The appearance of pain in the hip joint should definitely be warned because it is the largest bone connection without which walking is impossible. Maintains balance, redistributes body weight between the spine and lower extremities. If the function of the hip joint is impaired, the patient's quality of life deteriorates immediately and his physical activity decreases.
If you feel pain in your hip joint, you need to determine the cause. The treatment of pain depends on the pathology of which it is a symptom. Strict adherence to complex measures and recommendations will help get rid of the disease and maintain joint motor activity.
Disruption of the hip joint makes active movement impossible. Decreased functionality limits the patient's independent movement and performance.
So what is the cause of such unpleasant discomfort in the hip joint and how can it be treated at home? Let's try to figure it out.
Cause
Hip pain can occur for a variety of reasons: damage to the right and left sides of the joint itself, and to the adjacent bones, cartilage, or ligaments. Numbness and restraint throughout the hip are often accompanied by painful symptoms.
Diseases of the hip joint can occur at any age, but most commonly affect the elderly. In case of pain, it is advisable to consult a GP, who will prescribe the first examination and suggest which doctor to see.
The most common causes of hip pain are:
- dislocations;
- fractures;
- infectious inflammation or arthritis;
- degenerative lesions or osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis);
- aseptic necrosis of the femoral head;
- inflammation of the periarticular sac (bursitis);
- non-infectious inflammation in connective tissue autoimmune diseases;
- pregnancy period.
The prevalence of pain syndrome in this localization increases with age. If hip pain occurs in 8-10% of young people under the age of 18, it is 20-30% in middle-aged people. At the age of 50-59, 40% already suffer from it, and among the elderly, 50-60%. Women are more likely to suffer from this localization pain syndrome than men.
By age
Diseases typical of different age groups that cause pain in the hip joint:
- Adults and the elderly. Osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis), joint injuries and deformities, acetabulum pressure.
- Children and adolescents. Perthes disease, transient synovitis, acquired varus deformity, tuberculous lesions, injuries, and joint deformities.
- Newborns and infants under 1 year of age. Congenital dislocation of the hip, consequences of generic epiphysis, acute purulent osteoarthritis, congenital varus deformities.
Bursitis
The main symptoms of bursitis are:
- the appearance of back pain as the disease develops;
- increased discomfort when moving the foot;
- increased pain after prolonged sitting, back pain;
- sharp and burning pain, especially when lying on the side at night, covering the entire surface of the thigh.
If an infection occurs, purulent bursitis can develop, characterized by acute pain in the hip joint. A characteristic symptom of this type of bursitis is the inability to fully extend the leg. When pressed, it feels tight, which can spread over a large area of the thigh. Maybe the appearance of back pain.
Osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis)
Coxarthrosis is based on the degenerative (destruction) and dystrophic (malnutrition) processes in the hip joint. As a result, the joint does not perform its functions - the movement of the legs is interrupted. It can be a stand-alone disease or can develop with secondary joint damage (a tumor in the bone). In old age, coxarthrosis develops again after a hip fracture.
Depending on the severity of the changes in the joint, coxarthrosis has 3 stages.
- In stage 3, the pain in the hip joint bothers the patient at rest, even at night. Marked lameness that forces the use of a stick.
- In stage 2 coxarthrosis, the pain begins to radiate to the groin, the inside and front of the thigh, and often falls to the knees. They appear after the usual daily load, but do not disturb them at rest.
- Stage 1 is characterized by pain in the hip joint, which occurs during excessive exertion: walking up the stairs with a load in his hand, walking and running for more than 2-3 kilometers. The pain is relieved after a short rest.
The choice of methods for treating hip arthrosis depends on the severity of the changes in the joint. Grades 1 and 2 of the disease can usually be treated conservatively. They prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, drugs that improve joint blood circulation, physiotherapy, and therapeutic practices. The last section is handled only by operations.
Hip fracture
Very common injury, especially in elderly people with weak bones. This condition is characterized by severe pain, an inability to move in the joint.
In this case, proper treatment requires hospitalization, as the hip fracture is often complicated by an infectious process, such as bacterial arthritis, and so on. The addition of inflammation significantly impairs fracture healing and contributes to improper bone fusion.
Dislocation of the hip joint
It is most common as a result of road accidents as well as falls and various occupational injuries.
Clinical manifestations of dislocation: unbearable acute pain, almost absolute difficulty in movement of the lower extremities, damage to nerve endings, loss of sensitivity of the foot and ankle joint. In the case of bilateral dislocation of the joint, the symptoms are expressed in the form of intermittent claudication or so-called "duckwalking".
