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Hip Pain

David N Westerdahl, MD -  - Sports Medicine Physician

Sports Health Northwest, Inc

David N Westerdahl, MD

Sports Medicine Physician & Non-Operative Orthopaedic Specialist located in Portland, OR

Your hip is a mobile weight-bearing joint that connects your legs to your pelvis. Many people experience hip pain from time to time. However, when ongoing or severe hip pain interferes with your ability to keep up with your active lifestyle, David Westerdahl, MD, at Sports Health Northwest Inc, can help. Dr. Westerdahl specializes in diagnosing and treating hip pain without surgery. Schedule an appointment by calling the office located in The Graham Clinic in Portland, Oregon, or book a consultation online today.

Hip Pain Q & A

What is hip pain?

Hip pain refers to any discomfort you feel in or around your hip joint. The location of your discomfort may help Dr. Westerdahl determine the underlying cause of your pain.  Posterior hip pain may be muscular or referred from your lower back.  Pain along the outside of the hip may be muscle or tendon related.  Pain along the front or groin area of the hip may be muscle, bone, or labral cartilage pain.

Pain located in the groin area or inside your hip usually means there’s a problem with the joint itself such as hip arthritis. Hip pain that affects the outside of your hip or upper thigh may indicate problems with the muscles, bursa, or tendons that surround your hip joint. 

What causes hip pain?

Many conditions cause hip pain, including: 

Bursitis

Bursitis is inflammation of the bursae sacs providing a cushion between your soft tissue and bones. With hip bursitis, you feel pain when getting up from a chair or walking. 

Gluteus medius tendinopathy

Pain on the outside of your hip may indicate you have pain from the gluteus medius or minimus tendons, which is sometimes related to degenerative tendon tissue or possibly inflammation of the tendon.

Hip contusion

A hip contusion is a type of bone bruise that may occur after a high-impact hit to the hip such as a fall onto the side of the hip. Hip contusions are painful and take time to heal.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common type of arthritis that occurs from the wearing away of the articular cartilage that coats the bone and separates the bones in your hip joint.

Hip labral tear

Your hip is a ball and socket joint. The labrum is a type of cartilage in the socket joint that provides joint stability. A hip labral tear may occur from high-impact injuries, repetitive use injuries,  or degenerative changes that occur with age. 

Stress fractures

Your hip bones such as the femur absorb much of the stress when doing high-impact activities like running and jumping.  These repetitive activities if increased quickly or not enough time for recovery may cause bone inflammation which causes pain and can result in a stress fracture of the hip bones.

Hip fractures

Hip fractures are more common in older adults and may occur from a fall or high-energy collision.

How is hip pain treated?

Dr. Westerdahl customizes your hip pain treatment plan based on the underlying cause. He takes a conservative approach to care and utilizes innovative tools and techniques to support your body’s natural healing process, easing your pain and restoring hip function.

Treatment for your hip pain may include:

  • Activity modification
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Physical therapy
  • Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for acute and chronic conditions
  • Orthobiologics like bone marrow aspirate (BMA)
  • Percutaneous tenotomy or fasciotomy for tendonitis or muscle injuries
  • Alpha 2 macroglobulin (A2M) injections for osteoarthritis
  • Cooled radiofrequency ablation for osteoarthritis

When performing injection procedures, Dr. Westerdahl uses ultrasound-guided imaging to ensure accurate placement of your injection.

If conservative treatments fail to provide relief from your hip pain, Dr. Westerdahl may refer you to an orthopedic surgeon to discuss surgical treatment options.

Call Sports Health Northwest, Inc, or book an appointment online today to get help for your hip pain.