Private Hip Ultrasound

If you’ve got a tender hip or you’re experiencing trouble walking, you may need a hip ultrasound.

Here’s what you need to know about hip pain, potential causes, and what happens at your ultrasound scan.

Hip pain is very common, and it has many causes.

Often, hip pain is benign and something you can manage at home, but it could be something more serious.

The most common causes of hip pain are:

• Osteoarthritis

   – this causes tissue inflammation and cartilage damage, leading to stiffness and discomfort

• Obesity, which can put undue stress on the hip joints

• Muscle wear and tear

• Overexercising

• Poor posture or gait

Less common causes of hip pain include:

• Abnormally shaped hip bones

• Infection

• Fractures

• Cartilage tears

• Reduced blood flow

• Hip socket problems

A hip ultrasound can pick up these abnormalities so doctors can give you the right treatment for your condition.

Even if you’re experiencing hip joint pain or tenderness, a doctor isn’t always necessary.

Sometimes, resting the joint and simple painkillers are all you need to ease the symptoms.

This is the case particularly if you’ve pulled a muscle or there’s mild inflammation around the soft tissues.

However, you should always speak to a doctor if you experience:

• Hip swelling

• Hip lump/bump

• Intense hip pain

• Restricted hip movement

• Trouble walking/limping

• Inner hip pain, or outer hip pain, accompanied by groin pain, upper thigh pain, or buttock pain

These symptoms may suggest something more serious such as nerve impingement, a hip fracture, or an infection.

Remember, if hip discomfort doesn’t go away after a few weeks of self-care, you should seek a doctor’s advice.

Hip ultrasounds are a simple and non-invasive way to look at the structures around your hip.

They let your doctor identify tissue changes, unusual masses, and organ change.

If you’ve never had an ultrasound of your hip before, here’s how it works.

First, you’ll be asked to either sit on an examination table or lie down on your side or back.

It may be necessary to remove your clothing for the exam, but your specialist will tell you if that’s the case.

Once you’re comfortable, the specialist or doctor applies a water-based gel to the hip area.

This gel acts like a lubricant for the imaging probe to glide over. It’s entirely painless although it may feel slightly cold.

Next, the specialist moves the instrument over your hip. The instrument captures images of your hip structures as it goes along.

The specialist will move the probe over the area until they’ve captured the right pictures. It’s important that you don’t move too much because movement affects the imaging accuracy.

After the ultrasound, you’ll be asked to get dressed. Then, you can relax.

There’s no recovery time or aftercare required.

Your doctor will then review your ultrasound and let you know what the next steps are.

You don’t need to do anything special to prepare for your hip ultrasound scan. However, we recommend that you wear loose, comfortable clothing and leave jewellery at home.

No significant preparation is required for this test. 

There is no particular type of care required after a Hip Ultrasound Scan. You may resume your regular diet and daily activities unless your doctor advises you differently.

There are no confirmed adverse biological effects on patients or instrument operators caused by exposures to ultrasound at the intensity levels used in diagnostic ultrasound.

But depending on your particular results, the doctor may give you additional or alternative instructions after the procedure.

Many of our patients are concerned that if they come to us for an ultrasound, they won’t be able to go back to public health. That simply is not the case.

Our goal is to give you answers as quickly as possible and get you on the right treatment path fast – no strings attached.

When you come to us, you will be seen by a qualified specialist who can determine if your situation is serious or not that same day.

We don’t want you to wait weeks on end for an appointment because every minute counts when it comes to something as important as your health.

If your situation is serious, our specialist will write to your doctor in the NHS advising them that you need an urgent appointment.