Questions to ask your doctor about hip pain

Hip pain

What else may cause hip pain besides arthritis?

What is a muscle strain? What is a ligament sprain?
What is a torn labrum (or labral tear)?
What is bursitis of the hip/FAI?
What is impingement?
What is referred pain?

What can I do to prevent sports injuries?

What types of activities are more likely to cause hip pain? Is it OK to continue doing the sports that I am doing?
How much sports activity is too much?
What sports activities may be easier on my hips?
Can certain exercises help prevent sports injuries?

What are the treatments for sports injuries?

Does losing weight help?
Can I buy medicines at the drug store to help my hip pain? What side effects do I need to worry about?
Will injections help?
Can I buy herbs or supplements?
When does surgery help? What is hip arthroscopy?

What is arthritis?

Are there different types of arthritis?
What are the symptoms? What are the causes?
How do I know for sure whether arthritis is the cause of my hip pain?

If I have arthritis of the hip, can I still play sports?

What types of activities are more likely to cause hip pain?
Is it OK to continue doing the sports that I am doing?
How much sports activity is too much?
What sports activities may be easier on my hips?
Can certain exercises help prevent my hip from getting worse?

What can I do to help with my arthritis?

Can I do exercises? Will they make my arthritis worse?
Can changes around the home make it easier for me?
Does losing weight help my hip arthritis?
Can I buy medicines at the drugstore to help my arthritis? What side effects do I need to worry about?
Can I buy herbs or supplements? Does acupuncture help?

What type of doctors or other health care providers should I see about my hip pain?

What tests do I need?
How can my primary care provider help?
What is a sports medicine doctor?
Should I see a physical therapist?
What is a rheumatologist?

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Hip replacement surgery

How do I know if hip replacement surgery will help me?

Is there any harm in waiting?
Am I too young or too old for hip replacement?
What else can be done for hip arthritis besides surgery?
What is hip resurfacing surgery?

Are there different types of hip replacement surgery?

What is minimally invasive or anterior hip replacement surgery?
What is cementless hip replacement surgery?
What is metal-on-metal hip replacement surgery?

How can I choose the best hospital and doctor for my surgery?

How do you tell if a hospital or doctor provides the best care?
Where is a good place to research this?
What should I ask my doctor about their experience?
What are the risks of hip replacement surgery?

How much does hip replacement surgery cost?

How do I find out if my insurance will pay for hip replacement surgery?
Does insurance cover all of the costs or just some of them?
Does it make a difference which hospital I go to?
Is it OK to wait until I get the bill after surgery?

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Review Date: 12/31/2018

Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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