A lot of people go into hip appointments with a very specific fear in mind: that they will walk out more confused than when they first stepped in. Part of the reason this fear exists is that hip problems are quite complicated, with many possible causes of pain. At the same time, the quality of your appointment and your chances of walking out with an answer depend on the kinds of questions you ask your doctor.
If you simply nod along and leave with a prescription or a referral, you will, obviously enough, still be left wondering what happens next. So, before you head into your next appointment, here are some important questions that you should definitely ask your doctor, from what your treatment options actually are to what you should realistically expect moving forward.
What is actually causing your hip pain?
This is probably the most important question that you can ask, even though it sounds super obvious at first. Hip pain is not a diagnosis by itself. It is a symptom that can point towards dozens upon dozens of different conditions. For instance, in older adults, hip pain is commonly caused by osteoarthritis, but it can also result from hip impingement, bursitis, tendon injuries, labral osteoarthritis, avascular necrosis, referred pain, and stress fractures.
All of them can produce remarkably similar symptoms in the joint, and each will have a different treatment path. In other words, what you should focus on is essentially asking your doctor what evidence points toward a specific diagnosis. You can also ask whether your symptoms align with the imaging results, if additional scans are required, and whether an X-ray is sufficient for what you are experiencing.
What is the doctor’s experience level with your specific diagnosis?
When you visit a hip doctor, it’s absolutely okay to ask them how regularly they treat the specific condition that you are facing. The reason why you must do this is that not every hip problem is managed the same way. A hip surgeon who performs a large number of hip replacements may also have extensive experience treating complex arthritis, but conditions such as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), labral tears, or avascular necrosis may all require a very different area of expertise. Doctors like Mr Jerome Davidson, a hip surgeon in London and Essex, often say that their patients should always ask about a doctor’s specific area of expertise and not worry about challenging their credentials. What’s more important is a patient feeling assured that the treatment plan comes from someone who sees their condition regularly rather than occasionally.
What are your non-surgical hip treatment options?
There is often a preconception that all hip conditions eventually require surgery. And because of said notion, people often forget to ask whether surgery is even necessary for their case. The thing is, most hip-related problems can be improved without an operation. With a mix of physiotherapy, a targeted strengthening program, activity modification, lifestyle changes, and medications, there is a very good chance that you will be able to return to your life without ever needing to move to the next step.
In fact, when you ask your doctor, you’ll find out how conservative treatment is often the starting point for almost all hip-related conditions. A doctor will absolutely try to exhaust conservative options first before even considering the idea of surgery. So, make sure you ask what non-invasive treatment options are available to you, how long they should be tried for, and how much improvement you should realistically expect from these methods.
How will your activity level change once the hip treatment begins?
Depending on your condition, there is a small chance that you may not be prescribed complete rest. In fact, one of the best things you can do right from the get-go is ask your doctor how your activity level should change as you start the conservative treatment or recover from hip pain. Should you continue walking? Can you run? Is cycling acceptable? Can you still go to the gym? Are there specific movement moments that will worsen your condition?
Considering how staying completely inactive tends to lead to weaker muscles, reduced mobility, and slower recovery, these questions are even more important than some people might realise. Another perspective that you can consider is how people often tend to push through their pain without ever considering whether they are aggravating their specific conditions. To that end, asking these questions will help you find a balance between becoming completely immobile and staying active.
What will your hip recovery look like?
Notice what exactly you are asking here. You are not asking how long your recovery will take, but what that recovery will actually look like. Will your symptoms improve steadily? Are the setbacks normal? Should you expect to notice meaningful progress? Will you need to continue physiotherapy afterwards? How quickly can you drive, work, travel, or exercise again?
These are the questions you will need to focus on here, as they can help set clear expectations and prevent disappointment later on. It is also important to keep in mind that recovery is never as linear or the same for everyone, from person to person, depending on a lot of factors, from the symptoms to the kind of treatment plan you are following and the individual factors. The least you can do is discuss key milestones to better prepare for the journey ahead.
What if conservative treatment doesn’t work for your hip condition?
Before elaborating on this, it is important to note that conservative techniques should not be considered a failure if they don’t completely solve the problem you are facing. Sometimes, certain conditions demand a little more. To this end, ask your doctor what the next step should be. Would further imaging be needed? Are there different injection options available? Most important of all, is surgery now an option worth considering?
If surgery does become part of your case, don’t be afraid to discuss the risks and benefits openly. Ask whether there are any complications that could arise later, how frequently these surgeries even occur, what your recovery from the surgery will look like, and if there is anything you can do to mitigate the risks associated with it.
If you want, you can also ask how successful hip-related surgeries are in the long run and if you may require another one in the future. While all of these questions may sound scary, they are not meant to discourage you from surgery or demotivate you in your hip recovery journey. If anything, all you’re doing right now is trying to map things out for yourself. Instead of attempting to shoot arrows in the dark, they will help you make an informed decision in the future rather than relying on assumptions or anecdotal stories heard elsewhere.
Go into your hip appointment with zero assumptions
If there is one thing you should remember, it’s to go into your consultation with all these questions. It won’t make you a difficult patient in your doctor’s eyes. In fact, you’ll be surprised by how much the doctor will welcome your preparedness, given how it helps create a better conversation between you and them. The more you understand how everything related to your hip condition will look, the easier it will become to make future decisions with confidence. Remember, the goal is to understand your problem well enough to get back to living your life with as few limitations as possible. So don’t hesitate to ask questions – it’s your right, and you deserve to know the best for you.
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