Hip pain usually comes from one of a few structures — a bursa on the outside of the hip, the labrum inside the joint, the tendons around it, or an arthritic joint surface. At Halcyon the consultant examines you, scans the hip with ultrasound in the same room, and treats the exact structure involved with an image-guided injection. It is done under local anaesthetic as day care, and you go home the same day.
What is hip pain?
Hip pain is pain felt in or around the hip joint — on the outside of the hip, in the groin, or deep in the buttock. Where you feel it is a useful clue: pain on the outer side of the hip is often from a bursa or tendon, while pain in the groin more often comes from the joint itself.
Not all pain felt at the hip starts there. The low back and the sacroiliac joint can refer pain into the buttock and hip, which is why the source is confirmed before anything is treated.
Common causes of hip pain
Most hip pain seen at Halcyon comes from wear, overuse or a tear in one of the soft tissues around the joint. The commonest causes are:
- Trochanteric bursitis — an irritated fluid-filled cushion on the outer side of the hip
- Gluteal tendon problems, often seen alongside bursitis
- A labral tear — damage to the rim of cartilage that lines the hip socket
- Osteoarthritis — wear of the joint surface, more common with age
- Pain referred from the low back or sacroiliac joint
Symptoms of hip pain
Hip problems usually show themselves as pain with weight-bearing and movement. Bursitis often makes it uncomfortable to lie on the affected side at night. A labral tear may cause a catching or clicking feeling in the groin. An arthritic hip tends to be stiff first thing in the morning and makes it harder to put on socks or shoes.
Other common signs include a limp, pain on climbing stairs or getting out of a car, and a reduced range of movement.
How Halcyon finds the cause
The consultant first examines the hip and the back to narrow down which structure is likely to be causing the pain. The suspected bursa, tendon or joint is then scanned with diagnostic ultrasound in the same room, so you do not need a separate appointment to have the scan read.
The hip sits deep under thick muscle, so guidance matters more here than almost anywhere else in the body. The same ultrasound used to find the problem is used to guide the needle to it. Bring any recent X-ray or MRI reports — they help, particularly for arthritis and labral tears.
Non-surgical treatment options at Halcyon
Hip pain at Halcyon is treated with an image-guided injection placed into the exact structure involved, rather than into the general area. What is injected depends on what the scan shows.
Where a tendon or the tissue around the joint has worn or torn, a regenerative injection is often used: a small sample of your own blood is drawn, its growth factors concentrated, and the concentrate placed under ultrasound where the tissue has worn. The aim is to prompt the body to repair the tissue rather than simply mask the pain. Your consultant will explain which option suits your hip and why.
- Bursitis and tendon pain — guided injection into the bursa or tendon
- Labral tears — guided injection into the joint
- Arthritic hip — guided injection into the joint, chosen by what the scan shows
What to expect on the day and after
Assessment, scan and treatment can happen in one appointment. The procedure is done under local anaesthetic, so you stay awake and talking, and there is no general anaesthetic or hospital admission. Most people are home within about two hours.
You will leave with aftercare instructions and a review date. How much rest you need depends on the procedure — the consultant will tell you what to do and what to avoid before you go. Costs are explained at the consultation, before anything is booked.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if hip pain lasts more than a few weeks, wakes you at night, or makes you limp. Some hip symptoms need urgent care instead of a clinic appointment.
- A fall or injury after which you cannot bear weight — possible fracture, go to an emergency department
- A hot, swollen, very painful hip with fever
- Sudden weakness in the leg, or loss of bladder or bowel control
- Hip or groin pain with unexplained weight loss
Treatments used for hip pain
Which one is right is decided by what the scan shows, not chosen in advance.
Questions about hip pain
Can hip pain be treated without surgery?
Often, yes. Hip pain from bursitis, tendon problems, a labral tear or an arthritic joint can usually be treated at Halcyon with an image-guided injection into the exact structure involved. It is done under local anaesthetic as day care. The consultant scans the hip first and will tell you plainly if your hip needs a different kind of care.
Why does the injection need ultrasound guidance?
The hip lies deep under thick muscle, and the bursa, tendons and joint sit close together. Ultrasound lets the consultant see the structure causing your pain and guide the needle to that exact spot, rather than injecting the general area and hoping it spreads to the right place.
How do I know whether my pain is from the hip or my back?
It is not always obvious, because the low back and sacroiliac joint often refer pain into the buttock and hip. The consultant examines both, and the hip is scanned in the consulting room. If the source is still unclear, a small diagnostic block can help prove which structure is causing the pain.
What is trochanteric bursitis?
It is irritation of a bursa — a small fluid-filled cushion — on the outer side of the hip, often with the gluteal tendons involved. It typically causes pain on the outside of the hip that is worse lying on that side, climbing stairs or walking for long. Ultrasound can show it clearly.
How long will the relief last?
That varies with the cause, how worn the joint is and how the tissue responds, which is why the diagnostic scan comes first. The consultant will give you a realistic answer for your hip at the consultation rather than a figure that fits everyone.
Where is Halcyon and how do I book?
Halcyon is on the 3rd Floor, KKR Commercial Complex, Kukatpally Y Junction, Moosapet Road, Hyderabad — above the Max showroom and a few minutes from the KPHB and Moosapet metro stations. Call +91 77880 91092, Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm, and bring any recent X-ray or MRI reports.
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