Hip
Hip specialists are doctors who focus their medical practice on diagnosing and treating patients with injuries and conditions affecting the hip. These hip specialists can often treat hip pain without surgery. However, when a surgery, such as hip replacement, is needed, these doctors also have the skills required to perform the procedure.
At Orthopaedic Associates, our hip doctors, Dr. Jason Thackeray, Dr. Mark Tenholder, Dr. James Watt, Dr. T. Jacob Seales, Dr. David Dean, Dr. Jake Hawkins, Dr. J. Ryan Cotton, Dr. Nicholas Crossman, and Dr. Chad Mitchell, are recognized experts in the diagnosis and treatment of hip injuries and conditions, including arthritis, fractures, bursitis, and labral tears. Our hip specialists have extensive training in the nonsurgical care of the hip as well as in hip surgery, such as hip replacement or arthroscopic surgery. No matter what treatment or surgery you need, our hip doctors are dedicated to providing you with the specialized, compassionate care you need to become stronger.
Expert Hip Care for a Stronger You
During an exam, our hip doctors begin assessing a patient by having them describe their hip pain as well as asking the patient details about their hip problem. Following that, our hip doctors will usually perform a physical examination to further assess the hip. They may also request an X-ray or additional tests to better understand the injury. Once they determine the diagnosis, our hip specialists will create an individualized treatment plan specific to the patient's needs.
When our hip doctors and surgeons develop a treatment plan for a patient with an injury or condition relating to the hip, their first step is always to consider nonoperative treatment options first, such as physical therapy or ultrasound-guided injections. Although every patient is unique, oftentimes there is a nonsurgical treatment that can improve or even eliminate hip pain. However, sometimes the patient's hip issue will not respond to nonsurgical options or becomes so problematic that surgery is recommended as the best choice.
If hip surgery is the best option for you, our board-certified and specialty-trained surgeons will work with you to create a surgical treatment plan that is right for your hip issue. Our surgeons are equipped with state-of-the-art technology as well as the knowledge and surgical skills needed to treat your hip problem and get you on the road to becoming stronger.
Having undergone extensive training, our surgeons are highly skilled and are considered experts in the following hip procedures and surgeries:
- Alternative bearing hip replacement
- Arthroscopy
- Computer-navigated surgery
- Direct anterior total hip replacement
- Hip replacement
- Mako® robotic-arm assisted total hip replacement
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Revision total hip replacement
- Surgical fracture care
Signs You May Have a Hip Injury
Common signs and symptoms you may be experiencing if you have a hip condition or injury include:
- Difficulty walking
- Groin pain
- Hip is tender
- Hip joint feels like it is locking up
- Hip joint stiffness
- Hip pain that is radiating down into the thighbone
- Knee pain that is affecting the hip
- Outer buttock pain
- Pain in the hip joint
- Sore calf muscles
- Swelling in the thigh, knee, or hip
- Unable to bend or rotate the hip
If you are experiencing any of the above for more than a few days or if any of them are getting worse, make an appointment to see an orthopaedic doctor or hip surgeon. The doctor or surgeon may diagnose you with one of the following injuries or conditions:
- A type of arthritis, including osteoarthritis
- Avascular necrosis
- Bursitis
- Cartilage damage
- Femoroacetabular impingement
- Fracture
- Hip dysplasia
- Labral tear
- Sports-related injury
- Tendon injury
Orthopaedic Associates: The Strength of Experience
At Orthopaedic Associates, we are regional experts committed to providing patient-centered care. When you are seen by one of our experienced orthopaedic providers—from our hip and joint replacement surgeons and knee and sports medicine doctors to our physical therapists and physician assistants—you can rest assured that you are receiving treatment from an experienced orthopaedic provider who is highly skilled in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of the musculoskeletal system.
As a team, our goal is to help you, educate you, care for you, and treat you with the same high level of care and respect we would want for a member of our own family. Throughout your entire orthopaedic experience, we will be by your side for every step—from your first appointment to your last.
If you are ready to start your journey to a stronger you with less or no hip pain, take the first step by requesting an appointment online or calling one our five locations: Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville, Crestview, or Panama City.
