GREENSBORO, N.C. — Waking up in the morning with an achy hip is a common problem many people will experience at some point in their life.
"It's very common to have hip pain, 9 out of every 10 patients that come see me don't need surgery they just have pain on the side of their hip," said Dr. Chris Blackman with Cone Health Orthocare Greensboro.
Aching hips can often come from daily activities like getting back into exercising and increasing activity too quickly or even sleeping on your side.
When you start dealing with hip pain, don't stop moving. Start using ice or heat and over the counter anti-inflammatory medicine while staying mobile.
It is a fine line however. You want to keep moving but avoid long walks or steep hills and other high impact aerobic activities. Those can put too much stress on your hips.
"The more you stay stoic and sit your hip could get stiff, you want to be as active as your body will let you," said Dr. Blackman.
You can treat hip pain at home for about a week, especially if it happens after trying some new activity like working out. If it lingers longer after trying things like anti-inflammatory medicine, go see a doctor.
Most hip pain does not require surgery, it can be treated with other options like a steroid injection or physical therapy if you do go see a doctor.
If your doctor does decide surgery like a hip replacement is necessary, there are many positives. It can really decrease pain and improve your quality of life.
Go see your primary care doctor first if you are dealing with hip pain and they will refer you to a specialist if needed.