Hip injury at work or in a car accident: medical supplies a doctor may prescribe for home recovery

Common work injuries to the hip

Falls are the most important cause to take seriously. Slipping on ice in a parking lot, falling from a ladder or tripping over a pallet can bruise the hip or fracture the bone. Older workers and people with thinner bones are at greater risk of fracture, but anyone can be injured.

Heavy lifting and repetitive squatting — common in warehousing, construction, landscaping and caregiving — can strain the muscles and tendons around the hip and groin, or irritate the joint itself.

In a car crash, force travelling up the leg from the knee or foot can injure the hip. Some hip injuries are minor strains; others need surgery.

Hip pain doesn't always come from the hip itself. Problems in the lower back can be felt in the hip and buttock, and hip problems can be felt in the groin or knee. That's one reason a proper examination matters before any device is used.

• Bruising or fractures from falls
• Muscle and tendon strains from lifting and squatting
• Groin strains from sudden movements
• Dashboard and impact injuries in car crashes

Devices a doctor may prescribe

For hip injuries, doctors may prescribe stimulation or cold therapy for home use during recovery. Cold compression may be part of the plan after an injury or surgery, while stimulation may be used during rehabilitation to help with pain or muscle activation. Your doctor decides which, if any, suits your situation.

Because the hip is large and hard to reach comfortably, ask to be shown how to position any device before you go home.

These are the hip-related devices in the Prescriptions.plus program, by their program names. Each is prescribed by a doctor and supplied through our medical-supply partner.

Stimulation pads around the hip need careful placement, often on the side or back of the hip or the thigh muscles. Your doctor or therapist decides where they go; it's worth taking a photo of the placement they show you so you can repeat it at home.

• DualStim TENS/NMES Unit — nerve and muscle stimulation, with pad placement set by your provider
• ColdFlow Compression System — wireless, ice-free cold compression with a universal wrap

Questions to ask your doctor

Hip injuries can affect walking, sitting, sleeping and driving. Ask your doctor what to expect in each of those areas and what you should avoid.

If you've had hip surgery, ask what movement precautions apply and how to use any device without breaking them.

And if your work involves lifting or squatting, ask what light duty might look like while you recover.

• Is cold therapy or stimulation right for my injury?
• Where do stimulation pads go?
• How long should each session last?
• Do I need a cane, crutches or a walker for now?
• What movements should I avoid?
• When can I drive or return to my usual work?

When to get care right away

Hip pain after a fall should always be checked by a doctor. Get care right away for any of the signs below.

Medical emergency? Call 911.

To request more information about these devices, patients, doctors and clinics, and employers or adjusters can use the form on this page. Whether a claim or policy covers a device is a question for your adjuster or insurer.

• You can't stand or put weight on the leg after a fall
• The leg looks shorter or turned outward
• Severe pain in the hip or groin
• Calf pain or swelling, or shortness of breath, after surgery
• Fever, or wound changes after surgery