New hip pain

@sassysaveur Welcome to Mayo Connect, where patients meet one another to share our health journeys. I am curious about why you suspect avascular necrosis as a cause of your pain since it is a very rare cause of hip pain?
Step 1 is to find an orthopedic surgeon who mainly does hips. They will decide if more imaging is needed. And if AVN is suspect, where
As for referral, that depends on your insurance. Call and ask if you may self-refer.
Good luck.

I am wondering if you would share your age.

I am 70. Was healthy and sprinting and lifting weights till 6 months ago when I was diagnosed with inflamed arteries that required high dose prednisone treatment. I am still on prednisone but a lower dose. I am concerned about AVN. As this occurs more with steroid treatment. I want to address early. What are the diagnostics after an xray.

@sueinmn I am 70, on Medicare regular plan. I always self referred before but not sure with Medicare.
I was healthy and sprinting and lifting weights till 6 months ago when I was diagnosed with inflamed arteries that required high dose prednisone. I am still on prednisone but a lower dose. I am concerned about AVN. As this occurs more with steroid treatment. I want to address early. What are the diagnostics after an xray? Are there other hip issues that would cause this pain? I hope so.

Sorry to hear you're going through all the pain. I had pain in what I thought was my hip but turned out to be bilateral enflamed sacroiliac joints caused by ankylosing spondylitis. You can bring that up to your rheumatologist

@sassysaveur I echo what @tgreer1972 said. If the rheumatologist thought your hips look okay, it could be spinal. I have degenerative disc disease and it causes the symptoms you described, affecting hip, thigh, shin, knee, ankle and sometimes my toes. I know it's not my hips because they are implants and in good condition. An orthopedic surgeon can make this diagnosis as well.

Don't panic - it doesn't have to mean back surgery, there are a number of more conservative treatments.

@sueinmn offered good advice. I would hope you might be scheduled for an MRI quickly--to include both groin and hip. Tears in the groin and gluteus medius/minimus muscles are so so painful. However, a spine surgeon could also order an MRI. For whatever reason, orthopedic doctors are slow to catch on to diagnosing tears sometimes focusing on bursitis or anything else. Wishing you well and a speedy diagnosis. In the meantime, try a Google search on tears to see if you might be able to self diagnose while waiting for appt.

I'm only 53 and was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis when I was 27. I've had 2 spinal fusions and my left sacroiliac joint fused. My pain is controlled with a surgically implanted intrathecal morphine pump because I became addicted to oral opioids over the years. I had to retire from Chrysler 2 years early with 28 years and a two thirds pension plus I'm on SSDI. But this disease has changed me into a different person. I can't do most of the activities I lived doing all my life. Plus I'm a caregiver for my 79 year old mom who had to move in with me. So I've basically become a homebody

@sueinmn Yes, agree. It could be other issues like spinal or something muscular or tendon. I want to move forward with proper evaluation. It’s frustrating as you know to be in pain and have limited mobility and wait for doctor to tell you a week later xray negative. Even if it’s negative I’m still having pain and want it looked into. As you says it could be other possibilities.

@ennaoj44 I’m hoping to be referred to ortho for thorough evaluation. MRI is next step I take it? I don’t think I need formal referral could probably call for appointment. But now that my rheumatologist did xray I feel a bit caught in middle. Thank you for weighing in and sharing.