Hip pain is oftentimes thought of as something that only affects older adults, and while a large portion of our patient base is over the age of 50, hip discomfort is certainly not an issue isolated to senior citizens. Hip pain is also a serious problem among patients in their thirties and forties, and it’s becoming a growing problem for a number of different reasons. Young athletes face greater pressure to specialize in one sport and push their bodies harder than previous generations, and rising obesity rates are also negatively impacting the health of large joints like our hips and knees.
Even if neither of the two issues we mentioned above have contributed to your discomfort, we’re confident we can help you address your hip issues so that you can decrease your risk of needing a replacement operation in the future. In today’s blog, we explore how you can manage hip pain in your thirties and forties to prevent the need for hip replacement later in life.
Treating Hip Pain In Young Adults
We expect to be active throughout our lives, but that’s especially true in our thirties and forties before arthritis and the natural aging process have really begun to take a toll on our bodies, which is why it can be incredibly frustrating to be physically limited by hip pain at this point in your life. And while hip pain can develop for any number of reasons, some of the most common reasons why patients in their thirties and forties may present to our office include:
- Acute trauma
- Repetitive stress/Overuse injuries
- Underlying genetic/structural issues
- Posture-related issues
- Weight-related issues
Setting up an appointment with a hip specialist is helpful in a few different ways if you’re experiencing hip pain at a young age. For starters, it will give you a clear understanding of why hip discomfort is present. If you don’t know what’s causing your hip pain, it can be difficult to pursue the optimal treatment strategy. Dr. Botero will conduct a physical exam and any necessary imaging tests to see what’s going on in your hip, and he’ll also pair these insights with information he gleans from conversations with the patient. We want to learn more about your daily life, not only understand why hip pain is developing, but also how to treat the condition to get you back to the activities you love the most without hip pain.
Fortunately, having youth on your side is a good thing when working to overcome hip issues. Your body tends to respond better to targeted treatment when you’re younger, so if you throw yourself into a care regimen, we’re confident that you’ll see an improvement in your condition in short order.
Again, your individual care plan will vary based on your specific challenges and goals, but many younger patients will see improvements in their hip conditions by pursuing a combination of the following techniques
- Physical Therapy – PT works to restore strength, stability and function to the hip joint and its supportive structures.
- Stretching Exercises – Overly tight muscles and soft tissues can contribute to hip discomfort, so some gentle stretching exercises or an activity like yoga can gradually expand your comfortable range of motion.
- Anti-Inflammatories – Anti-inflammatory medications can help to limit discomfort caused by inflammation, but it won’t treat the underlying reason why the inflammation developed in the first place, so it’s essential to pair anti-inflammatories with other active interventions on this list.
- Diet Improvements and Weight Loss – Improving your diet to give your body access to a range of essential vitamins and minerals can provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly, while weight loss can take some of the stress off your hip. Shedding just a few pounds can take an immense burden off your hips.
- Corticosteroids – Corticosteroid injections can provide more targeted hip pain relief, but like over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, they aren’t a great long-term treatment option and are best utilized when paired with other active interventions.
- Rest – If you’re an athlete or exercise enthusiast, be sure to give your body some time off between activities. Rest is essential to the repair process, but know that this doesn’t mean that you need to just lay on the couch all day on a rest day. You can still pursue low-impact activities, engage your brain and get at least eight hours of restful sleep to help your body take full advantage of a day off from strenuous physical activity.
Dr. Botero and his team will be more than happy to develop a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs, and he can also provide you with more hands-on interventions should conservative care fail to provide relief. For more information, or for helping managing a specific hip or knee condition, reach out to his office today at (865) 558-4444.
