When Does Hip Pain Require Medical Attention?

The hips are the largest ball-and-socket joints in your body, essential for movement and getting through the day. When you have hip pain, the question isn’t whether you’ll slow down; it’s a matter of how much. 

When pain stems from a minor injury or overuse, rest and home care may be all you need to recover. Sometimes, though, pain lingers or gets worse. You may have partial mobility but wonder when hip pain requires medical attention. 

We’re experts in diagnosing and treating hip pain at Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic, your go-to orthopedic professional in Jacksonville, Florida. In some cases, a traumatic injury makes the need for immediate care obvious. Other times, you might wonder if you should wait a little longer for pain to resolve. When in doubt, get in touch with the nearest of our offices. 

When you need immediate attention 

When you have a sudden injury from which pain immediately arises, it’s best to play it safe and contact us immediately. Outside office hours, seek care through an emergency room or urgent care facility and follow up with us later. 

You need immediate attention if an accident or injury causes one or more of these conditions in a hip: 

• A hip joint looks deformed or out of place
• One leg appears shorter
• The injury causes intense pain
• The affected hip becomes swollen
• You have limited or no mobility in the affected leg
• You can’t put weight on the affected leg
• The hip appears red, or you have chills, fever, or other signs of infection

In other cases, hip pain may develop slowly over time and be more aching, possibly with sharper pain accompanying weight bearing or particular movements. 

When you’ve been living with hip pain

Hip pain can also stem from overuse or degenerative conditions like arthritis, so there’s not a clear-cut event that suggests it’s time to visit with our physicians. Apart from the pain itself, everyone responds to pain in their way, so it’s often a matter of deciding when you’ve had enough of your current pain levels. 

The decision to seek medical attention usually follows a period where symptoms fail to improve or when they get worse. The appearance of the following conditions can also upgrade your urgency for medical care. Watch for things like: 

• Hip pain that happens at night when you’re lying down
• Pain that accompanies movements that didn’t hurt previously
• Reduction in the amount of weight a leg will bear
• Changes in skin color or the amount of swelling around the hip

Any new condition or symptom can be a sign it’s time for a medical evaluation, even if the changes are tolerable. Reach out to Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic by phone or online to schedule a consultation and examination. There’s no reason to continue living with hip pain, so book your visit today.