Hip pain is a common complaint that can be caused by a wide variety of problems. The precise location of your hip pain can provide valuable clues about the underlying cause.
Problems within the hip joint itself tend to result in pain on the inside of your hip or your groin. Hip pain on the outside of your hip, upper thigh or outer buttock is usually caused by problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues that surround your hip joint.
Hip pain can sometimes be caused by diseases and conditions in other areas of your body, such as your lower back. This type of pain is called referred pain.
Symptoms
The hip is a complicated joint made of bone, cartilage, ligaments, muscle, and a lubricating fluid. The symptoms of a hip disorder will differ depending on the cause of the disorder and the part of the hip joint that's causing problems. Common symptoms of a hip disorder include:
Pain in the hip
Limping
Reduced movement in the hip joint
Referred pain (may be felt in the leg)
Muscle stiffness
Pain in the leg when you apply weight on that leg
When To See A Doctor?
Ask someone to drive you to urgent care or the emergency room if your hip pain is caused by an injury and is accompanied by:
A joint that appears deformed
Inability to move your leg or hip
Inability to bear weight on the affected leg
Intense pain
Sudden swelling
Any signs of infection (fever, chills, redness)
You may not need to see a doctor if your hip pain is minor. Try these self-care tips:
Rest- Avoid repeated bending at the hip and direct pressure on the hip. Try not to sleep on the affected side and avoid prolonged sitting.
Pain relievers.- Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) may help ease your hip pain.
Ice or heat- Use ice cubes or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel to apply cold treatments to your hip. Conversely, a warmth bath or shower may help prepare your muscles for stretching exercises that can reduce pain.
Types Of Broken Hips.
A hip fracture usually occurs in the ball portion (femur) of your hip joint and can occur in different places. At times, the socket or acetabulum can become fractured.
Femoral Neck Fracture
This type of break occurs in the femur about 1 or 2 inches from where the head of the bone meets the socket. A femoral neck fracture may cut off the blood circulation to the ball of your hip by tearing the blood vessels.
Intertrochanteric Hip Fracture
An intertrochanteric hip fracture occurs farther away. It's about 3 to 4 inches from the joint. It doesn't stop blood flow to the femur.
Intracapsular Fracture
This fracture affects the ball and socket portions of your hip. It can also cause tearing of the blood vessels that go to the ball.
What Causes A Broken Hip?
Potential causes of broken hips include:
falling on a hard surface or from a great height
blunt trauma to the hip, such as from a car crash
diseases such as osteoporosis, which is a condition that causes a loss of bone tissue
obesity, which leads to too much pressure on the hip bones
What Causes Hip Disorders?
Hip disorders are often due to developmental conditions, injuries, chronic conditions, or infections.
Osteoarthritis
Degeneration of cartilage in the joint causes osteoarthritis. This makes the cartilage split and become brittle. In some cases, pieces of the cartilage break off in the hip joint. Once the cartilage wears down enough, it fails to cushion the hip bones, causing pain and inflammation.
Developmental Dysplasia
This condition occurs when a newborn baby has a dislocated hip or a hip that easily dislocates. A shallow hip socket that allows the ball to easily slip in and out is the cause of developmental dysplasia.
Perthes Disease
This disease affects children between the ages of 3 and 11 and results from reduced blood supply to bone cells. This causes some of the bone cells in the femur to die and the bone to lose strength.
Irritable Hip Syndrome
Irritable hip syndrome can be common in children after an upper respiratory infection. It causes hip pain that results in limping. In most cases, it resolves by itself.
Soft Tissue Pain And Referred Pain
Pain in the hip may be due to an injury or defect affecting the soft tissues outside of the hip. This is known as referred pain.
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis
A slipped capital femoral epiphysis is a separation of the ball of the hip joint from the thigh bone (femur) at the upper growing end (growth plate) of the bone. This is only seen in growing children. Surgically stabilizing the joint with pins is a common, effective treatment.
