Second Opinions for Hip Pain: When Your Current Treatment Isn’t Working

A second opinion may be helpful if your symptoms are not improving, your diagnosis feels unclear, or your treatment plan no longer matches your pain.

Common reasons to seek a private hip specialist review include:

• Physiotherapy has not improved your pain or mobility
• Hip injections have only helped temporarily, or not at all
• Hip pain is waking you at night
• Your walking distance is getting shorter
• You are relying more on painkillers
• You have been told you are “too young” or “not ready” for hip replacement
• You have conflicting advice about your X-ray or MRI results
• You are unsure whether the pain is coming from your hip, back or knee
• Your symptoms are limiting work, travel, exercise or family life
•  

NHS¹ guidance on hip replacement explains that surgery may be recommended when “hip pain and stiffness significantly affect daily life and other treatments have not worked”.

In simple terms: ongoing pain and loss of function deserve a proper review.

Hip pain can be misleading. Arthritis or joint damage may cause pain in the groin, buttock, thigh or knee. 

It’s not uncommon for people to be treated for back pain, muscle tightness or tendon problems before the hip joint is confirmed as the main source.

A specialist hip assessment looks at the whole picture:

• Where is the pain?
• What makes it worse?
• How far can you walk?
• Is sleep affected?
• Do the X-ray or MRI findings match your symptoms?
• Is the problem arthritis, impingement, tendon pain, referred back pain or something else?

The key question is not just “what does the scan show?” It is “does the scan explain your symptoms?”

This is usually reassuring if symptoms are mild. But, if hip pain is persistent (sleep is poor, mobility is declining or injections and physio are no longer helping) it may be time to reassess.

NICE¹ advice on osteoarthritis supports shared decision-making and recommends that joint replacement referral should be based on symptoms, quality of life and clinical assessment; not broad assumptions alone.

So, am I too young for hip replacement? Is my arthritis bad enough for surgery? Should I keep having injections? These are exactly the kinds of questions a second opinion can help answer.

Non-surgical treatment can be very helpful for hip arthritis and soft-tissue hip pain. Don’t overlook these options!

This may include physiotherapy, strengthening exercises, pain relief, anti-inflammatory medication, walking aids, steroid injections and activity modification.

Learn about our Non-surgical options

However, these treatments do not reverse advanced arthritis or restore worn joint surfaces. 

A hip injection may reduce pain for a while, but it is not always long-lasting. Physiotherapy can improve strength and movement, but it may not be enough if the joint itself is badly damaged. A second opinion can help you decide whether to continue conservative treatment, investigate further or consider surgery.

The purpose of a second opinion is to provide clarity, not pressure.

At a specialist hip review, the consultant will usually assess:

• Your symptoms and how long they have been present
• What treatment you have already tried
• How pain affects sleep, walking, work and daily life
• Hip movement, strength and walking pattern
• X-rays, MRI scans or other imaging
• Whether symptoms are coming from the hip joint or another source
• Whether non-surgical treatment still has a role
• Whether hip replacement surgery should be considered

The aim is to explain why your current treatment may not be working and give you realistic next steps.

At Orthopaedic Innovation, patients can access specialist review for persistent hip pain, including those who have already tried physiotherapy, injections or other conservative treatments.

Where hip replacement is appropriate, Orthopaedic Innovation offers the Kley Rapid Hip Method: a minimally invasive, muscle-sparing technique designed to support faster early recovery and reduced post-operative restrictions.

The rapid recovery hip replacement pathway reports:

• Approximate 20–30 minute surgical time
• Small 4–6 cm incision
• Over 95% of patients discharged the same day or within 24 hours
• 90% of patients up and walking within two hours without crutches
• 15 years’ experience in the technique
• Over 3,000 hip procedures across Europe and the UK
• Reported UK record of 0% infection, blood clot and hip dislocation rates

Led by the one and only Dr Kristian Kley:

Our recommended questions are as follows:

• • What is causing my hip pain?
  • Is my pain coming from my hip, back or knee?
  • Do my symptoms match my X-ray or MRI?
  • Has physiotherapy had enough time to work?
  • Why did my hip injection not last?
  • Is conservative treatment still likely to help?
  • Am I a candidate for hip replacement?
  • Am I too young for hip replacement surgery?

• What happens if I delay treatment?
• What recovery could I realistically expect?
• What are the risks and benefits in my case?

The Patients Association³ notes that seeking another view can help patients feel more informed about their care. The reality is, a good specialist should welcome questions and help you make a decision without pressure.