At The Harbour Hospital in Poole, we offer a wide variety of private treatments for people suffering with hip pain. Our specialists are experts in hip surgery, as well as a range of non-surgical treatments.
Hip pain or stiffness is a common problem, with official figures indicating that 1 in 9 adults in the UK has some degree of osteoarthritis in their hip.
There are many reasons you may have pain, stiffness or discomfort in your hip, and there are several treatments available that may help to relieve and manage your symptoms.
We know that it can sometimes be difficult to know whether a particular hip problem is one that will resolve itself naturally over time or one that will need some type of treatment instead.
If you have any concerns about a hip problem, The Harbour Hospital in Poole is the ideal place to come for fast-track access to expert assessment, diagnosis and treatment. You can avoid waiting lists and other frustrating delays when you book a private consultation with a leading hip specialist in Poole.
Your hip - which is what's known as a 'ball and socket' joint - provides strength and stability and gives you movement in your leg. Because it is a weight-bearing joint, any damage to the hip has the potential to cause issues with mobility.
Damage to your hip may be caused by injury or disease and will often lead to pain and stiffness. Perhaps rather surprisingly, the most common symptom of osteoarthritis in the hip is pain in the groin. For that reason, if you've been experiencing groin pain, you may want to consider seeing a doctor to get your hips checked.
Fortunately, many people will find that the pain or stiffness in their hip resolves naturally over time. However, others will find their symptoms stay the same or get worse over time.
Common causes of hip problems include:
- Osteoarthritis in the hip
- Hip impingement (also sometimes referred to as femoroacetabular impingement/FAI)
- Hip bursitis
- Trauma
As a private hospital, The Harbour Hospital does not provide first-line treatment for trauma. However, our consultants will be very happy to see you for a second opinion, or to review your progress and recovery.
Hip problems that do not get better with time and rest can be frustrating and challenging to live with, and you may find your symptoms affect many different aspects of daily life.
For example, you might:
- No longer be able to participate in your favourite sport or exercise
- No longer be able to walk as easily, or as long, as you used to be able to
- Struggle more to move around your house (stairs may be a particular challenge to navigate safely)
- Be kept awake at night by your hip pain (or woken up from sleep because of it)
If you have any concerns about the health of your hips or are unhappy with how much your hip pain and/or stiffness is affecting your quality of life, it is sensible to book a private consultation at The Harbour Hospital. You will be able to talk with an experienced consultant hip surgeon and get their expert assessment and advice.
When you first visit us at The Harbour Hospital, you will meet with your consultant in one of our private consulting rooms.
They will talk with you about your symptoms, and how they are affecting your life. They may ask you questions like:
- What symptoms do you have?
- When did you first notice these symptoms?
- Have they been getting worse over time?
- Have you already received any treatment (e.g. physiotherapy) for this?
- Are there any things you can no longer do because of your symptoms?
- Do you have any specific concerns about what might be causing your symptoms?
They will carry out a physical examination of your hips and will often also check your back, legs and knees, as sometimes a problem in one of these areas may cause referred pain in your hip.
Diagnostic scans
This may be all that is needed to confirm a diagnosis, but often additional scans or investigations may be helpful, either to confirm a diagnosis or to help plan treatment. You may already have had X-rays or diagnostic scans, but if not our on-site imaging department provides you with fast access to X-rays, MRI, CT and ultrasound scans if required.
Once the results of any investigations are back with your consultant, they will meet with you again to explain them to you and, if appropriate, to discuss treatment options with you.
Treatments for hip problems are described as being either non-operative (also known as 'conservative') or operative (i.e. surgical).
Most people with pain or stiffness in their hip or groin will not need any type of surgery, as non-operative treatments will be able to effectively relieve and manage their symptoms. However, if your symptoms are particularly severe, and damage to your hip is extensive, surgery may be the most appropriate treatment for you.
Non-surgical hip treatments at The Harbour
Non-operative treatments available for hip pain at The Harbour Hospital include:
- Physiotherapy
- Pain relief medication (analgesia)
- Hip joint injections
In addition, your consultant or physiotherapist may give you advice about modifying particular movements and activities if they are causing you pain. Losing weight can often also be very helpful for relieving hip pain, as it means that less demand is put on the joint.
These treatments will often help to relieve symptoms and help delay the need for hip surgery.
If you do not get the symptom relief you need, or the treatments become less effective over time as damage to your hip increases, hip surgery may be recommended.
Choosing to have hip surgery
It is important to know that the decision to have hip surgery is always yours. Your consultant will discuss things fully with you - explaining how the operation will be done, what you should expect from your recovery, and any potential complications or risks you need to be aware of.
If surgery is required, we will book it with you at a time that is convenient for you. Three operating theatres in our hospital help us keep waiting times for hip surgery down to a matter of weeks.
We are fortunate at The Harbour Hospital to have a team of experienced consultant hip surgeons working on-site to provide various types of hip surgery. The most common hip operations we perform are:
Hip replacement surgery
When osteoarthritis has caused significant damage to your hip, this operation is done to remove the natural, damaged hip and replace it with a new, artificial one (known as an implant). Hip replacement surgery is the most common type of hip surgery in the UK.
Hip replacement revision surgery
Although a hip implant can help restore pain-free movement, the artificial joint will wear out over time. Most modern hip implants have an expected life expectancy of 15-25 years, but if it does wear out, it can be removed and replaced with a new implant. This operation is known as hip replacement revision surgery.
Hip arthroscopy
A type of keyhole surgery, this is used to see inside your hip joint using a very small camera. Because it only involves a few very small incisions being made in the skin, it involves less pain, reduced scarring and improved recovery times. Hip arthroscopy can be used for diagnosis and treatment of several hip problems.
At The Harbour Hospital, we offer a comprehensive service for hip problems - including diagnosis and hip surgery - for those based in Poole, Bournemouth, Dorset and the surrounding areas.
It is quick and easy to book a private consultation at The Harbour Hospital at a time that is convenient for you. You can make a booking online or phone our friendly bookings team on 0141 300 5009.
We look forward to welcoming you to our hospital and helping you get the care and treatment you need without delay.
Content reviewed by Circle in-house team in November 2022. Next review due November 2025.
1. Osteoarthritis in Poole, Versus Arthritis
2. Hip replacement, NHS
3. Hip pain onset in relation to cumulative workplace and leisure time mechanical load: a population based case-control study , BMJ
4. Chronic pain: how common is it?, NICE
