Workers in North Carolina and Virginia may suffer hip injuries for many reasons. Two of the more common reasons are slip and fall accidents and vehicle accidents. Hip fractures often require surgery and long-term rehabilitation therapy. Other causes of hip pain are arthritis, bursitis, and osteoporosis.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the hip joint is the joint you use most to move. The hip supports your weight and keeps you balanced. It’s one of the largest joints in your body. The hip joint is where your pelvis and thigh bone connect.
Some of the injuries that may prevent employees from working include:
- Hip muscle strains (especially hip flexor strains). The flexors are the muscles where your thigh and hip meet. They’re a type of muscle strain which is a tear in your muscle tissue.
- Iliotibial band syndrome. The iliotibial band is “a tendon that can rub against your hip or knee bones,” usually accompanied by swelling and irritation.
- Hip labral tears. “A hip labral tear is an injury to the labrum in your hip joint. The labrum is a rim of cartilage that lines your hip socket.”
- Fractured (broken) bones. A hip fracture occurs when you break the upper part of your thigh bone (femur) near your hip joint. This type of fracture usually requires surgery.
- Hip dislocations. “A hip dislocation occurs when the ball joint of your hip (femur) pops out of its socket (acetabulum). It’s a medical emergency. A dislocated hip is acutely painful and disabling. Immediate care reduces the chance of long-term complications.”
Workers who experience pain in their hip have different causes depending on the location of the pain. If the hip pain is close to the surface around or above your hip, that suggests problems with your muscles, ligaments, or tendons. If the hip pain is deeper inside your hip, that suggests the problem is in your bones or cartilage. Pain in your lower back may be due to the spreading of hip pain to your lower back.
What are the treatments for hip pain?
The RICE treatment
According to the Cleveland Clinic, unless surgery or other immediate procedures are necessary, the initial treatment of hip pain uses the RICE method. RICE is an acronym for the following:
- Rest. Workers will stop working so the injury doesn’t worsen.
- Ice. Someone should help the worker by applying an ice pack or cold compress for 10 to 15 minutes every hour during the first day of the injury. For the second day, apply ice every three to four hours. The helper should wrap the ice in a washcloth or towel – and not apply the ice directly to the skin.
- Compression. This step involves applying a wrap or bandage around the hip to help reduce the flow of blood to the injury site and help reduce swelling. Workers may also “wear compression shorts or pants to help keep pressure on their hip.”
- Elevation. To the extent possible, a worker who suffers a hip injury should raise their hips and lower body above the level of their heart – usually with cushions, blankets, or pillows.
Medications for hip pain
Physicians may prescribe or suggest certain medications to relieve the worker’s hip pain. Over-the-counter medications include “NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen) or acetaminophen (Tylenol®).” These medications should not be taken for more than 10 days in a row without speaking with your doctor.
Physical therapy
Your doctor may recommend physical therapy for some types of hip pain. Physical therapy involves exercises (including stretching exercises) to help strengthen the muscles around your affected hip.
Hip surgery
If you have a fracture or other hip pain, surgery may be necessary to repair your hip. The most common type of hip surgery is hip arthroscopy. This procedure involves having your surgeon:
“Make a few small incisions (cuts) in the skin of your hip, and then insert a special tool called an arthroscope into your hip joint. The arthroscope includes a camera and a light that lets your surgeon identify and repair damage inside of your hip.
Another surgery for hip pain is hip replacement surgery. This procedure involves replacing your hip with an artificial implant (a prosthesis). Hip replacement surgery may be necessary if you have difficulty standing, moving, and walking – and your doctor doesn’t recommend hip repair surgery.
How can workers prevent hip pain?
While there’s no perfect way to prevent hip pain, employers and workers can help reduce the risk of hip pain by using the proper machines, equipment, and tools; ensuring that steps are taken to reduce the risk of falling; and ensuring that workers are not tired while they’re working.
Any worker who does experience a fall, a car accident, or any accident that causes hip pain should go to their nearest emergency room or local physician so the doctors can examine the injury, obtain a proper diagnosis (through imaging tests such as X-rays), and workers can obtain the treatment they need to manage, repair, or replace their hip. Workers who suffer hip pain should notify their employer of their injury and the circumstances that led to the injury as soon as possible.
After the initial treatment, we recommend that you contact our seasoned workers’ compensation lawyer. We’ll explain your legal rights including your right to medical care and to temporary and/or permanent disability benefits. Our lawyers anticipate the defenses that employers may assert to try to deny or reduce your work injury claim.
Workers’ compensation lawyer Joe Miller understands how worried you are. It’s natural to worry about whether your hip pain will ever go away. It’s natural to worry about how you will pay your medical bills and support yourself and your family. We’ve helped thousands of workers like you obtain strong settlements and workers’ compensation awards. Attorney Joe Miller has been fighting for workers who suffer workplace injuries and illnesses for more than 30 years. Call attorney Joe Miller, Esq., at 888-667-8295 or complete my online contact form to schedule a free consultation.
Our law firm does have a way for you to provide your details of your accident and injuries if you simply want to do that electronically from the comfort and safety of your home at any time of day or night. To utilize this service, simply click here: New Electronic Case Review.
We’ll get back to you, typically within 24 hours to provide our response as to whether your situation is one where we can provide you with legal representation. If we require more information, we’ll contact you and ask for that information in order to make that determination as to whether we are the best folks to assist you. If we ultimately determine that we cannot represent or assist you, we will not leave you high and dry. We’ll do our best to provide you with other resources to assist you.