What are the different types of hip pain?

Most patients experience hip pain in the groin or over the side of their hip. Initially, it will be provoked by weight-bearing activities but it can progress and be present at rest or even when trying to sleep at night. We’ve asked one of our leading orthopaedic surgeons, Mr Seb Surridge, about the different types of hip pain, from muscle tear to arthritis, and when a hip replacement might be necessary.

What are the different types of hip pain and how can they be managed?

Groin or ‘hip flexor’ related pain suggests a problem inside the hip joint, whereas pain around the side of your hip is usually due to the gluteal muscles and tendons, or the spine, and may well respond to physiotherapy.

Acute groin pain aggravated by exercise, twisting or sitting with the hip in flexion, for example, when driving, is most commonly due to a labral tear as a result of hip impingement. If this fails to respond to physiotherapy, keyhole hip surgery is a minimally invasive day case procedure which can help settle the symptoms.

More progressive chronic aching pain is typical of established arthritis where the smooth joint surface cartilage has been worn away, leaving bone rubbing on bone. This can radiate to the buttock, thigh, knee or even shin, and becomes increasingly disabling.

When would a hip replacement be recommended?

Typically patients present struggling to take exercise, work or even look after their children. Depending on the impact it is having on your quality of life, this may be better managed with a hip replacement. 

Hip replacements generally offer a predictable solution with excellent outcomes, and more recent advances mean that surgery can now be achieved with just a short admission and rapid return to work. Patients can expect to return to low impact exercise without difficulty, and most hip surgeons would now allow their patients to consider running.

Most patients hip symptoms fall somewhere on this spectrum of joint damage, and one of the skills of the treating hip surgeon is to be able to offer a solution with the most predictable outcome.

Mr Sturridge is highly-experienced in treating hip and groin pain as well as his other areas of expertise, such as knee surgery, sports injuries and joint replacement. You can book an appointment to see Mr Sturridge via his Top Doctor’s profile if you would like his expert opinion in your case.