Hip problems in children and young people

This may be useful if your child has a new hip problem.

If your child has been diagnosed with a hip condition or has recently had hip surgery, follow the advice of your doctor or the rest of the health team looking after them.

• been diagnosed with a hip condition
• recently had hip surgery

Hip problems in children and young people can cause several different symptoms. These include:

• pain
• a limp that's newly started
• stiffness
• weakness
• a click you can hear
• your child feeling their hip click

Contact a doctor or the 16263 health line if your child:

• can't put any weight at all through their leg
• has significant pain in their hip and is unwell with a temperature
• has had new, significant trauma within the last 7 days, for example a fall from height or a direct blow to the hip
• has intense pain that keeps them awake over a number of nights

Take your child to a doctor if they:

• often limp after activities
• have hip pain that wakes them at night
• avoid activities because their symptoms are getting worse
• have a lump in or around the hip that does not go away

If your doctor's chamber is closed, call a doctor or the 16263 health line.

An injury can cause hip problems in children and young people. So can normal changes that come with age, such as a recent growth spurt.

Your child may feel some pain in their:

• bottom cheek
• groin
• back
• thigh
• knee

These hip problems normally settle within 6 weeks. If the problem lasts longer than this, speak to a doctor.

There are several things you can do to help your child's hip problem. Keeping their body moving is an essential part of their treatment and recovery.

In the first 24 to 48 hours after the hip problem starts, they should try to:

• reduce their activities but move as much as their symptoms allow
• move their hip gently for a short period every hour when they are awake
• avoid long periods on their feet

When using stairs, it may help to:

• lead with their good leg when going upstairs, to reduce the strain on their hip
• lead with their problem leg when going downstairs, to reduce the strain on their hip
• use a handrail (if there is one) going up and down

After 48 hours:

• try to slowly return to normal activity by building their activities up gradually
• do whatever they normally would and stay at school, or go back to it. This matters, and it's the best way to get better

Some specific exercises can help their recovery. They may feel hard at the beginning, so just get your child to do what they can and build it up over time.

For extra support, speak to your local physiotherapy department about exercises for stretching and strengthening. They can also advise you on how to help your child change some of their activities if that's needed.

How to access MSK services

Pain medicine can help your child manage their symptoms, and that can help their recovery. For advice on pain medicine for your child, speak to your local pharmacist.

Heat or ice on your child's hip can help reduce symptoms. Take care to protect their skin from a burn by using a barrier, like a towel. Never place heat or ice directly on their skin. Leave a few hours between treatments.

Stop using heat or ice on the area if you see more redness, any change in the colour of the skin, or blistering.

Read more about burns and scalds

If your child has any problem with circulation or with feeling in the skin, don't use heat or ice to treat their hip pain.

Your child doesn't have to be free of pain to go to school or college. For now, they may need to cut back on things like PE and playtime until the symptoms get better.

Following this advice, you should see your child's symptoms get better gradually. The biggest change usually comes within the first couple of weeks, and most problems should have improved within 6 weeks.

If your child's hip problem hasn't improved within 6 weeks, talk to a doctor.

While your child is recovering from any health problem, look after their mental wellbeing too. Young Scot's Aye Feel campaign has lots of videos and advice for children and young people. Don't include personal information such as your name, your location or any personal health conditions.