When should you see a hip pain specialist?

Hip pain in your 40s, 50s, and beyond: why it matters

It’s an unfortunate fact that beyond the age of 40, cartilage starts to degrade. This can cause wear-and-tear to your joints, making hip and knee pain more likely the older you get. Treating joint pain is important at any age but becomes much more so in your 40s and 50s. The older you get, preserving your quality of life and ability to stay active is crucial.

Common causes of hip pain

Aside from ageing, the most common causes of hip pain are:

Arthritis – this involves the degrading of the cartilage causing the hip’s ball and socket joint to start scraping together.

Bursitis – this is when the fluid-filled sacs inside the hip joint become inflamed. As these sacs help cushion the hip joint, this can be extremely painful.

Dislocation – this typically occurs due to excessive wear-and-tear. If the ball and socket joint becomes too degraded, dislocation can occur.

When should I worry about hip pain?

You should start to worry about hip pain if:

• the pain is severe and persistent
• it’s stopping you from carrying out daily activities
• you have decreased mobility
• it’s leading to disturbed sleep
• it’s affecting your quality of life.

Persistent joint pain can affect your mental health, so it’s important not to delay seeking professional medical advice.

A word from a hip specialist

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Signs you should see a hip pain consultant

There are a handful of tell-tale signs to indicate you may benefit from some time with a consultant hip surgeon. These include the following:

• Persistent or recurring pain in and around the hip joint
• Difficulty exercising and carrying out daily chores
• Limited mobility
• Disturbed sleep due to discomfort
• Conservation treatment options are no longer working.

Of course, there may be other symptoms that indicate an issue. Degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis can cause severe joint pain that may only be corrected through surgery.

Patient testimonial

“I’m so glad I decided to pay for my surgery privately at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Barlborough. Everything went so well and the hospital staff were incredible.”

Linda Hand, hip replacement patient at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Barlborough

NHS vs private specialists for hip pain

“Which comes out on top?” We hear you ask, but it’s not necessarily a case of finding a clear winner out of the two. It’s more a question of which works best for you. The main differences between NHS and private hip specialists are as follows:

Cost – while private healthcare comes at a cost, the NHS is free. With private healthcare, included in that cost are a few major benefits. The ability to choose the time, date, and consultant to perform your surgery is one. Another is the increased likelihood around consistency of your care. This means the consultant you choose to perform your surgery will be with you from your initial consultation to your recovery.

Waiting times – another major difference between the NHS and private healthcare for hip pain is the waiting times. Put simply, the waiting times to see a consultant on the NHS are likely to be much longer than for private consultants.

In fact, with Wellsoon from Practice Plus Group, the waiting time to see a consultant orthopaedic surgeon is just 1-2 weeks, regardless of hospital. You can get an idea of current NHS waiting times from the My Planned Care website. For instance, the waiting time to see an orthopaedic consultant at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust is 18 weeks (or around four and a half months). To give this balance, below are examples of waiting times to see an orthopaedic consultant with the NHS around England:

• Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: 14 weeks¹
• University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust: 15 weeks²
• Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust: 18 weeks³

(Practice Plus Group is not responsible for and does not control the content displayed on external websites.)

The cost to see a private consultant with Wellsoon is just £95. This is regardless of the type of treatment you need.

Patient choice
The main difference here is that while an NHS pathway gives you the option of choosing your hospital, with private healthcare, you get the freedom of:

• choosing your consultant
• choosing where you have your treatment
• choosing when you have your treatment.

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What happens at a private consultation for hip pain?

Your private hip consultation is your chance to speak to a healthcare specialist. Along with an in-depth discussion about your specific issue, you can expect the consultant to carry out a physical assessment (if necessary). This may include blood tests or x-rays. The consultant is likely to ask about your medical records, including questions about pre-existing medical conditions and your family medical history.

How to find the right hip pain specialist near you

While choosing the right consultant is a straightforward task, it’s also an important one. There are a few factors worth bearing in mind before you make a decision. You should check the experience level and qualifications of the consultant. Ask yourself whether they have the right experience to carry out your specific treatment. For example, if you need a minimally invasive procedure, you should be looking for a consultant that’s highly experienced with this surgical technique.

Another thing to read are reviews from past patients. Glowing testimonials praising a consultant’s skills are likely to play a big part when it comes to the final decision.

The following guides will help you to find the best hip consultants around the country:

• How to find the best hip surgeon in Bristol
• Birmingham hip replacement – a patient guide
• Hip replacement in Somerset – a patient’s guide
• Patient guide to hip replacement in London, Essex, and Ilford
• Private hip replacement in Bristol – a patient guide
• Hip replacement surgery in Plymouth – a patient guide
• Hip replacement surgery in Portsmouth – a patient guide
• Hip replacement surgery in Derbyshire – a patient guide

Top hip pain specialists

In the UK, there’s no shortage of consultants to choose from when it comes to treatment for hip pain. To find some of the very best in the country, you needn’t look any further. The carousel below shows consultant hip surgeons working for Wellsoon. Alternatively, you can visit our hip consultants page for a full list.

Why choose Wellsoon hip pain specialists?

Wellsoon from Practice Plus Group is proud to work with over 200 trusted and highly experienced hip consultants from across the country. They’ll work with you to decide on the best course of action for your hip issue and ensure you receive first-class hip care regardless of the type of treatment you need. To find a private consultant, simply check out our dedicated Consultants page.

Available treatments for hip pain

Wellsoon offers the following treatment for hip pain:

• Hip replacement surgery
• Hip revision surgery
• Injection in theatre or clinic
• Injection in tendon
• Ultrasound-guided injection

How to book

You can book private hip treatment near you with Wellsoon from Practice Plus Group in the following ways:

• self-pay via a single one-off payment or finance options
• through private medical insurance.

If you’re thinking about using your private medical insurance for healthcare, you may find our patient video featuring past hip replacement patient, Sue Bateman, helpful and informative.

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James Wood, Content Specialist