Common Causes Of Hip Pain
Hip pain might occur by problems in the cartilage or bone of your hip, consisting:
- Hip fractures might give rise to acute and sudden hip pain. These injuries might be severe and give rise to big problems
- Infections in the joints or bones
- Arthritis sometimes felt in the top part of the groin or thigh
- Hip fractures are more common as individuals get older because falls are more common and your bones get weak
- Osteonecrosis of the hip (necrosis from the blood supply loss to the bone)
- Femoral acetabular impingement is the abnormal growth surrounding your hip that is an originator of the hip arthritis
- Labral tear of your hip
Pain around or in your hip might also give rise to problems such as:
- Groin strain
- Hip flexor strain
- Hamstring strain
- Hip impingement syndrome
- Bursitis pain when you are getting up from your chair, climbing stairs, walking, and driving
- Snapping hip syndrome
- Iliotibial band syndrome
The pain you might feel in your hip may reflect trouble in your back, other than in the hip itself. Many times there is a quite simple explanation for pain in the hip, for instance, if you have overdo it during exercising. In such a case your pain is mostly occurring from inflamed or strained soft tissues like tendons and it sometimes clears up within some days. Long-term pain in the hip might occur in specific situations. If you are having a complication with your hip joint you might be feeling pain in your groin, down the top of the leg, and in your knee as well.
Sometimes knee pain is the only symptom of a hip problem that is known as radiated pain or referred pain and is quite common. You might feel pain on the outer side of the hip or in the buttock which might also give rise to problems with the lower back. However, there are a few conditions that are most commonly led to hip pain:
- Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are one of the most occurring reasons for hip pain, significantly in older people. Arthritis gives rise to inflammation of the joints in the hip and the breaking down of the cartilage that provides cushioning to your hip bones. The pain slowly gets worse. Individuals with arthritis also have the feeling of stiffness and have a lower range of mobility in the hip.
- Hip fractures: By age, the bones can get brittle and weak. Weakened bones are more probably to break while a fall.
- Tendinitis: Tendons are quite thick bands of tissue that attach the bones to muscles. Tendinitis is irritation or inflammation of the tendons. It normally occurs by repetitive stress by overuse.
- Bursitis: Bursae are sacs that are filled with liquid present between tissues such as tendons, muscles, and bones. They soothe the friction from such tissues rubbing together. When bursae have inflammation, they might lead to pain. Inflammation of bursae is generally because of repetitive activities that irritate or overwork your hip joint.
- Tendon or muscle strain: Repeated activities might put a strain on your tendons, muscles, and ligaments that support your hip. When they get inflamed because of overuse, they might give rise to pain and stop the hip from functioning normally. Known more about the best stretches for tight hip muscles.
- Cancers: Tumors that begin the bone or that get away from the bone might give rise to pain in your hips, as well as in your other bones of the body.
- Hip labral tear: This is a tear in the ring of cartilage (known as labrum) that follows the outer rim of the socket of the hip joint. Along with cushioning the hip joint, your labrum acts just like a gasket or rubber seal to aid in holding the ball at the front of your thighbone safely within your hip socket. People and athletes who perform repeating twisted movements are at increased risk of having such problems. There are a lot more things about hip labral tears.
- Avascular necrosis: Avascular necrosis is also known as osteonecrosis. Such a condition occurs when the flow of blood to the hip bone gets slow and the tissues of the bone begin to die. Even though it might affect other bones, avascular necrosis sometimes occurs in the hip. It might be occurred by a dislocation, hip fracture, or from the use of high dose steroids for a long time such as prednisone among other reasons.
There are lots of other possible causes of hip pain. It may occur to a long-lasting complication such as arthritis or a sudden injury. The symptoms might provide you with an assumption about what might lead to the pain. But do not try to self-diagnose, visit a GP if you are tense.
Most occurring causes of hip pain and relating symptoms
Symptoms | Possible cause |
Pain, bruising, or swelling after extreme or repetitive exercise | Sprain or strain |
Over 45 years of age, pain increases while walking and stiffness after movement | Osteoarthritis |
Stiffness and pain worse after not moving (for instance, when you wake up) | Rheumatoid arthritis |
Swollen, hot hip and a high temperature or feeling shivery and hot | Joint infection (septic arthritis) |
Severe pain and not being able to walk after an injury or fall | Hip fracture |
Less common causes
There is some other, less common situation that might give rise to hip pain. These consist of osteonecrosis and snapping hip syndrome or avascular necrosis.
Snapping hip syndrome
Snapping hip syndrome which most likely occurs in athletes or dancers is classified as a feeling in the hip or a sound of snapping. This snapping might occur while you are getting up from a chair or walking, for instance. The condition is mostly painless but might lead to pain in a few cases.
Osteonecrosis
Osteonecrosis is also known as avascular necrosis occurs when blood does not reach your bones, either permanently or temporarily. This might give rise to the loss of supporting bone. But in most cases, the cause of such a condition is never diagnosed. (4)