Overview

Your hips can take a real pounding

Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that hip pain, soreness, stiffness or injury can prevent you from doing daily activities or sports.

Often, that discomfort is related to years of wear and tear. But hip injuries happen, and conditions like arthritis can develop too. Whatever the reason, when your hip hurts, just getting around can become a problem.

Whether you are an older adult or young athlete, we can help find the source of your hip pain. Even more importantly, we can help find a solution for it.

Reducing your pain, restoring your freedom of movement

Depending on your needs, our goal is to prevent your hip discomfort from getting worse or treat the condition that is causing your pain. Everyone is different. Everyone’s treatment can be too. You can count on us to work with you to find the treatment that’s best for you.

Always looking forward

We don’t just practice orthopedics, we work to perfect it. At UW Hospital in Madison, Wis., we train the doctors of the future. That means we’re always up to date on the latest treatment advances. Because we also do research, in many cases, we’re coming up with and perfecting treatment.

Working together

Treatment is focused on you and your needs. Some people require surgery. But others could benefit from nonsurgical options. Members of our team from orthopedics, sports medicine, joint replacement and rehabilitation often work together to decide what’s best for you. Their combined expertise helps you get the care you need.

You're part of the team

We keep you involved in your care. We know that the more you know about your treatment and what to expect, the easier it will be.

Treatments

Helping you get back to being you

We know how hard it is to live with pain. It keeps you from doing the things you love and changes how you feel about life. We’ll help you find a way back to feeling good again and getting your life back. 

Possible treatments

Helps lessen discomfort. May be given by mouth, on the skin or by injection.

Can include guided exercise, tips on movement and pain control to help you move better.

Corrects damaged areas of the hip. In some cases, it’s done to replace part or all of the hip joint.

Our programs

Some people might not be ready or able to have hip replacement surgery. For them, we offer special programs.

The goal of this clinic is to provide treatments that help control your symptoms. These could include medication, help with lifestyle changes including weight loss, injections and more. Doctors, physical therapists, nutritionists and health psychologists may have a role in your care.

Group medical visits are also an option in the clinic. We cover topics such as nutrition, exercise and coping. You get useful advice and the support of others going through what you’re going through.

Our Hip Preservation Clinic is designed to help reduce your hip pain and help you move or function better. Depending on your diagnosis, we can do different surgeries on your hip. The goal is to help you delay or prevent the need for hip replacement surgery.

Learn more about hip preservation

Can include guided exercise, tips on movement and pain control to help you move better.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Knowing the signs and finding answers

Symptoms

Hip pain may cause discomfort in your groin, buttocks or thigh. Often, it gets worse when you’re active. Some people also find it hard to walk or to move the way they’d like to.

The following resources may help you better understand hip problems that may cause these symptoms and how we treat them.

Treatment videos

Health Facts For You

Condition and treatment information

Research and clinical trials

Cutting edge research providing the latest solutions

Our research team is focused on a number of areas to help prevent and treat hip problems. Research includes regenerative medicine to help guide stem cells to create different types of tissue that could eliminate the need for artificial joint replacement parts in the future, refining robotic-assisted surgery techniques in joint replacement and preventing hip injuries in young athletes. Learn more about our research

Patient stories

You don’t have to live with hip pain

Andy North swinging a golf club
Andy's story

Two-time U.S. Open golf champion Andy North turned to UW Health when he finally decided that he couldn’t put off hip replacement surgery any longer.

Jay Wilson getting ready for his surgery
Jay's story

A total hip replacement put Jay Wilson back on the sidelines covering Badger football.

Rob Zaleksi walking on a trail in the woods
Rob's story

Rob's life was transformed by two hip replacements, giving him a new outlook on the future.

Meet our team

Our team will help you be active again

When you come to UW Health, you get specialized care. We have doctors who focus on joint replacement, as well as those who specialize in hip preservation and sports injuries. They’re part of a team of doctors and therapists who work to control your pain and help you get back to active living.

Our hip team
Sports physical therapists and athletic trainers

Locations

Find the closest location

Patient support

Helping you prepare

TotalCare for surgery patients is an online education system for patients who are seen at Madison, Wis. locations. It offers useful checklists and reminders. It also provides learning tools and online forms to make paperwork easier. You and others you name can have access to the system.