It is worth highlighting a concept such as congenital hip dislocation diagnosed in newborns. This disease is a consequence of the immaturity of the acetabulum, causing the femoral head to fall out of its boundaries, resulting in dislocation.
Subluxation
This is an incomplete loss of contact between the femoral head and the acetabulum. The person does not feel sharp pain, motor activity is somewhat limited, but unpleasant feelings are constantly present.
Rheumatism
A systemic disease of the connective tissue accompanied by damage to the joints and heart valves. It is more common in girls and young women after a sore throat caused by streptococcus.
About two weeks after the disease, there is severe pain in the large joints that gradually shrinks and disappears. Rheumatism does not cause permanent joint damage, the main risk is the development of acquired heart defects.
Arthritis
Arthritis is especially common in the elderly. The older a person is, the more processes can occur in his joints. There is an uncomfortable feeling in the legs and groin, cramps can be felt in the front of the thighs and can even reach the knees. The symptoms are worse when walking and resting on your feet. It is difficult to get up from a sitting position, which causes severe pain in the hip joint.
Most often, malaise increases in the morning but decreases with physical activity. But with excessive load, the discomfort increases and the stiffness of the movements occurs. Treatment depends on the diagnosis, usually with anti-inflammatory drugs, gymnastics and hormonal medications.
Infections
Infectious arthritis can be caused by viruses such as influenza, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and others. . . In such cases, the disease develops rapidly. Fever begins, swelling is observed in the affected joint area. Acute pain in the hip joint is also observed by movement and touching the affected area.
A slightly different symptom is observed in tuberculous arthritis, which most commonly affects the hip joint. In this case, the disease is gradually felt. At first, a person begins to be disturbed by a slight pain while walking that radiates to the leg - the middle of the thigh or knee. As the disease progresses, the movement of the hip is restricted in all directions, and the affected area swells.
Tendinitis
Inflammation of the tendons or tendonitis usually affects people who are exposed to regular physical activity. Most often they are athletes. It should be noted that this disease sometimes progresses unnoticed, especially if the patient reduces the load on the hip joint. Conversely, with too active movements and heavy loads, the pain becomes very strong.
Tendonitis is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed.
Which doctor is treating you?
These doctors may need help if you have hip pain:
- Rheumatologist;
- traumatologist or orthopedist;
- Physiotherapist;
- Neurologist.
The specialist will perform a survey and examination of the patient and prescribe a comprehensive examination.
Diagnostics
Laboratory and instrumental research methods:
- X-ray examination and ultrasound. It is the gold standard for almost all hip diseases.
- General blood test. It provides an opportunity to assess the general condition of the body.
- Biochemical blood test and specific markers of rheumatological diseases.
- Urinalysis. They determine the color, volume, purity, and density of the urine. In addition, protein, glucose and bilirubin are important indicators.
- Morphological examination of biopsy samples. It is used to study the structure of the material taken, especially when skeletal oncology is suspected.
- CT scan. It allows the joint, the bone tissue to be displayed in several projections, to determine its density.
- Magnetic resonance imaging. Displays in thin layers of body tissue in any plane.
- Osteoscintigraphy. With the introduction of the osteotropic radiopharmaceutical, the state of blood flow in the bone tissue and the intensity of metabolic processes become visible.
Note the decrease in joint mobility. Remember if the disease was accompanied by fever, headache, local hyperemia, edema, and other local manifestations. Do not be afraid to draw the attention of a specialist to the possible causes of the disease. Describe in detail anything that bothers you.
How is hip pain treated?
What to do if you notice painful symptoms in the hip area? After all, the pelvis is an important link in the musculoskeletal system. And if there is severe pain, consult a specialist immediately. Helps diagnose and identify the cause of the problem. The sooner the diagnosis is made, the more effective the treatment will be.
If you suspect that mild pain is associated with minor injury or joint overload, you can take the following actions:
- avoid pain in the painful joint, keep it calm;
- take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug;
- it is advisable to lie on a healthy side while sleeping.
Medication consists of the complex administration of drugs in different directions:
- Hondoprotectors, mineral and vitamin complexes.
- Muscle relaxants that reduce the cramps associated with pain.
- NSAIDs and steroids. Steroid medications are prescribed only for severe symptoms.
- Tools for improving microcirculation. They relieve edema and hypoxic manifestations in the affected area.
- Diuretics to reduce swelling in the inflamed area.
Physiotherapy measures are also of great importance in the treatment of hip diseases. These are performed after the removal of acute inflammation and severe pain. Electrophoresis has been proven to generate high concentrations of drug directly in the affected area.
Laser therapy is considered to be a progressive method that has analgesic, resorption and anti-inflammatory effects. Magnetic therapy, diode dynamotherapy and phonophoresis have also been used successfully.