The hip joint is a ball and socket joint: the ball, or femoral head, is at the upper end of the thigh bone (femur) and fits into a socket (acetabulum). A thick cushion of cartilage covers the ball and lines the socket, allowing the ball to move easily. When the coating of cartilage is damaged or worn out, it cannot repair itself.
Expert Hip Specialists in Wake County
The hip specialists at Raleigh Orthopaedic include Dr. Albright, Dr. Barker, Dr. Chiavetta, Dr. Eskildsen, Dr. James, Dr. McNabb, Dr. Quinlan, Dr. Vaughn, Dr. Watters, and Dr. Wyker, who are trained to diagnose causes of hip pain and treat minor injuries, as well as perform total joint replacement procedures in Wake County.
While the hip may be the most flexible, free-moving joint in the body, chronic or acute hip pain can make your life miserable, causing daily activities to become more difficult. Since many factors can lead to hip pain, prompt treatment is essential for your orthopedic well-being. Our hip specialists are available at all of our clinics in Wake County, NC and are ready to serve you.
Common Hip Issues Treated at Raleigh Orthopaedic
Our Raleigh Orthopaedic specialists regularly diagnose and treat injuries and conditions of the hip in patients of all ages. Whether you have sustained a hip injury while playing a sport or you have been grappling with a chronic hip condition for years, our specialists will work with you to tackle your pain and help you start living and moving more comfortably. We utilize the cutting edge tools and techniques to diagnose orthopedic hip problems, and from there, create personalized treatment plans for each patient. Common hip injuries and conditions we treat in Wake County include:
Types of Hip Pain
Hip pain can present in several ways. For some, it might be a dull ache that intensifies with movement or pressure. In other cases, pain and discomfort may be most intense when you lie on your side. In general, though, hip pain is categorized into three different types, each caused by different factors.
Hip flexor pain usually occurs on the outside of the hip, down the upper thigh, or along the buttocks. Usually, this pain is caused by a soft tissue injury involving the muscles, ligaments, or tendons. Hip flexor pain may also be caused by tendonitis.
This type of hip pain normally feels more deeply rooted than hip flexor pain. Hip joint pain will mostly occur on the inside of your hip or groin region. This pain is normally rooted in an injury or deterioration of the hip labrum, which is a band of cartilage-like tissue that lines the outer part of the hip socket.
Certain nerves that travel through the body can cause pain in the hip despite being located in a different part of the body. These cases of referred pain can be caused by several factors, such as lower back pain, pinched nerves, herniated discs, diabetes, and cancer.
Most patients who experience hip pain will never need surgery on their hip. Instead, a more conservative treatment plan will be assigned that will provide a less invasive solution with the best long-term outcome. Your treatment plan for hip pain may include:
- Altering or reducing your current activity workload.
- The use of crutches, a cane, or other assistive device.
- Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation (RICE), which is a treatment plan that any young athlete should be familiar with.
- Physical therapy, which is a strong option for those with hip trouble. It will enable you to gain long-term knowledge, as well as serve as a treatment technique to help strengthen and improve your hip’s flexibility.
- Over-the-counter or prescription medication to address pain.
Hip Surgery in Raleigh
At Raleigh Orthopaedic, our board-certified, fellowship-trained surgeons are skilled in several approaches to addressing hip pain and related symptoms. Hip procedures we often perform for athletes and non-athletes alike in Wake County include:
Utilizing small surgical cameras and tools, a hip arthroscopy will allow for minimally-invasive repair of the hip joint. Your surgeon can use this method of surgery to look for further damage in the hip area as well. A common use of arthroscopy is to repair a torn hip labrum. Arthroscopic surgery provides patients with a wide range of benefits, including smaller incisions, less post-operative pain, and a shorter recovery time.
More invasive than arthroscopic surgery, open hip surgery may be done to implant screws in the case of a fracture. In the case of severe osteoarthritic deterioration, your doctor may also use open hip surgery to perform a hip replacement. Our total joint specialists at Raleigh Orthopaedic are well-versed in both knee and hip replacements and will be happy to answer any questions you have about the procedure that is recommended to you.
Hip replacements will likely need to be replaced again after several years. In rare cases, a patient may also have a less than stellar result, which can cause the continuation of pain and discomfort in the hip. In either case, hip replacement revisions will typically be undertaken by Raleigh Orthopaedic surgeons to improve your long-term outcome and help you live life with less pain. Adjustments or total replacement of the prosthesis may be supported by utilizing specialized implants to help compensate for any additional damage to the bone or soft tissue.
Hip Specialists at Raleigh Orthopaedic
Choose Raleigh Orthopaedic as your official orthopedic care provider. We are proud to diagnose and treat hip-related injuries and conditions to help our patients live more comfortable lives. Learn more about our hip specialists below, and contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Hip Pain Clinics in Wake County
Raleigh Orthopaedic provides treatment for hip pain at several orthopedic clinics in the Triangle area. Our clinics can be found in Cary, Garner, Holly Springs, Raleigh, Wakefield, and West Cary-Panther Creek. For those in need of hip surgery, we have two surgery centers in Raleigh and Panther Creek.
Additional Information for Your Hip Appointment
- Aetna / Coventry
- Alignment HC
- Blue Cross
- Cigna
- Humana
- Humana Military/ Tricare East
- MedCost
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Multiplan / PHCS
- Prime Health
- United Healthcare
Please come to your first appointment 30 minutes early with your photo ID, insurance card, and if applicable, images or scans related to your visit. If your insurance plan has a copay, that will be collected at the time of check-in. At your first appointment with Raleigh Orthopaedic, you will be expected to complete new patient forms, including a medical history questionnaire. You can update your demographics and fill out your new patient forms prior to your appointment through our Patient Portal. These forms will be used to get a baseline overview of pre-existing conditions and a better initial understanding of where and how you’re experiencing pain or discomfort.
If you are in need of urgent orthopedic care, please visit one of our four orthopedic Urgent Care clinics at Garner, Holly Springs, Raleigh or Wakefield. For emergency medical care, please visit UNC Rex Hospital, where Raleigh Orthopaedic specialists are on call for orthopedic trauma at all hours of the day.
- English
