Management of Hip Pain with Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Benefits of PMR Referral for Hip Pain

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends physical therapy as a strong evidence-based treatment for mild-to-moderate symptomatic hip osteoarthritis before considering surgical options, with PMR specialists developing individualized physical therapy programs 3, 4
PMR specialists can develop individualized physical therapy programs with proper exercise descriptors that are crucial for effective treatment of hip-related pain, as supported by the British Journal of Sports Medicine 1, 2

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons supports the use of evidence-based conservative treatments, including NSAIDs, physical therapy, and intra-articular corticosteroid injections, for osteoarthritis of the hip, with PMR implementing these treatments 3, 5
Hip-related pain in young to middle-aged active adults can be managed with specialized rehabilitation protocols by PMR specialists to facilitate return to physical activity and sport, as recommended by the British Journal of Sports Medicine 7, 8

PMR specialists use validated patient-reported outcome measures, such as the Hip and Groin Outcome Score and International Hip Outcome Tool, to objectively monitor treatment response, as supported by the British Journal of Sports Medicine 2
The British Journal of Sports Medicine recommends that PMR specialists employ shared decision-making and patient education about treatment options, which improves treatment adherence and outcomes 1, 8
For patients who ultimately require surgical intervention, PMR specialists can optimize patients preoperatively and provide essential post-surgical rehabilitation, as supported by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 3, 5

The Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases warns against failing to consider comorbidities that may influence treatment choices, which PMR specialists are trained to evaluate comprehensively 9
Praxis Medical Insights advises against proceeding to surgery too quickly without exhausting conservative options first, a common pitfall that PMR referral can help prevent, although this is not the preferred source, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons also supports exhausting conservative options 6