Hip arthritis is gradual cartilage wear in the hip joint, usually felt as groin pain that worsens with walking. At PHI in Beverly Hills, board-certified physicians Dr. Faisal Lalani and Dr. Nadiv Samimi offer image-guided hip injections and regenerative medicine to manage symptoms and, for many patients, delay or avoid hip replacement.
When Your Hip Starts Setting Boundaries
Hip arthritis usually announces itself slowly. Stiffness in the morning. A little pain in your groin or buttock when you have been walking for a while. The realization that your range of motion is not what it was. You might notice it putting on shoes, getting in and out of a car, or rolling over in bed.
Eventually, the joint starts setting boundaries you did not agree to. The hike you used to do becomes the one you skip. Tennis or golf gets shorter. Sleep gets worse because finding a comfortable position takes effort. Most hip arthritis patients we see have already been told something like “your hip is wearing out, we will replace it when it is bad enough.” That advice is sometimes right eventually, but it skips over the years between early symptoms and ready-for-replacement, which is where most patients actually live. That period is what we focus on.
What Hip Arthritis Actually Is
Your hip is a ball-and-socket joint, with the head of your femur sitting in a cup-shaped socket in your pelvis. Cartilage covers the surfaces where these bones meet, allowing smooth, low-friction movement. Hip arthritis develops when that cartilage wears down. Without the cushion, bone-on-bone contact develops gradually, producing pain, stiffness, and limited movement, and the body responds with inflammation and sometimes bone spurs.
The most common form is osteoarthritis, related to age and wear. Inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis affects the hip differently and is coordinated with rheumatology. Post-injury arthritis can develop years after a significant hip injury, and structural conditions like hip dysplasia can lead to earlier arthritis.
What Hip Arthritis Feels Like
The pattern is often distinctive once you recognize it:
- Pain in the groin is the most classic location, which surprises patients who expected to feel it in the side or back of the hip
- Pain that may also be felt in the buttock, side of the hip, or front of the thigh
- Pain that worsens with weight-bearing activity like walking, standing, or stair climbing
- Morning stiffness that improves with movement, typically lasting less than 30 minutes
- Limited range of motion noticed when putting on shoes, crossing legs, or reaching for the foot
- Pain at night that disrupts sleep, particularly when lying on the affected side
Some patients also notice catching, grinding, or clicking with movement, which can suggest additional involvement such as a labral tear alongside the arthritis.
What Stage Is Your Hip Arthritis?
Hip arthritis exists on a spectrum, and where you sit on it strongly influences treatment. Early-stage arthritis typically involves intermittent pain mostly with activity, with imaging showing some cartilage loss but joint space largely preserved; patients at this stage have the most options, and regenerative medicine is often particularly worth discussing. Moderate arthritis involves more consistent pain including some at rest, with moderate joint space narrowing; options remain meaningful and may include longer-lasting interventional approaches alongside regenerative options. Advanced arthritis involves significant daily pain, substantial movement limitation, and severe narrowing or bone-on-bone contact; non-surgical options are still possible but more limited, and joint replacement is often the appropriate next step for patients who want their function back. Identifying where you actually fall is part of what we do at consultation.
How PHI Treats Hip Arthritis
The first step is comprehensive evaluation: a detailed history, examination of hip range of motion and movement, review of imaging, an assessment of where you are on the arthritis spectrum, and a discussion of your goals.
Image-guided hip injections are typically the first interventional treatment for moderate arthritis; cortisone reduces inflammation and often provides relief lasting weeks to several months. The hip is one of the hardest joints to inject accurately without imaging because the capsule sits deep beneath several layers of tissue, so PHI performs all hip injections under image guidance. We are honest about cortisone: repeated injections have been associated with potential acceleration of cartilage loss in some studies, so for patients needing frequent injections, regenerative options often make more sense. Those regenerative options include PRP, A2M (which neutralizes cartilage-destroying enzymes), stem cell therapy, and exosome therapy. When total hip replacement is the right next step, we coordinate with orthopedic specialists rather than talking patients out of it.
Why PHI for Hip Arthritis
Two board-certified pain physicians
Dr. Faisal Lalani and Dr. Nadiv Samimi both trained in interventional pain at Cedars-Sinai, with specific expertise in image-guided hip injections and the full range of regenerative options.
Image-guided hip injections
The hip is one of the most challenging joints to inject without imaging. Many practices inject without guidance, which reduces accuracy. PHI uses image guidance for every hip injection.
Honest framing of cortisone
We discuss the literature on repeated cortisone in the hip openly. For some patients occasional cortisone is right; for others regenerative options fit better. We help you understand which.
Full regenerative menu
PHI offers PRP, A2M, multiple stem cell protocols, and exosome therapy. The right regenerative option for your stage may not be the one a single-modality practice happens to offer.
Coordination with surgical specialists
When hip replacement is the right next step, we help you understand whether you have adequately explored non-surgical options and coordinate orthopedic consultation.
Concierge, coordinated care
Single-physician continuity from consultation through treatment and return to activity. Patients receive clear guidance and transparent pricing at consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hip arthritis specifically involves cartilage breakdown in the joint. Other causes include labral tears, bursitis, tendinopathy, and back-related pain that radiates to the hip. The treatment approach varies significantly, so the first step is identifying which cause is actually involved.
This depends on the stage of your arthritis, how it is affecting your life, and your response to non-surgical treatment. Many patients with mild to moderate arthritis can delay or avoid replacement through injections, regenerative treatments, and lifestyle modifications. Patients with severe end-stage arthritis often eventually benefit from replacement, and we are honest about which category fits you.
Cortisone injections are well-established and effective. Some studies suggest potential acceleration of cartilage loss with frequent repeat injections, though the evidence is mixed. For most patients occasional cortisone is appropriate. For patients who need frequent repeat injections, regenerative options or eventual surgical consultation often make more sense.
Reverse is rarely the right word. Regenerative treatments do not typically grow back lost cartilage. They can support remaining cartilage, reduce inflammation, slow further loss, and address pain through tissue-level mechanisms. For appropriate patients this can produce meaningful, lasting improvement.
Yes, with appropriate adjustments. Continued movement is one of the most important factors for management. Heavy-impact activities may need modification, while low-impact activities like cycling, swimming, and walking are typically beneficial. A physical therapist who understands hip arthritis can help.
Progression varies significantly. Some patients are stable for years with minimal change; others progress more quickly. Factors include genetics, activity patterns, and body weight. Your physician can give a more specific assessment based on your imaging and current rate of change.
These are surgical options handled by orthopedic specialists. PHI does not perform them but can coordinate referral when surgical consultation is appropriate. Total hip replacement is appropriate for most patients with end-stage hip arthritis.
Insurance coverage and payment options may vary. We provide documentation for you to seek reimbursement through your out-of-network benefits, which may apply to certain services. All pricing is disclosed at consultation.
Yes. PHI regularly treats patients from outside Los Angeles, including Las Vegas, Palm Springs, London, and other international locations.
Treatments We Offer for Hip Arthritis
PHI offers the full range of evidence-based treatments for hip arthritis. Your physician will recommend the right option, or combination, based on the stage of your arthritis, your imaging, your goals, and your treatment history.
- Hip Injections, image-guided cortisone for inflammation
- PRP Therapy
- Stem Cell Therapy
- A2M Therapy, neutralizes cartilage-destroying enzymes
- Exosome Therapy
Schedule Your Hip Arthritis Consultation
A 60-minute consultation will identify what stage of hip arthritis you are dealing with, walk through the treatment options that match it, and give you a clear plan. Call (310) 856-9488 or book online now.