If you’re tired of living with hip pain and are looking for alternatives to steroid injections or joint replacement, then minimally invasive regenerative treatments could help bring balance back to your life.
What treatments does Jorja healthcare Regenerative Treatments offer?
Our renowned medical team provides a range of non-invasive treatments, from the traditional to the innovative. Many of our treatments can be carried out on an outpatient basis, without the need for a hospital stay. In fact, many patients can resume their normal activities within several hours of their visit!
Micro-Fragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT)
Over a one-day period, this treatment is exclusively offered to our patients. MFAT Injections use a pioneering technology whereby your body’s own adipose (fat) cells are used to treat pain and inflammation. MFAT Injections are minimally invasive due to the guidance of ultrasound. Altogether the procedure takes about an hour to perform with a minimal recovery time. As well as being a potential alternative to surgery, MFAT Injections can also aid post-surgery recovery.
Read Angela’s story who had this treatment in her knees. She is now pain free and her life has changed completely.
Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC)
BMAC Injections harness the natural healing abilities of your own mesenchymal stem cells, found in the bone marrow, to
This is an effective and well-researched procedure that’s a potential alternative to surgery. It takes advantage of the blood’s natural healing properties to reduce pain and improve joint function. It uses a specially concentrated dosage of platelets prepared from your own blood to repair damaged cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscle and bone. Treatment is administered via an injection and depending on the injury two to six injections may be required, performed at weekly intervals. Patients usually see their symptoms improve within four to six weeks of having the injections. PRP is a safe treatment option which, because your own blood is used, carries no risk of allergic reaction. Read more clinical evidence supporting PRP here.
Read Eddie’s Story. The British former professional strongman and World’s Strongest Man 2017 winner Eddie Hall recently received PRP Therapy.
How common is hip pain?
What are the symptoms of hip pain?
Where your hip pain is can provide valuable clues about the cause – problems with the hip joint itself tend to cause discomfort inside your hip or groin, while pain on the outside of your hip, upper thigh or outer buttock can suggest issues with muscles, tendons, ligaments or other soft tissues around the joint.
Pain in other parts of the body, particularly the lower back, can also cause pain to appear in your hip – this is known as referred pain.
What causes hip pain?
A wide variety of problems that can trigger hip pain, ranging from minor issues that often clear up on their own over time, to more severe conditions requiring treatment, medication or even surgery.
Your hips are among your body’s hardest-working joints, with 27 different muscles alone. It means there’s a lot that can go wrong, with muscle strains and tendon tears not uncommon. Growing older, being overweight or being highly active or athletic can all cause issues that result in hip pain.
In rare cases the causes can be serious, so it’s important to get your pain properly diagnosed if it persists for more than two weeks. During a consultation, our specialist will also focus on other parts of your body connected to the hip, like the pelvis and lower back, to check for problems there that may be causing referred pain in your hip.
Common causes include:
Arthritis is a group of conditions that causes joint pain, with symptoms including swelling, stiffness and restricted movement. It more usually affects women and occurs more frequently as we get older.
Osteoarthritis is the most common, affecting millions of people across the world. It’s caused by the cartilage, the rubbery padding that protects the ends of your bones, wears down over time, particularly in your hands, knees, hips and back.
Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by your immune system attacking parts of your own body by mistake. It affects the lining of your joints and leads to an uncomfortable swelling. Symptoms include joint tenderness, stiffness that’s often worse in the morning and after inactivity, along with tiredness, fever and loss of appetite. Often, the joint symptoms are the same on both sides of your body.
Muscle or tendon strain
Hip labral tear/Impingement
Tears may also involve the soft tissue ‘lip’ around your hip joint, called the labrum, that helps hold the ball at the top of your thighbone in its hip socket. These tears can be caused by an unstable joint or structural abnormalities, while athletes are also at a higher risk of developing one. They can be hard to detect, but you might experience a locking or clicking sensation in your hip as well as pain or stiffness.
Hip fractures
Fractures, cracks or breaks close to the hip joint at the top of your thigh bone are usually caused by an injury or fall. They’re very common in older people, who may have reduced eyesight or be unsteady on their feet. As well as discomfort, symptoms include difficulty lifting or turning your leg, problems standing or walking with that leg, and swelling and bruising around your hip.
Nerve entrapment
There are a number of nerves running through your hip, pelvis and lower back that can cause pain in any of these areas if they get pinched or inflamed. Symptoms can include tingling, numbness, discomfort, and pain that travels down one or both legs.
