Hip pain is discomfort around your hip joint. Disorders with the hip joint cause pain inside your hip or groin. Problems with your muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues surrounding the hip joint can lead to hip pain outside the hip, upper thigh, or outer buttock. Sometimes your hip pain is mild and disappears within a few days. However, you need to see a hip doctor if your hip pain stops you from doing daily duties, pain is getting worse, or you get hip stiffness that persists more than thirty minutes after waking up. Hip pain results from many conditions, which include:
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the leading causes of hip pain in older people. Hip pain due to arthritis occurs when your hip joint becomes inflamed, and the cartilage that cushions your hip bone breaks down. The pain gets worse gradually. If you have arthritis, you can experience stiffness and a reduced range of motion in your hip.
Hip fractures
Hip fractures mostly occur in older adults or patients with osteoporosis, where your bones weaken due to age or other factors. They can cause sudden and severe hip pain, requiring immediate medical care. A complication of a blood clot in your leg can arise from a hip fracture. Your doctor can recommend surgery to treat your hip fracture.
Bursitis
Bursae are sacs of liquid found between your bones, muscles, and tendons that ease friction when these tissues rub against each other. If bursae become inflamed, they may cause pain. It mostly occurs in women. Repetitive actions that overwork or irritate your hip joint leads to bursae inflammation. A hip injury and posture problems can also lead to bursitis.
Tendinitis
Tendinitis is a condition that results from the inflammation or irritation of your tendons. Tendons are thick bands of tissue that attach bones to muscles. It is the most common cause of acute hip pain. Repetitive stress from overuse leads to tendonitis. This condition is very painful in some cases. Luckily, it heals within a few days.
Muscle or tendon strain
Your muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support your hips can get strained due to repeated activities. If they become inflamed because of overuse, such as cycling, they may cause hip pain and muscle weakness and stop you from functioning normally.
Osteonecrosis
Osteonecrosis, also known as avascular necrosis, happens when blood does not permanently or temporarily reach your hip bones, leading to bone tissue death. Although it can affect other bones, it mostly occurs in the hip. Hip fracture or dislocation or long-term use of high-dose steroids can lead to avascular necrosis.
Bone cancer
Although rare, hip pain can result from bone cancer that has started in the bone or spread from another part of your body. Usually, your hip pain worsens at night, and as the tumor grows, the pain becomes consistent. Swelling around the hip, weight loss, and fatigue are the common symptoms of bone cancer. It may lead to a hip fracture because your bones become weak.
Despite hip pain causing severe discomfort, your doctor can treat the condition through mediations, physical therapy, steroid injections, and surgeries. Schedule an appointment at Integrity Orthopedics for hip pin treatment to regain your mobility.
