Joshua Lindsey, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon, Orthopedic Institute at Southwest Health

Hip pain affects most people at some point in their lives, whether it keeps you from playing a casual pickup game, gardening, playing with your kids, or carrying in the groceries. When a muscle is pulled or irritated, it typically gets better with rest, ice, compression, elevation, and time. But if the pain doesn’t go away, further treatment, whether at home or from a specialist, might be needed to help you feel better and get back to living a regular life.

When your body is hurting, it can be hard to focus on everyday tasks. Treatment for common injuries and pains doesn’t always have to include surgery. You don’t have to live a life with hip pain. You can take actions during your day to help relieve and prevent future pain.

• Control your weight. Being overweight may increase inflammation in the body, leading to joint pain. Losing weight can reduce this inflammatory response. One study suggests that a 10 percent reduction in weight can significantly lower inflammation in the body.
• Exercise regularly. Staying active and doing appropriate activities for your age and physical condition can help build strength in your knee and joints. Start with lower-impact activities such as walking on a level surface, biking, and working out in the water are ways to be active but not stress your joints. Wearing supportive shoes such as tennis shoes instead of sandals and flip-flops is also helpful.
• Follow your treatment plan. Staying consistent with your prescribed treatment plan isn’t always as easy as it may seem. Many overexert their joints, stick with lifestyle habits that worsen their condition, forget to take their medications or even stop altogether. Talk to your primary provider if you’re struggling with your treatment. Together, you can make adjustments to find a treatment plan that fits your lifestyle and needs.
• Stretch regularly. Flexibility and strength exercises are crucial to relieving hip pain. Although these exercises may result in temporary discomfort, they should not cause or aggravate pain. If an exercise causes pain, stop doing it or try going at a slower or gentler pace.

If your hip pain is intense or long-lasting, visit your primary care physician. Your provider may recommend further care and might refer you to a specialist for a closer look. One of the specialists who can help ease your hip pain is Harvard-trained orthopedic surgeon Joshua Lindsey, MD, at Southwest Health’s Orthopedic Institute. The Orthopedic Institute at Southwest Health now offers an innovative, minimally invasive approach for total hip replacement to help keep you moving. Dr. Joshua Lindsey uses the “anterior approach,” a surgical technique for hip surgeries without cutting the muscle, which means less scarring and less pain.

The anterior approach procedure reaches the hip through the natural gap between muscles. This allows Dr. Lindsey to perform a much smaller incision on the front of the hip for quicker, more comfortable healing. Besides a smaller incision, patients will experience minor muscle trauma, less scarring and pain, a lower risk of hip dislocation, shorter hospital stays, and ultimately a faster recovery time. This anterior path allows for a rapid recovery from surgery because it’s an “inter-muscular” approach in which muscles are moved during the procedure but not detached. With this approach, a patient has fewer precautions post-surgery. That’s because the hip stays more stable after surgery, and the muscles around it help prevent dislocation.

“You deserve options, and you have that with the anterior approach to hip replacement. With the anterior option, you will have fewer interruptions in your recovery, getting you back to your regular life.” Says Joshua Lindsey, MD. To learn more about the anterior approach to hip replacement, or make an appointment, call 608-342-6210 or visit southwesthealth.org.