# What to ask about a sore hip *Questions About Timing | Hip Pain Treatment Mesa* > Hip pain treatment Mesa answers about home care, replacement timing, bone-on-bone hips, age, delay, cost, and choosing a clinic. A hip that aches through breakfast can leave you with several questions. You may wonder what can wait and when an exam makes sense. We’ve answered the common questions plainly here, and we’ll keep each answer focused on what you need to know. ## Sources 1. Pooled analysis of national joint registries (Australia and Finland, 215,676 hip replacements) put 25-year all-cause construct survival at 57.9% (95% CI 57.1-58.7); pooled case series gave 77.6% (95% CI 76.0-79.2). The authors conclude patients and surgeons can expect a hip replacement to last 25 years in around 58% of patients. Evans JT, et al. — [How long does a hip replacement last? A systematic review and meta-analysis of case series and national registry reports with more than 15 years of follow-up.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30782340/). *The Lancet*, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31665-9. 2. A population-based analysis of 63,158 total hip replacements found 10-year implant survival of 95.6% and 20-year survival of 85.0%, but the LIFETIME risk of revision rose sharply with younger age at surgery - about 5% for those operated after 70, up to 35% (95% CI 30.9-39.1) for men in their early 50s, with a median time to revision of 4.4 years in those operated before 60. Bayliss LE, et al. — [The effect of patient age at intervention on risk of implant revision after total replacement of the hip or knee: a population-based cohort study.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28209371/). *The Lancet*, 2017. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30059-4. 3. In a cohort of 2953 hips followed 11-28 years, radiographic hip OA raised the hazard of total hip replacement 13-fold (HR 13.2, 95% CI 8.1-21) - but more than four in five hips with radiographic hip OA had still NOT had a replacement 11-28 years later. Franklin J, et al. — [Natural history of radiographic hip osteoarthritis: A retrospective cohort study with 11-28 years of followup.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21557524/). *Arthritis Care & Research*, 2011. DOI: 10.1002/acr.20412. 4. The 2019 ACR/Arthritis Foundation guideline makes STRONG recommendations for exercise, weight loss in people with overweight or obesity, self-efficacy and self-management programmes, tai chi, cane use and oral NSAIDs across hand, hip and knee OA - but its strong recommendations for topical NSAIDs and for intra-articular glucocorticoid injection are specific to the KNEE, not the hip. Kolasinski SL, et al. — [2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31908163/). *Arthritis & Rheumatology*, 2020. DOI: 10.1002/art.41142. 5. OARSI 2019 designates arthritis education plus structured land-based exercise as CORE treatments for hip OA, and explicitly states that intra-articular corticosteroids, intra-articular hyaluronic acid and aquatic exercise - Level 1B/2 treatments for KNEE OA - were NOT recommended for individuals with hip or polyarticular OA. Oral and transdermal opioids are strongly not recommended (Level 5). Bannuru RR, et al. — [OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31278997/). *Osteoarthritis and Cartilage*, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2019.06.011. 6. FDA states verbatim that regenerative medicine products including stem cells, stromal vascular fraction, umbilical cord blood, Wharton's jelly, amniotic fluid and exosomes have NOT been approved 'for the treatment of any orthopedic condition, such as osteoarthritis, tendonitis, disc disease, tennis elbow, back pain, hip pain, knee pain, neck pain, or shoulder pain.' The only FDA-approved stem cell products in the United States are blood-forming (hematopoietic progenitor) cells derived from umbilical cord blood, approved only for disorders affecting blood production. U.S. Food and Drug Administration — [Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells and Exosomes.](https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/consumers-biologics/consumer-alert-regenerative-medicine-products-including-stem-cells-and-exosomes). *FDA*, 2026. ## How can I ease my hip without a replacement? First learn whether the ache comes from the joint, your back, or a nearby tendon, the cord that fastens muscle to bone. Gentle exercise, rests between chores, a cane, or medicine may help. An exam can help you choose. ## Can I live without having a hip replacement? Many people can while they still sleep, walk, and manage basic daily tasks. An X-ray alone can’t decide whether waiting is right. If those tasks keep getting harder after simpler care, a surgery talk may be worthwhile. ## Can you avoid surgery with a bone-on-bone hip? Sometimes. The words bone-on-bone don’t set an operation date by themselves. The exam, X-ray, soreness, and trouble with daily tasks all matter. Rest soreness or lost sleep makes a surgery talk more useful. ## What are the first signs you need a hip replacement? There isn’t one deciding sign. Rest soreness, broken sleep, trouble dressing, or a much shorter walk all matter. When those troubles keep growing after your doctor has had time to judge simpler care, you may wish to meet a surgeon. ## What is the best age for a hip replacement? There isn’t one best age for everyone. A younger person may live long enough to need work on the new joint later. Your health and daily troubles matter more than a birthday. So does the harm that more waiting could cause. ## What happens if you wait too long to get a hip replacement? Waiting too long can mean poorer sleep, less movement, and more need for help. Yet surgery shouldn’t begin before the cause is clear. Ask your doctor how long to try exercise, medicine, or a cane before reviewing the choice. ## How much does hip pain treatment cost in Arizona? There isn’t one reliable Arizona price because visits and treatments have different costs. Ask for a written price before care that you pay for yourself. You’ll also want to know whether later visits are included. ## How can I judge a clinic offering blood-based hip care in Arizona? Ask who examines you, what happens to your blood, and what the full cost includes. No clinic can promise relief, help you avoid surgery, or rebuild a worn joint. The clinic should send urgent warning signs to emergency care and badly worn joints to a surgeon. ## What to do if the soreness doesn’t settle QC Kinetix offers biologic therapies and regenerative treatments, meaning non-surgical care prepared from your own blood. One choice is platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, made by spinning your blood sample and gathering the part rich in platelets. The medical providers who examine you will explain what the clinic offers and what it can’t promise. You’ll have time to ask questions. The visit can cover the sore area, hip movement, and the daily tasks now harder. It doesn’t commit you to treatment. Call (602) 837-PAIN to book an exam and ask whether Chandler or Scottsdale is easier to reach. You’re welcome to hear the choices before deciding. Book a free consultation: --- A welcoming place to learn what may be making your hip sore. Simple answers about an aching hip, home care, warning signs, surgery timing, and nearby clinics. A welcoming Mesa guide for sorting out hip aches and choosing a sensible visit. This site is operated by the owners of the QC Kinetix Phoenix-area clinics, who benefit when readers schedule a consultation; it is first-party educational content and its study sources should be checked directly. © 2026 Mesa Hip Timing Guide. General education only; a clinician who examines you must make diagnosis and treatment recommendations for your circumstances.