Monterey Joint - California Hip Specialist, Chris Meckel

Indicators of a serious problem

The pain causes you to limp
The legs feel as though they are different lengths
You have a limited range of motion in the hip
You hear creaking noises when you move the hip
Rest relieves the pain
Using the hip is painful
The hip feels stiff

Misleading symptoms
Some symptoms that may seem like a hip problem may actually be a more of a severe back problem. Be sure to have a specialist check out any persisting hip pain. For instance, a tingling or numb sensation in the hip or upper thighs may actually be a symptom of spine damage. Also, when pain does not lessen when lying down or sitting in a way that relieves pressure, then the problem may be rooted in the back, not the hip. This type of pain should be treated immediately.

How a doctor diagnoses hip problems
When a patient visits a hip specialist to help diagnose a problem, there are three parts to the examination: the medical history, the physical examination and diagnostic imaging.

During the medical history, the knee surgeon will try to find out if you have developed your problem through heredity, lifestyle habits or a sudden sports injury. This will give the physician the best idea of how to find out exactly what is wrong, and then suggest proper treatment of the injury. You should indicate to your doctor if you've been using steroids since they can cause joint inflammation. Lyme disease and rheumatoid arthritis can also trigger joint inflammation, for instance.

Following the medical history, your doctor will perform a physical examination to see if they can hear or feel what is wrong. This will show the doctor which tests he or she should perform to find out the cause of your pain.

Next, the physician may have an MRI or X-ray image taken of your hip. An X-ray often does not provide the clarity needed to see precisely what is wrong. In these instances, an MRI or CT-scan is used. X-rays, for example, only show bones. MRI and CT-scans show soft tissues.

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