Hip Problems
See complete list of symptom flow charts
**The following is a general guideline from the American Medical Association. The flowchart below allows you to easily track your symptoms and come to a possible diagnosis. Be sure to consult with you doctor if you feel you have a serious medical problem.
I did not produce this chart myself, so any treatment options on this page are completely conventional.The following flowchart was reproduced with permission.
| SYMPTOMS | DIAGNOSIS | SELF-CARE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Begin Here | ||||
| 1. Did you fall or suddenly feel your hip give way? | No | Go to Question 3.* | ||
| Yes | ||||
| 2. Do the toes on your leg on the side of your injured hip seem to turn out, and does it hurt to straighten, lift or stand on your leg? | Yes | Your pain and deformity may be from a HIP FRACTURE. | URGENT See your doctor right away. |
|
| No | Your pain may be from BRUISED HIPS. | See your doctor. Use ice and an anti-inflammatory medicine to relieve the pain. | ||
|
|
||||
| *3. Do you have stiffness, swelling, redness or pain in any other joints? | Yes | Your hip pain may be from ARTHRITIS. | Try an anti-inflammatory medicine. If you don’t feel better, see your doctor. | |
| No | ||||
| 4. Have you felt a “click” in your hip or occasional pain with activity? | Yes | You may have a CONGENITAL HIP PROBLEM, a deformity of the hip joint that began before birth. | See your doctor. | |
| No | ||||
| 5. Do you have pain in the back of your hip that starts in your lower back and travels into your buttocks or into your leg? | Yes | Your symptoms may be from SCIATICA, a pinched nerve. If the pain shoots down your leg near your knee or to your foot, this could be from a RUPTURED DISK. | Heat, anti-inflammatory medicine and rest may help. See your doctor if the pain continues or if it travels down the leg. Contact your doctor immediately if you develop difficulty controlling urination or bowel movements. | |
| No | ||||
| 6. Is the person a child with pain in the knees, hips or groin? | Yes | This could be related to a number of disorders, including a SLIPPED CAPITAL FEMORAL EPIPHYSIS. | See your doctor. | |
| No | ||||
| For more information, please talk with your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away. | ||||
See complete list of symptom flow charts
This tool has been reviewed by doctors and is for general educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. The information in this tool should not be relied upon to make decisions about your health. Always consult your family doctor with questions about your individual condition(s) and/or circumstances.
Source: American Medical Association (2008-04-21). American Medical Association Family Medical Guide (AMA Family Medical Guide) (Kindle Locations 6690-6691). Turner Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.
