Hip Joint Pain

The hip joint is the junction where the legs and the torso connect with each other. It consists of muscles, ligaments, bones and tendons. Any minor or major problems associated with these structural components result in hip joint pain. When there is a pain in the hip joint, then movements like walking becomes a painful affair. It is often accompanied by swelling, stiffness and numbness in the joint.

Causes

An injury to the joint and an underlying disease affecting the joint are the primary reasons behind most hip joint pain. The commonly found causes have been discussed below:

Fracture in the Hip Joint: Hip bones may get fractured due to a bad fall or traumatic injury. Elderly people suffering from osteoporosis are susceptible to hip joint fracture because of degeneration of bones caused by the disease.

Bursitis: This gives pain when walking long distance, climbing stairs and sitting on hard surface for a long time. This results from inflammation of small fluid filled sacs called bursae present in the hip joint. This condition arises mostly due to muscle strain or traumatic injury of any soft tissues in the area.

Arthritis: Most of the chronic hip pain causes are related to various forms of arthritis. It could be osteoarthritis where the cartilage of the joint get worn out. In this condition, the hips bones get rubbed against each other and pain is experienced. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis that causes burning hip pain.

Other Causes: Sometimes, it may happen that the pain originated from lower back problem but is felt in the hip area. Pain due to herniated disc and sciatica are two such examples. Insufficient supply of blood to the hip joint because of health condition or injury is known as avascular necrosis and it gives such painful symptoms. Tendonitis or inflammation of the tendons in the joint occur due to repetitive use of the hip. This causes hip pain in runners and dancers.

Hip Joint Pain Relief

The first priority of the treatment is to ease off the pressure from the joint. For this adequate amount of rest is necessary. Lying down on a firm surface is highly beneficial in this regard. The swelling associated with the pain is relieved with the help of application of ice. In case of a minor injury, this much of treatment should subside the pain within 2 days.

However, if you find that there is no improvement in the symptoms after 24 hours, then visit a doctor. They conduct physical examination along with laboratory tests like X-rays, MRI or CT scan to identify the cause. Then pain killers are prescribed for a temporary pain relief. For a more severe pain, cortisone injections may be administered. As the pain subsides, physical therapy is recommended. It involves hip joint exercises under the supervision of the physical therapist. These exercises add strength and flexibility to the joint and ensures faster recovery.

For serious cases of arthritis, joint replacement surgery may be required. In cases, the hip joint is severely damaged where the bones are badly fractured or there is torn cartilage in hip, then also surgical option is availed as the last resort. The surgical treatment is followed by a rehabilitation program where the normal hip movements are restored with the help of physical therapy and hip strengthening exercises.

Most of the causes of hip joint pain can be avoided with the help of suitable precautionary measures. It includes maintaining a correct posture while sitting, standing or bending. Maintaining a healthy body weight is important to prevent exertion of extra pressure on the joint. Before starting any strenuous physical activity, do some warm up exercises to prevent any injury to the hip.