Hip Pain: When Is It Time to Seek Care?
Hip pain can make even simple activities—walking, climbing stairs, getting out of a chair, exercising, or sleeping comfortably—more difficult. While occasional soreness may improve with rest and activity modification, persistent or worsening hip pain may be a sign that it is time to seek medical care. At SJPS, our goal is to identify the root of your pain and develop a treatment plan that helps you get back to the things you enjoy.
What Can Cause Hip Pain?
The hip is a complex area, and pain that feels like it is coming from the hip does not always originate in the hip joint itself. Problems involving the lower back, nerves, sacroiliac (SI) joint, muscles, tendons, or surrounding structures can all contribute to pain around the hip.
Common causes may include:
- Arthritis and joint degeneration
- Bursitis or inflammation
- Muscle or tendon injuries
- Overuse or repetitive activity
- Nerve irritation
- Conditions involving the lumbar spine
Because several conditions can produce similar symptoms, determining the source of the pain is an important first step toward effective treatment.
When Should You Seek Care for Hip Pain?
Mild discomfort after increased activity may improve with rest, but hip pain should not continually interfere with your quality of life and should not be accompanied by numbness, tingling, or weakness.
Consider scheduling an evaluation when:
- Lasts more than a few weeks or continues to worsen
- Makes walking, standing, climbing stairs, or getting up from a chair difficult
- Interferes with work, exercise, sleep, or everyday activities
- Spreads into the buttock, thigh, or leg
- Is accompanied by numbness, tingling, weakness, or instability
- Does not improve with rest or other conservative treatments
Could Your Hip Pain Actually Be Coming From Your Back?
Hip pain does not always originate from the hip joint itself. Problems involving the lumbar spine or sacroiliac (SI) joint can cause pain that travels into the hip, buttock, thigh, or leg. Symptoms such as hip or buttock pain, thigh pain or numbness, leg weakness, or discomfort when sitting or standing from a seated position may indicate that another area is contributing to your pain.
How Is Hip Pain Evaluated?
Your provider will review your symptoms, medical history, previous treatments, and how the pain affects your daily activities. A physical examination can help determine whether the pain appears to originate from the hip, SI joint, lumbar spine, or another structure. Depending on your symptoms, imaging or other diagnostic testing may also be recommended.
What Treatments Are Available?
Treatment depends on what is causing your hip pain rather than the symptom alone. Your individualized plan may include conservative care, medication management, physical therapy, or minimally invasive interventional pain procedures.
For pain associated with the SI joint or surrounding spine, SJPS offers treatment options that may include:
- Sacroiliac joint injections
- Epidural steroid injections
- Facet joint injections
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
- Lumbar epidural steroid injections
- Transforaminal epidural steroid injections
- Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS)
- Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) or other advanced therapies when clinically appropriate
The appropriate treatment depends on your diagnosis, symptoms, medical history, and response to previous care.
Don’t Let Hip Pain Limit Your Life
Hip pain can gradually change the way you move, sleep, work, and participate in the activities you enjoy. If your pain is persistent, worsening, or interfering with your daily routine, it may be time to find out what is causing it.
Stop living around your pain. Start exploring your options for relief. Contact Spine & Joint Pain Specialists to request an appointment at one of our convenient San Antonio or Schertz locations and start getting back to life.