Expert Sports Injury
Care in San Diego

Hip pain has a way of disrupting even the most mundane activities, from climbing stairs to getting out of the car. For active individuals, hip and groin injuries make up about 6% of all injuries, so this is far from rare. The problem is that hip injuries don’t always cause hip pain and can actually cause confusing symptoms. 

Understanding the different ways hip injury symptoms can show up and what treatments are available can help you decide that seeing the best orthopedic surgeon in San Diego is the right move. 

Read on to get answers to the most-searched questions about hip injury symptoms, including what tests can give you a clear diagnosis, what your treatment options are, and when to see getting the best PRP therapy in San Diego may help you avoid surgery.

Symptoms of a Hip Injury That Warrant a Visit to an Orthopedic Surgeon

The best way to figure out whether it’s really your hip that is hurt or another nearby structure is to pay attention to where the pain is originating from and how your body feels when you move. Hip problems often include: 

• A deep ache in the front of the hip or in the groin
• Sharp pain when you lift your knee, step up onto a curb, or push off to jog
• Pain and stiffness that make your stride shorter 
• Clicking, catching, or a locking sensation can also occur with hip injuries

If the pain includes a sudden catch when you pivot, or a sense that the hip might give out, it can mean you’re dealing with a labral tear. A labral tear is a common, non-emergent injury that can sometimes even heal by itself if it’s small enough. Signs of an urgent hip injury include: 

• Not being able to bear weight
• Severe pain after a fall or collision
• A hip that looks misshapen or involves trauma, causing bleeding
• The area of the hip is swollen, or red and warm, especially if you also have a fever

Common Causes of Sports and Activity-Related Hip Injuries

Sports-related hip pain often comes from problems deep inside the joint, which is why it can feel confusing and hard to describe: 

• A labral tear is a common injury that is commonly confused with a groin muscle strain because it feels like pain in the groin. Many times, a labral tear also causes a click, catch, or sudden lock when you twist, stand up, or change direction.
• Femoroacetabular impingement, also called hip impingement, causes pain from extra pinching inside the joint when the hip bends or rotates. It can feel like a sharp pinch at the front of the hip that limits how far you can move and gets worse with running, squatting, or sitting for long periods. 
• Other conditions like hip bursitis, cartilage damage, or loose pieces of bone or cartilage in the joint often cause pain on the outside of the hip, along with swelling or irritation that makes the area tender to the touch. 

Because these problems can overlap and feel similar, an exam and imaging from the best orthopedic surgeon in San Diego are often needed to figure out what is really causing the pain.

When to See the Best Orthopedic Surgeon in San Diego Instead of a Primary Care Physician or Physical Therapist 

When hip pain starts to affect the way you are able to live, choosing who to see for expert care is important. For active adults and athletes, the best sports medicine doctor in San Diego is the best place to start. With a modern, patient-centered approach, they can evaluate how you move, how your hip loads when you walk or squat, and where the motion breaks down, especially in overuse injuries that build slowly over time. This kind of visit comprehensive evaluation, focuses on fixing the problem without jumping straight to surgery. 

Non-Surgical Treatments for Hip Injuries

As with most orthopedic injuries, hip injury treatment usually starts by trying non-surgical treatments focused on helping decrease inflammation and allowing tissues to heal or regenerate. Common non-surgical treatments for hip injuries include; 

• Easing back on the activities that trigger pain
• Targeted physical therapy that works on strength, balance, and mobility during walking, running, and lifting
• Injectable orthobiologic treatment like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), which uses naturally healing substances taken from your own body to support healing in irritated or damaged tissue. 

As a general rule, if hip pain or stiffness is still hanging on after several weeks, or if it keeps interrupting work, exercise, or sleep, it is time to see the best orthopedic surgeon in San Diego for surgical treatment options. 

Hip Arthroscopy: Minimally-Invasive Hip Surgery

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive type of hip surgery that allows the best hip surgeon in San Diego to see and treat problems deep inside the joint without making a large incision. During the procedure, the surgeon works through small openings in the skin and uses a tiny camera to look inside the hip. This approach is commonly used to treat:

• Labral tears that cause clicking or catching
• Femoroacetabular impingement that creates painful pinching with movement
• Damage to the smooth cartilage that lets the joint glide

This procedure can also be used to remove loose pieces of bone or cartilage that feel like something is stuck inside the hip, and in select cases, to address certain forms of hip bursitis when other treatments have failed. 

Where to Find the Best Hip Surgeon in San Diego for Minimally-Invasive Hip Arthroscopy and Injectable Orthobiologic Treatments

Hip pain can make you hesitate before every step or hang back from activities you love and once enjoyed, and getting the best treatment hangs in the balance until you find the best orthopedic specialist. Dr. Samagh is known for a thoughtful, patient-centered approach that prioritizes accurate diagnosis, conservative treatment options when appropriate, and advanced surgical care only when it truly makes sense. Patients across Encinitas, Leucadia, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Torrey Pines, and throughout North County San Diego trust him because they feel heard, guided, and supported at every stage of care. 

At San Diego Performance Orthopedics & Regenerative Therapy, the focus is not just on treating a hip injury, but on helping you return to the movements and life you once enjoyed with dependable mobility and no pain. 

Ready to get minimally invasive treatments from the best hip surgeon in San Diego?