Living with hip pain is a common occurrence that can cause light or serious pain. There are many reasons this could occur, but there are also many ways to go about treating it. Continue reading to learn some causes and treatments for hip pain.
Hip pain is a common symptom that can be described as aching, sharp, or burning. It can range in intensity from mild to severe.
There are many possible causes of hip pain. They include serious ones, like a fracture or joint infection, and less serious causes, like bursitis. Your healthcare provider can diagnose the cause and help to plan your treatment. This article presents information about the potential causes of hip pain. It will help you to learn more about these conditions and the measures used to achieve the best outcomes possible.
Causes
The hip is a large “ball-and-socket” joint. The “socket” is a bone in your pelvis called the acetabulum and the “ball” is the head of your femur. It is the upper part of the long bone in your leg. The hip joint is covered in cartilage, a smooth, white tissue that cushions the bones and allows the hip to move with ease.
There are common patterns to hip pain:
- With a problem that’s within the hip joint, the pain tends to be on the inside of the hip (anterior hip pain).
- When the pain is on the side of the hip (lateral hip pain), or on the outside of the hip closer to your buttocks (posterior hip pain), the problem tends to be with muscles, ligaments, tendons, and/or nerves that surround the hip joint.
Knowing the location of your hip pain—anterior, lateral, or posterior—is a helpful way to understand your symptoms.
Anterior Hip Pain
Anterior hip pain affects the inside of your hip and groin area.
Common causes may include:
- Inflammation
- Infection
- Bone fracture
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis of the hip occurs when the cartilage in the hip joint slowly wears away over time. The cartilage can break down due to advancing age or because of a prior hip injury. This can cause bones of the joint to begin to rub on each other. With hip osteoarthritis, pain may be dull, aching, or sharp, and the pain and stiffness can get worse with activity and improves with rest.
Inflammatory Arthritis
Inflammatory arthritis may affect the hip, resulting in dull, aching pain.
These conditions include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting joints)
- Ankylosing spondylitis (a chronic inflammatory condition of the spine and joints)
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disorder affecting the whole body)
This type of hip pain often will ease with activity.
Fracture
A hip fracture, which is a break in the upper quarter of the thigh bone, causes deep pain. You feel it in the outer part of the upper thigh or groin area. These breaks can happen after a fall or a direct blow to the hip.
Stress fractures of the hip can develop due to recurrent physical pressure, and are most common in female athletes who have the “female athlete triad.”
This triad includes three health conditions:
- Eating disorders
- Menstrual irregularities
- Bone weakening
Steroid drug use, a history of smoking, and other medical conditions that can weaken the bone, like cancer or osteoporosis, are also risk factors for hip stress fractures.
With a stress fracture, you may feel a gradual onset of pain that gets worse when bearing weight on the legs and hips. A traumatic fracture causes sudden and severe pain.
Iliopsoas Bursitis
Bursitis is an irritation or inflammation of the bursa. These are small, fluid-filled sacs that serve as a cushion between joints, muscles, and tendons. The iliopsoas bursa, located on the inner or groin side of your hip, causes anterior hip pain if inflamed.
Iliopsoas bursitis is most common in runners or soccer players. It causes anterior hip pain that may spread to the front of the thigh or into the buttock. Sometimes, you may feel a snapping, catching, or popping in the hip with this type of bursitis.
Hip Flexor Strain
A hip strain refers to a stretch or tear of a muscle, its nearby tendon, or both. Hip flexor muscles, such as the iliopsoas muscle or rectus femoris muscle, are often involved in a hip strain.
A hip flexor strain can be caused by overuse, as is the case with cyclists or soccer players. It also may result from trauma, such as a direct hit during a contact sport. In addition to anterior hip pain, these strains can cause swelling, limited movement, and muscle weakness.
Osteonecrosis of the Hip
Osteonecrosis of the hip is death of bone cells, and it can cause destruction of the hip joint. It may occur due to insufficient blood supply to the hip bone. Many cases are due to corticosteroid drug use and excessive alcohol use. It can cause hip pain and groin pain that gets worse with walking, pain in the thighs, buttocks, and/or knees.
Hip Labrum Tear
Your hip labrum is a band of cartilage-like tissue that runs around the outer rim of your hip socket. It helps to support the joint and deepen the socket. Overuse or an injury to your hip can cause a tear in your labrum, with pain that gets worse with weight-bearing.
Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
In femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), bony growths develop around the hip joint. These growths can limit hip motion and eventually cause hip osteoarthritis and tears of the labrum.
The symptoms include an aching or sharp pain in the groin area that moves toward the outside of the hip. Often, you can feel the pain when you stand up after sitting for a long time. Stiffness and limping are also common.
Click here to continue reading.
Original and complete article published on verywellhealth.com.
