Question
What kind of treatment will help hip pain? Had one hip replaced the other hip acts up as it willneed to be replaced but not right now. Any suggestions?
Answer
Treatments for osteoarthritis of the hip are similar to osteoarthritis of the knee. Exercise, physical therapy for range of motion and joint protection, and weight loss are critical. Analgesics (pain medications) starting with Tylenol and then non-steroidal medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen. Finally, consideration of joint replacement surgery. It has been my experience that many patients with hip osteoarthritis often progress to joint replacement (because of pain) faster than those with knee osteoarthritis. Maybe that is why we tend to talk more about non-surgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis. See our section on osteoarthritis on the site.
