Femoral Acetabular Impingement (FAI) Treatment
At first — after a diagnosis of FAI — you should stop activity and give your hip a chance to rest.
You can also take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain.
If the pain doesn't go away, you should seek treatment from a doctor. Without treatment, FAI can worsen and cause more damage to the hip joint.
Nonsurgical FAI treatment
Your doctor will often try nonsurgical treatments first, such as:
- Rest
- Avoiding activities that aggravate the hip
- Injections
- Physical therapy
Exercises focused on strengthening the muscles that support your hip joint can lower the stress on the damaged cartilage and help you heal.
Maintaining flexibility in the joint also helps reduce FAI symptoms.
FAI surgery
If therapy and rest don't ease your FAI symptoms, your doctor may suggest hip arthroscopy. UPMC surgeons are leaders in hip arthroscopy, pioneering the procedure and advancing our understanding of the field.
This minimally invasive surgery allows your doctor to repair the damaged part of the hipbone through small incisions. This FAI surgical treatment has a high success rate for reducing symptoms and preventing further joint damage.
Recovery from surgery involves several weeks of rest, followed by rehab to strengthen the joint.
Learn more about FAI treatment
The links below will open a new browser window.
UPMC's HealthBeat Blog:
|
From our Health Library:
|