
Hip Care
Hip pain can be incredibly debilitating, IBJI’s experienced hip doctors understand the different types of injuries that athletes and non-athletes can suffer. IBJI hip specialists work to ensure our patients receive specific treatment so they can achieve acceptable physical strength, mobility and confidence.
IBJI’s fellowship-trained hip specialists offer a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments to manage joint pain and restore mobility including:
- Total Hip Replacement
- Outpatient Joint Replacement
- Hip Resurfacing
- Hip Arthroscopy
Don’t live with the pain. From inpatient and outpatient hip replacement surgery, arthroscopy, to non-surgical options such as pain management, physical therapy, and medical weight management, the hip specialists at Illinois Bone & Joint Institute will help you move better, so you can live better.
Symptoms of Hip Pain
Symptoms can range depending on the condition that’s causing your hip pain. You might feel the discomfort in one or multiple areas:
- Groin
- Thigh
- Inside of your hip joint
- Outside of your hip joint
- Lower Back
- Buttocks
Sometimes pain from areas of the body, such as the groin or lower back, can radiate from the hip joint. You might notice that your pain gets worse with activity, especially if it’s caused by arthritis. Along with the pain, you might have a reduced flexibility of your hip. Some patients develop a limp from persistent hip pain.
When to Address Your Hip Pain
If you are experiencing popping, pain, irritation, weakness, swelling or instability in your hip, you should consult an IBJI orthopedist. There are many great options for hip pain treatment and further stabilizing your pelvis. The experts at IBJI can help, our orthopedic hip doctors will find the best method that fits your hip condition. Please contact us at any of our locations.
Causes of Hip Pain
Hip pain may be caused by arthritis, injuries, strains, pinched nerves, or other problems. Here are some of the most common causes of hip pain:
- Arthritis of the Hip
- Trochanteric Bursitis (Hip Bursitis)
- Tendonitis of the Hip
- Osteonecrosis of the Hip
- Snapping Hip Syndrome
- Hip Impingement
- Hip Labral Tear
- Stress Fractures of the Hip
- Hip Muscle Strains
- Hip Fracture
- Hip Dislocation
- Carrying Extra Weight
Being overweight can burden your hip joints, causing you to experience pain or inflammation. IBJI’s OrthoHealth program, led by certified weight management doctors, is specially designed to help you manage all of the different factors impacting your weight and put you on track to optimize your health even when your ability to exercise is limited by joint pain.
Orthopedic Hip Conditions
Osteoarthritis of the Hip
This type of arthritis, also called “degenerative joint disease,” is a breakdown of the cartilage in your hip joint. As this protective cartilage wears away, bone rubs against bone. Bony growths called “bone spurs” may form in the joint. Pain from osteoarthritis can keep you from being as active as you like.
Hip Bursitis
This is an irritation or swelling of the trochanteric bursa. This small, fluid-filled sac is found on the outer side of the femur. It acts as a cushion for the iliotibial band, a thick tendon in your leg
Hip Labral Tear
If your hip joint hurts, or if it catches or clicks when you move your leg, you may have a torn labrum. That’s a rim of tissue that surrounds the hip’s socket. It helps to deepen the socket and cushion the joint. A torn labrum can keep the hip joint from working smoothly.
Hip Instability
Hip stability is crucial in supporting the upper body weight while standing, walking and running. Injury or damage to the hip joint, labrum, or ligaments can lead to hip instability. Instability occurs when the hip joint becomes unstable causing various symptoms.

Patient Story
“I followed what they said and at 12 days post-op, I was walking without aid. It was amazing that I could walk without pain.”
Frequently Asked Questions
No, hip pain is not always treated with a total hip replacement. Your hip pain may be a result of a fall, sports injury, chronic condition, etc. Based on your diagnosis, your physician will treat you accordingly. Hip pain can be treated non-surgically or with minimally invasive surgery.
Non-surgical options include physical therapy, acupuncture, manual massage, medication and injections
Minimally invasive surgery can include hip arthroscopy, hip resurfacing, surgical dislocation and osteotomy.
There are multiple treatments and surgeries that may be discussed for your pain. A total hip replacement may only be recommended if your mobility is worsening and no other treatment has helped.
Hip resurfacing is a conservative artificial joint replacement, where the hip joint is relined instead of being completely replaced as in a total hip replacement procedure.
The goal of hip resurfacing is to provide a more active and improved quality of life. This is done by restoring functionality to the hip by replacing damaged bone and cartilage in the socket while preserving as much natural bone as possible. The femoral head is not removed in hip resurfacing but is instead trimmed and resurfaced with a smooth metal dome. While hip resurfacing represents a possible alternative to traditional hip replacement, there are certain risks to the procedure that your doctor should discuss with you. Additionally, only certain persons with certain conditions are candidates for hip resurfacing.
Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive outpatient surgical procedure performed by inserting a small camera into the joint and using specialized instruments to treat labrum or other cartilage tears, hip impingement, tendon tears, and/or bursitis.
Total hip replacement surgery is a commonly performed surgical procedure used to treat hip arthritis when movement is restricted and non-surgical alternatives prove unsuccessful for improving mobility and reducing pain.
Learn About the Benefits of Anterior Total Hip Replacement
The types of arthritis treated by a total hip replacement include arthritis caused by wear and tear (osteoarthritis), traumatically-induced arthritis, and inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis).
Current techniques involve replacing the ball and then placing a cup into the socket of the hip. There are different joint surface materials available to choose from, with new choices being developed and updates to the existing materials occurring all the time.
Inpatient joint replacement means that the patient will be admitted to the hospital to stay overnight or longer to recover from surgery, as well as an individual who only needs to stay briefly. Physicians keep these patients at the hospital to monitor them more closely.
Outpatient joint replacement does not require hospitalization. Outpatient joint replacement, also known as same-day surgery, is an alternative route that patients can take to avoid an overnight stay at the hospital post-surgery. This option allows the patient to receive joint replacement surgery in an ambulatory surgical center while being given clearance to return home in under 24 hours.
This alternative approach to joint replacement surgery rewards the patient with many benefits previously unavailable with inpatient treatment. Not only can patients return home immediately following surgery, but there is also a potentially lower risk of postoperative infection.
Outpatient surgery lowers the pricey out-of-pocket expenses one might see from extended stays in a hospital and through the recovery process. While outpatient hip replacement surgery is very safe and successful, it is not recommended for everyone. If you are considering hip replacement surgery, talk to your doctor to determine whether you are a candidate to have outpatient surgery.
You will be able to resume light household and community activities within four to six weeks. Full recovery to resume all activities usually occurs in about two to three months. Complete recovery usually takes six to twelve months following your surgery, so have patience and continue your exercises and rehab activities.
Once you heal and recover from your surgery, you are free to enjoy low-impact activities, including walking, hiking, swimming, cycling, using a treadmill or elliptical, playing golf, playing light tennis, and skiing. Higher impact activities such as basketball, volleyball, and long-distance running are not advised. If you have any questions about specific activities, call your doctor’s office.
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