When to see a doctor

By Mayo Clinic Staff

If your hip pain is minor, you may not need to see a healthcare professional. You can try these self-care tips to relieve discomfort:

  • Rest. Limit activities that involve bending at the hip or putting direct pressure on it. Try not to sleep on the affected side. And try not to sit for long periods.
  • Pain relievers. Pain medicines you can buy without a prescription, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve), may help ease hip pain. Creams, gels or patches that contain pain-relieving ingredients, such as diclofenac, lidocaine or capsaicin, can be applied directly to the skin over the painful area.
  • Ice. Apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel to the hip to lessen inflammation.
  • Heat and gentle stretching. A warm bath or shower may help relax muscles and prepare them for gentle stretching exercises that may lessen pain.

If self-care treatments don't help, make an appointment with your healthcare team.

Seek medical care right away

If you've injured your hip and you have any of the following symptoms, seek medical care right away:

  • A joint that looks misshapen or out of place or your leg seems shorter than usual.
  • You're not able to move your leg or hip.
  • You can't put weight on the affected leg.
  • Intense pain.
  • Sudden swelling.
  • Fever, chills or a change in skin color on the affected leg.

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Sept. 01, 2023

See also

  1. Avascular necrosis (osteonecrosis)
  2. Baby Hip Instability and Dysplasia
  3. Hemophilia
  4. Hip dysplasia
  5. Hip fracture
  6. Hip labral tear
  7. Integrative approaches to treating pain
  8. Metastatic (stage 4) prostate cancer
  9. Nutrition and pain
  10. Paget's disease of bone
  11. Pain rehabilitation
  12. Polymyalgia rheumatica
  13. Self-care approaches to treating pain