Comprehensive Hip Care
What Is Comprehensive Hip Care?
Hip pain can make it hard to do everyday activities like walking, exercising, working, or even sleeping. While many orthopedic doctors treat a wide range of bone and joint problems, some hip conditions require specialized care from experts who focus on the hip.
Comprehensive hip care is a specialized approach that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and managing all types of hip conditions. Instead of only treating symptoms, hip specialists work to find the root cause of the problem and create a treatment plan that fits each patient's needs and goals.
Why See a Specialist?
The hip is a complex joint, with over 20 muscles and soft tissue structures crossing over and into the joint. Patients are often misdiagnosed and left in constant pain.
A recent review of the literature Kraeutler et. al 2025, suggests that:
- Patients needing hip preservation surgery had to wait on average 1.4 to 5.1 years before receiving the accurate diagnosis.
- These patients also saw on average 2-4 doctors before they were sent to a hip preservation specialist.
Our Research Foundation published an article demonstrating that those who had to wait longer to see a hip specialist had worse outcomes after surgery. Therefore, seeing a hip specialist for pain in and around the hip can help those with hip pain get the right diagnosis quicker, potentially leading to better outcomes.
How Is Comprehensive Hip Care Different from General Orthopedics?
General orthopedic doctors treat many different conditions involving bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments throughout the body. They care for problems affecting the knees, shoulders, spine, hands, feet, hips, and more.
Hip specialists focus specifically on conditions that affect the hip. Because of this specialized training and experience, they are often better equipped to diagnose and treat complex hip problems, including:
- Undiagnosed, chronic hip pain
- Hip impingement (FAI)
- Labral tears
- Hip dysplasia
- Hip instability
- Early arthritis
- Sports-related hip injuries
- Hip problems in children and teenagers
- Failed previous hip surgeries
- Avascular necrosis (AVN)
- Arthritis in younger populations
A Full Range of Treatment Options
Comprehensive hip care includes both non-surgical and surgical treatments, as the goal is always to choose the treatment that is best for the patient. Depending on the condition, treatment may include:
- Physical therapy
- Activity modification
- Medications
- Injections
- Hip preservation procedures
- Hip arthroscopy
- Corrective surgeries for hip deformities
- Total hip replacement
- Revision hip replacement surgery
Personalized Care for Every Patient
No two patients are exactly alike. Comprehensive hip care takes into account factors such as:
- Age
- Activity level
- Lifestyle
- Work demands
- Sports participation
- Overall health and previous health conditions
When Should You See a Hip Specialist?
You may benefit from seeing a hip specialist if you:
- Have hip pain that does not improve with treatment
- Have been diagnosed with a complex hip condition
- Continue to have symptoms after a previous hip surgery
- Are considering hip preservation surgery or hip replacement
- Want a second opinion about your diagnosis or treatment options
Schedule an Appointment
If hip pain is limiting your daily activities, the team at American Hip Institute is here to help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and learn more about your treatment options.