Osteonecrosis
This is a painful condition that can affect any bone, though is most common in the hip where it’s caused by a disruption to the blood flow to the top of your thigh bone. If it’s not treated, it can ultimately lead to severe arthritis and can even destroy the joint. It can affect anyone, but especially men aged between 40 and 65. Symptoms start with a dull ache in your groin or buttock, and over several months it can limit your ability to stand on the affected hip. Early diagnosis is important as studies have shown that prompt treatment leads to better outcomes.
Cancers
Bone cancer is rare – it accounts for less than 1 per cent of all cancers – but usually affects the pelvic area, arms and legs. Signs and symptoms include bone pain, swelling, fatigue and unintended weight loss. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are common treatments depending on the type of bone cancer.
A different type of cancer that may cause hip pain is leukaemia, which affects the body tissues that create blood, including bone marrow. Symptoms vary depending on the sort of leukaemia, but can include chills or fever, continual tiredness, frequent infections, unplanned weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, bleeding or bruising easily, frequent nosebleeds and bone pain.
Septic arthritis
Septic arthritis is rare. It is caused by an infection and is often accompanied by a fever. Any joint can be affected, but it’s most common in the knee and hip. As well as pain, your hip becomes swollen and red, with the symptoms often coming on quickly. Because septic arthritis can cause permanent damage or even become life-threatening if untreated, it’s important to seek medical attention straight away if you have any of the symptoms.
A different type of cancer that may cause hip pain is leukaemia, which affects the body tissues that create blood, including bone marrow. Symptoms vary depending on the sort of leukaemia, but can include chills or fever, continual tiredness, frequent infections, unplanned weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, bleeding or bruising easily, frequent nosebleeds and bone pain.
When do I see a specialist?
- your hip is swollen
- it hurts to move your leg
- your hip joint looks unusual
- you’re in severe pain
- you had a fall and heard a crack or pop
- sleeping is difficult due to the pain
- painkillers no longer help
What are the non-surgical options for hip pain?
Treatment for hip conditions such as osteoarthritis is usually initially aimed at relieving pain and involves anti-inflammatory medication, low-impact exercise, walking aids and weight loss, sometimes under the guidance of a physiotherapist.
If the first-step approaches don’t help, or a specialist has advised your condition requires more in-depth treatment, there are several options to treat hip pain that don’t involve surgery.
We offer a variety of biological therapies that harness your body’s natural ability to repair itself – Micro-Fragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT), Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).
They are minimally invasive, can decrease inflammation, stop the progression of arthritic damage and may repair joint cartilage. The recovery time is also much shorter than with surgery.
Following these treatments, you are often encouraged to walk the same day and quickly return to normal activity without having to go through the risks associated with surgery.
There’s more information on these therapies above.
If you would like to discuss these treatments, please make an enquiry or book an appointment.
What are the surgical options for hip pain?
Known as an arthroplasty, surgery to replace a hip with an artificial joint is most common for people between 60 to 80. It’s usually carried out when the joint is so worn or damaged it is restricting mobility and causing pain even when you are not moving.
Why is joint replacement the last resort?
Why have a consultation at Jorja Healthcare Regenerative Treatments?
Our innovative range of treatments goes beyond what’s available on the NHS. As well as providing a full opinion on your condition that includes all the traditional non-surgical and surgical options, our experienced consultants will also assess your suitability for our alternative biological therapies, Micro-Fragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT), Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).
Who will my consultation be with?
You will see one of our expert orthopaedic consultants for 30-40 minutes.
During the consultation, our specialist will:
- discuss your medical history to find out more about your symptoms
- examine the joint and identify the source of the pain and any mobility issues
- arrange for a diagnostic investigation, usually an MRI scan
- discuss all the treatment options with you, along with their potential benefits and any risks.
Our experienced team works as part of a collaborative partnership of surgeons, sports medicine doctors and physiotherapists to provide the perfect patient pathway to get you quickly on the road to recovery. Whether you need conventional treatment or if you are a candidate for our regenerative treatments, you can be sure that you will get the best advice.
What is the autologus biological approach and when should it be considered?
Autologous means ‘from the same person’ rather than from a donor. Essentially, your own cells are used to encourage healing. With this type of treatment, there’s a dramatic reduction in the risks of the rejection, infection or contamination that come with using material from someone else. The innovative therapies we offer are based on this idea. If you’ve found traditional treatments aren’t helping your pain, of if you’re looking for a possible alternative to surgery, then this approach is one to consider.
Clinical evidence
Biological treatments are pioneering procedures and we’re continuously monitoring and recording its effectiveness. Patients undertaking these treatments are asked to complete pre-operative and post-operative questionnaires.
The information obtained from these questionnaires allows us to monitor your progress and it also contributes to our evidence-based database and other global studies on biological treatments. All information gathered is anonymised.