You and your doctor may decide there are some things you can do now to manage your pain without surgery.
Treatment
without
surgery
What can I do now?

Lifestyle changes
Exercise may help.1 Talk with your doctor about the kinds of exercises that may strengthen the muscles around your hip and help reduce your pain. For people with mild or moderate osteoarthritis of the hip, certain exercises may help improve how they feel and help them postpone surgery.1

Physical therapy
Physical therapists can help lessen your pain by teaching better posture or “form” for your day-to-day activities, like getting in and out of a chair. They can also teach you how to use assistive tools like a cane or walker so you can be more active with less stress on your hips. Your physical therapist may also recommend walking and strengthening exercises, depending on your anatomy, joint functioning, and disease progression.

Medication
Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter or prescription anti-inflammatory medicines to help reduce the swelling and pain in your hip joint. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, and steroid medications, like corticosteroid injections, may be helpful.2 Use of these medications must be monitored by your doctor.
Talk with your doctor about non-surgical approaches to decreasing your hip pain. If these approaches don’t help, you’ve still got options.
References:
- Goodman A. Exercise may delay or prevent hip surgery. Arthritis Foundation. www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/exercise/benefits/exercises-for-hip-pain.php. Accessed 9 May 2023.
- Cortisone shots. Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Accessed 9 May 2023.