are ill with a cold, flu, or other disease. First, if you have arthritis in the hip that comes and goes, it is often related to your level of activity. If you walk, climb stairs or are on your feet more than usual, an arthritic hip may hurt…and this pain may go away as well. It’s always a good idea to maintain the strength, range of motion, and endurance of your hip, knee, and lower back muscles. Maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce the risk of hip pain returning too. If you have hip pain that comes and goes – contact us – chances are we can help. To learn more about the best hip pain treatment program here in Brooklyn, click here.
