Dr. Sanjeev Monga

Get a diagnosis before anything else. It is really important to know what is causing your pain. See a doctor before you start doing any exercises or taking any medication. There are many reasons your hip could be in pain, including arthritis, bursitis, or an injury you've got while playing a sport. Always ask your doctor what you should and should not be doing, given the cause of your hip pain.

1. Ice your joints: Holding ice to your hips will reduce inflammation of your joints. You should hold an ice pack to the affected area for 15 minutes several times a day. If you find that the ice pack is uncomfortably cold, wrap it in a towel and then place it on the pained area.

2. Heat your joints if you have arthritis in your hips: Heating your joints can soothe the pain you feel. Consider taking a hot bath or shower, or soak in a hot tub if there is one available to you. You could also consider purchasing a hot pad that you can place directly on your hip. Do not use heat to soothe your joints if you have bursitis. Heat can cause hips affected by bursitis to actually become more inflamed.

3. Get some rest: If you have injured your hip, the best thing you can do is to simply give your hip time to heal. Avoid anything that causes you to feel pain in your hip. Instead, grab an ice pack, a bowl of popcorn and watch some movies. You should give your hip a rest for at least 24 to 48 hours.

4. Avoid high-impact activities: If you are in severe pain, chances are you won’t feel like running or jumping anyway, but it is good to keep in mind that these activities should be avoided. High-impact activities will cause your joints to become more inflamed, thus causing your more pain. Instead of running, try taking a brisk walk, as walking has much less of an impact on your joints.

5. Consider losing weight: The more your body weighs, the more weight your painful hip is burdened with supporting. Losing weight can help ease hip pain simply by removing some of that weight that stresses the cartilage and joints.

6. Choose the right shoes: You should buy shoes that give you as much support as possible. Look for shoes that have great cushions, or have removable insoles so that you can add orthopaedics. The sole should have good shock absorption, should limit pronation (turning or rotating the foot) and will evenly distribute pressure along the length of your foot.

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