Video Q&A about Hip Pain Prevention & Treatment

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We will upload the archived video on this Connect page shortly.

@colleenyoung...hi. I wanted to get on the Facebook Live video today about hip pain, but I completely forgot. Will it be loaded to Facebook somehow that we can listen to it after the fact? Thank you for your help! Amy

Hi Lynette, thank you for the question. Here is the response from Dr. Hartigan:

"This is a complex issue! Unfortunately with the infection in the knee it can be very difficult to treat. One of the complications of joint replacement is infection. Bacteria stick to the prosthesis and can not be treated like a normal infection. I agree with your treating surgeon that no arthroplasty should be performed until all infection has been eradicated. If the pain is coming from the fractured trochanter this is a very difficult problem as well because this bone is very small and does not have a lot of substance to accept traditional fixation techniques. If it is pain from the actual hip joint then I would consider injections of cortisone, this would allow you to determine if the pain is from the trochanter or the hip joint. If you are interested requesting an appointment with a Mayo Clinic hip/knee arthroplasty surgeon, please contact us at 480-301-8484."

Hi Vickie, thank you for the question. Here is the response from Dr. Hartigan:

"Rheumatoid arthritis, as you likely know, is when your inflammatory cells attack the cartilage, this leads to arthritis. Dysplasia is shallowness of your hip socket which also loads the cartilage more. This combination of issues leads to a joint at risk for progression to arthritis. With that, I can suggest a few tactics you might want to explore further and discuss with your doctor 1)talk with your rheumatologist to ensure that your rheumatoid is under optimal control. There are some tests/exams to determine if this is the case 2) start working on the dynamic stabilizers of your hip. With 26 muscles crossing the hip joint they impart stability to your hip that can sometimes substitute for the bony shallowness (dyspasia) of your socket 3)Consider trying an injection of cortisone in the hip to attempt to control the inflammation in your joint."

Hello @beatitnow. Were you able to watch the video? It is archived at the top of this discussion. If you are receiving this message via email, scroll to the bottom and click on VIEW & REPLY and you will be brought to the discussion and the video will be at the top.

Thank you very much for your suggestions!

Hi, thank you for the question. Here is the response from Dr. Hartigan:

"As far as general medications, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory of choice done under the supervision of your primary care physician is an option. Alternative medications such as MSM, glucosamine, and chondroitin are precursors to cartilage. There have been studies that show they may help the pain in your hip, but likely not doing as advertised, restoring the damaged cartilage from your previous injuries. Another option would be an injection of cortisone in the hip. In my experience, this will help 75% of patients with their hip pain for a variable amount of time. If this is unsuccessful you may consider viscosupplementation injections. Again, about 75% chance of helping for a variable amount of time. These work best in patients with minimal to moderate arthritis. If severe, it is often times not as successful. In that setting, you may consider putting it off until the hip informs you it is time (can’t sleep, do activities of daily living, significant pain requiring medications…etc)."

Hi, thank you for the question. Here is the response from Dr. Hartigan:

"The MAC is unlikely to cause hip symptoms, more likely a coincidence.
Basic recommendation to prevent hip pain is to cross-train instead of doing just one type of exercise. Stretch prior to exercise. Include core, lumbar spine, abductor and adductor strengthening into your workout regimen. Also, yoga and swimming are very good for building core/hip strength without irritating the hip significantly."

Hi, thank you for the question. Here is the response from Dr. Hartigan:

"Lower buttock pain can be a variety of issues. Tight piriformis, SI joint problems, sciatic nerve entrapment, ischiofemoral impingement, trochanteric bursitis, Lumbar radiculopathy, femoroacetabular impingement in the back as opposed to the front which is more common, and the list goes on. This is a very complicated specialty, please contact us at 480-301-8484."