If you are feeling pain in your hip, a doctor’s visit is likely a good idea. But while it’s always encouraged to seek a professional medical help for serious pain, there are still things you can do at home to identify and relieve pain without visiting a clinic. Here are some of the things to try before seeing a doctor.

IS IT YOUR HIP?

The first thing to do is identify whether the pain is actually in your hip, or somewhere else. Your hip is made up of bones, muscles, and nerves, but the area we often think of as our hip when we touch our sides is actually the pelvis. The actual hip region is closer to the groin and not has easy to observe or feel with your hands. It’s important to isolate the pain precisely in order to provide the best information to your doctor. If it is or isn’t your hip, this information can make all the difference in helping you decide what your prognosis will be – for example, if your hip truly is in pain, ice won’t be able to relieve it because your hip joint is deep within your body rather than near your skin.

RELIEVE THE PAIN AT HOME

Just because you plan on seeing a doctor for your pain doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do at home. There are some exercises you can try from the comfort of your own home that can help improve your relief outcome. It’s a misconception that the best thing to do when you’re in pain is to stay still and rest; actually, staying active (within certain limits) is the best way to maintain your range of movement. Simple, light workouts that can help include stretches, balancing exercises, and bending exercises.

To help relieve the pain before seeing your doctor, you might want to try over-the-counter pain medications, but don’t be too dependent on them – side effects even for medicines available without a prescription can do more harm than good. Nothing beats a doctor’s visit.

If your hip pain is going away on its own, you might not need to see a doctor about it, but this doesn’t mean you should be waiting for extended periods of time in the hopes that it will fade. Untreated pain can progress and complicate into something far more serious, or it may be a sign of a condition such as arthritis.

Contact your doctor immediately or find one in your area with Honest Doctor today to help you beat the pain once and for all.