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My referring doctor said I have a labral tear, why can′t I just schedule
surgery?
Treating the patient with “hip” pain is a complex process. Patients may be experiencing referred pain from other areas such as the spine. When taking the patient′s history and performing the physical exam, the physician or nurse practitioner is looking for the answer to important questions such as
- where does the patient hurt,
- what type of pain are they having, and
- where is the pain coming from.
The last question can be especially difficult to answer but, if the pain is not coming from inside the hip joint, surgery on the hip joint will not fix the problem and resolve the pain.
Although x-rays and imaging studies such as MRI are useful in providing clues to the source of the pain, the result of the study may not match the examination findings. For example, an MRI may show an incidental finding of a cartilage tear located away from where the patient indicates that the hip is painful. The physician or nurse practitioner must determine if the cartilage tear is clinically relevant or, in other words, “is that what′s causing the problem?”
A hip joint injection is the most definitive test to determine if the pain is coming from inside the hip joint. Injecting a pain-free patient will not provide useful diagnostic information so, when patients with a history of activity-related hip pain are relatively pain-free during their clinic visit, we have them recreate the pain (with exercises in our therapy department) before the injection. Pain relief after the injection is an indicator that the pain is coming from inside the joint.
The treatment plan for patients with hip pain is devised after all of the information collected – history, exam, imaging and injection. Our goal is to make the collection process as simple and uneventful as possible.
What are your business hours?
Our practice hours are from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Appointments can be made by telephoning our practice at (615) 284-5800.
Will physical therapy be required after surgery?
Getting a full range of motion, strength and flexibility back after surgery usually takes time. That's where pre-operative exercise and education and post-operative physical therapy programs come in - to ensure you're physically and emotionally prepared for surgery and to maximize your recovery after surgery.
What should I bring with me when I come for an appointment?
When you come for your appointment remember to bring the following:
- Drivers License or a valid ID
- Insurance information
- Referral Letter (if required)
- Reports, X-rays, MRI's, CT scans etc and any other relevant information
- List of medications (if any)
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