What is the average duration until acute hip pain subsides?

Duration of Acute Hip Pain Resolution

Most acute hip pain from non-fracture musculoskeletal injuries resolves within 1 to 7 days with appropriate treatment, though some conditions may persist longer depending on the underlying cause. 1

Expected Timeline by Condition Type

Acute Musculoskeletal Hip Pain (Non-Fracture)

• Pain reduction occurs within the first 1-7 days for most acute musculoskeletal injuries when treated with NSAIDs or acetaminophen 1
• Moderate-certainty evidence shows oral NSAIDs reduce pain by approximately 1 cm on a 10-cm visual analog scale within 1-7 days compared to placebo 1
• Acetaminophen alone demonstrates similar pain reduction (approximately 1 cm improvement) within the same timeframe 1

Transient Synovitis (Adults)

• Symptoms typically improve within 4-5 days with over-the-counter pain medications 2
• This self-limited condition resolves without residual deficits 2
• Pain is significantly worse with walking initially but improves rapidly 2

Acute Calcific Tendinitis

• Most patients respond to conservative treatment within weeks to months, though exact duration varies 3
• Patients requiring surgical intervention typically have symptoms persisting beyond 3 months 3
• Visual analog scale pain scores improve from mean 7.1 to 0.8 during follow-up periods of 12-32 months, with most improvement occurring early 3

Treatment Impact on Duration

Pharmacologic Interventions

• Acetaminophen or NSAIDs provide pain relief within less than 2 hours (immediate effect: 0.93-1.03 cm reduction on 10-cm VAS) 1
• Sustained pain reduction continues through 1-7 days with ongoing treatment 1
• Combination therapy (acetaminophen plus opioids) shows greater early pain reduction but should be limited to 3 days or less for acute pain 1

Corticosteroid Injections

• Intra-articular corticosteroid injections for hip pain demonstrate improvement at 4-6 weeks with time-limited effects 1
• Hip injections require image guidance for safety and proper placement 1

Critical Clinical Pitfalls

Duration Expectations

• Pain persisting beyond 7-10 days warrants re-evaluation to confirm or revise the initial diagnosis 4
• The FDA label for acetaminophen explicitly states: "Stop use and ask doctor if pain gets worse or lasts more than 10 days" 4
• Prolonged severe pain (>3 months) with solid-type calcific deposits may require surgical intervention 3

Opioid Prescribing

• Limit opioid prescriptions to 3 days or less for acute pain; more than 7 days is rarely needed 1
• Each additional day of opioid exposure increases risk of long-term use without added benefit 1
• Physical dependence develops after just a few days of opioid exposure 1

Red Flags Requiring Urgent Re-evaluation

• New symptoms developing during treatment 4
• Worsening pain despite appropriate therapy 4
• Redness or swelling suggesting infection or other serious pathology 4

Evidence Quality Considerations

The most robust evidence comes from the 2020 American College of Physicians/American Academy of Family Physicians guideline, which analyzed 69 RCTs with 10,829 patients for the 1-7 day timeframe 1. This represents high to moderate-certainty evidence for pharmacologic interventions and provides the clearest timeline expectations for acute musculoskeletal hip pain resolution.