It is important for an orthopedic surgeon to understand more about a patient’s lifestyle when diagnosing the cause of hip pain.
Who is the patient and what activities do they typically undertake during their day? Does the patient have a sedentary desk job or a job that involves significant lifting, pushing and pulling throughout the day?
Focus on these aspects can help the physician determine:
- Whether the patient’s routine activities increase the load on the hip and worsen it
- Whether they should take the patient’s professional necessities into account while determining how aggressive the treatment should be
The accomplished Southern California Hip Institute (SCHI), led by board certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tigran Garabekyan, provides various orthopedic surgery procedures to patients in Los Angeles, Century City, CA, and surrounding communities and neighborhoods in The Golden State.
Significant Concerns
The primary concern of the doctor will be to understand whether the patient has arthritis as a part of their pathophysiology. This is a vital concern as if arthritis is behind the hip pain, the treatment strategies will be different from those employed if the patient does not suffer from arthritis.
In comparison to other joints such as those in the shoulder and knees, physicians only have a limited ability to preserve the joint after it becomes significantly affected by arthritis. This can occur even in people in their 20s and 30s.
Once the hip loses cartilage, the ability to reduce strain on the joint via physical therapy or graft cartilage (such as for a knee joint) is limited. Moreover, surgical procedures to preserve the joint are very involved. Many patients and surgeons are reluctant to explore surgically reorienting the joint’s position.
Hip Arthritis Diagnosis
It is vital for the physician to understand the family history and history of the patient from birth. In assessing the history of hip arthritis patients, doctors have identified a genetic component as well as the fact that specific diagnoses predispose a younger individual to develop hip arthritis.
These diagnoses include hip dysplasia, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (or simply Perthes disease), and a slipped capital femoral epiphysis, known as “skiffy” or (SCFE). People in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who have these conditions are predisposed to developing hip arthritis, which makes these questions vital.
Other Causes of Hip Pain
Arthritis may be a concern when pain is the primary symptom which manifests after the joint is strained through work and exercise. Therefore, pain during or after the activity, specifically in the groin area where the joint refers to pain can indicate a certain degree of arthritis.
In 80 percent of cases, hip arthritis will impact the groin area. However, in case the pain is transient or occurs on the outside of the hip or on the butt or goes down the leg, the doctor will explore other causes.
Focused orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tigran Garabekyan of SCHI receives patients from Los Angeles, Century City, CA, and other towns and suburbs in this region of the southwest for orthopedic surgery.
Dr. Tigran Garabekyan is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip preservation. To learn more about Southern California Hip Institute or to schedule a consultation, click here to contact us or call:
Century City / Los Angeles: 310.595.1030
Serving patients in Encino, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale, West Hollywood, Century City, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and other neighboring cities in the greater Los Angeles, California area.
Also visit http://www.drgorthopedics.com/
