Hip and Leg Pain

The hip joint is one of the most vital joint of our body. Here the femur or the large thigh bone is attached to the pelvis. The top end of the femur is round like a ball and it is fitted into the socket of the pelvis joint. This joint bears the entire body weight and it helps us in sitting, walking, running, etc. When it suffers injury or degeneration, then it gives rise to hip and leg pain.

Hip and Leg Pain

There are numerous causes that can lead to this painful condition. Most of them are caused due to some problem of the hip joints and the resultant pain is radiated down and cause thigh pain and leg pain. Some of the most commonly found causes have been discussed below.

Fracture: Athletes suffering sports related injuries, motor vehicles accidents, a bad fall can lead to fracture of hip bone. Degeneration of the bones with increase in age can lead to a health condition called osteoporosis. As a result, the bones become so fragile that elderly can get hip fracture even while carrying out daily activities.

Dislocation: Another form of traumatic injury is when the hip joint get dislocated. It can be identified with the help of symptoms like extreme pain that make the movement of the leg difficult, limited rotation of hip and shortening of legs or abnormal leg positioning.

Peripheral Artery Disease: This results in poor blood circulation and thus the oxygen supply to the legs get affected. Thus the affected leg is prone to infections. It mostly affects one leg only but it may affect both the legs as well. A person suffering from this disease have a higher risk of getting heart attack or stroke.

Arthritis: Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two major forms of arthritis that affect the hip joint and cause chronic hip and leg pain. Osteoarthritis is a non-inflammatory arthritis found in people who are above the age of 55. It happens because of wearing out of the cartilage present in the hip joint. On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis is inflammatory arthritis destroying the cartilage, bones and tendons of the joint. It can affect much younger people who are in the age group of 35-50.

Other Causes: If any nerve roots or the sciatic nerve present in the lower back region get irritated or compressed then it can lead to lower back hip and leg pain. This pain is known as referred pain as the origin of the pain is lower back region but it gets radiated to the hip and lower part of the legs. The cartilage present in the hip joint is known as labrum which ensure smooth movements of the hip and the legs. Tear in this cartilage because of injury or disease like arthritis gives a radiating hip pain and often gives a locking sensation with certain movements of the joint.

Treatment

The exact cause behind such pain is ascertained by the physician with the help of physical examination and various laboratory tests like x-ray, CT Scan, MRI Scan, blood test, etc. If the injury is minor, then rest, application of ice and elevation of the leg can help to subside the pain. In more severe cases, pain relieving medicines or injections are prescribed by the doctors to control the pain. Physical therapy is recommended for those who are suffering from arthritic or sciatica pain. For a serious case of dislocation or fracture surgery is a must. If all the non surgical treatments of arthritis and sciatica fails to provide relief, then also surgery is the only option left.

The causes of the pain can be controlled to some extent if we maintain a healthy lifestyle and a proper body weight. This can be achieved by eating healthy foods, drinking enough water and regular exercising. You can prevent many of the injuries of the hip joint if you warm up your body before doing any physical activity.