<p>Just a few weeks ago, I lay on the floor and curl into a quasi fetal position. In the act of doing so, my hip makes a popping sound. My hip is known to make popping sounds. I’ve danced and done cheerleading in the past and whenever I’ve done kicks or splits, they would pop every now and then. What made this pop different was that I got an intense pain that shot through my hip down the back of my leg. I couldn’t move my left leg for a few minutes without discomfort. It went away, but the next day my hip was hurting when I walked. It was the equivalent to the pain from a bulging disk in your back, except it was in my hip. The pain walking is gone now; however, when I workout, I can’t do mountain climbers without my hip popping and with the popping comes more pain than usual. </p>
<p>Is there anything I can do? Has anyone had experience with this?</p>
<p>Can you see a good sports physical therapist without having to get a script from a doc? I would recommend that. I’ve had a lot of hip stuff, but never what you are describing with the popping. I wonder if you tore a ligament somehow or have a loose joint. I would also stop doing ANYTHING that causes pain. (I’ve learned this lesson the hard way) I’m sure you’ve probably looked around online for the symptoms. Hope it resolves!</p>
<p>I’ll go see a doctor. So I should see a sports physical therapist? I don’t want to see my doctor, pay for him to tell me to go somewhere else when I could’ve gone to that person in the first place. </p>
<p>I agree that physical therapists are miracle workers. But you should go to a doctor first to get a diagnosis. The doctor will be able to recommend a PT who is good with hips.</p>
<p>I would go see an orthopedic doctor, and hopefully he gets xrays and checks out what the situation is just to eliminate any serious conditions, and also to see if there are any medical solutions to all of this and possibly a diagnosis. Though there are often no answers for orthopedic conditions, and other routes then can be pursued, do make sure there is no medical condition on the line here that you are not aware of. </p>
<p>It depends on what your insurance allows. I would go to a sports orthopedist over my general practitioner. It will be important to get a good sports PT if you get sent to PT. </p>
<p>I agree about going to a doctor who specializes in sports medicine if you can. If you need a referral for your insurance, you may have to see your primary care physician first. But I suppose you could TRY calling his or her office and seeing if they would give you a referral without seeing you first.</p>
<p>Ok, will do. I’ll go to my primary care physician first and check in with my mom about what is covered. From looking at my plan, physical therapy should be covered along with x-rays. </p>
<p>AFAIK, it goes like this: you see a doctor - maybe primary care, depending on your health plan - and that will lead down paths:</p>
<ol>
<li>No imaging test, referral to physical therapy. </li>
<li>MRI, then referral to physical therapy.</li>
<li>MRI, referral to orthopedic specialist, then referral to physical therapy, sometimes after a cortisone shot (which I suggest be injected using ultrasound to guide because that works so much better)</li>
<li>Add the above, surgery to repair something, possibly the labrum. Labrum isn’t that bad a recovery.</li>
</ol>
</p>