Hip Pain

The main functions of the hip joint are weight bearing and locomotion. It is subjected to many types of stress, osteoarthritis, diseases (collagen vascular disease, infection, lyme disease) and trauma, all of which can cause pain.

Hip pain in adults is mostly due to degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis and fractures. Children may have acute septic arthritis, osteomyelitis of the femur/greater trochanter, systemic disease, or trauma. Hip pain can cause excruciating pain from the simplest of activities - getting up or sitting down in a chair. Management includes patient education, medications, physical therapy or in extreme cases, surgery or joint replacement.

Why Do I Have Hip Pain?

Common causes of Hip Pain:

• Injuries from sports activities, falling down, slipping on ice, or motor vehicle accidents.
• Disease resulting in a broken or deteriorated bone structure, irritated bursae, or worn cartilage.

Damaged cartilage can also lead to various forms of arthritis. When the cartilage thins out and breaks down, unprotected bone surfaces rub against each other and cause extreme pain. The three most common types are Osteroarthritis, Rheumatoid and Traumatic arthritis.

What Are the Symptoms of Hip Osteoarthritis?

• Steady pain that becomes acute as the disease advances
• Groin pain when walking
• Pain worsening with any kind of activity
• Painful, limping gait
• Range of hip motion is progressively lost
• X-ray's show joint deterioration

This disease usually affects people in the age group of 50-80 years, or those with a family history of arthritis.

What are the Symptoms of Hip Rheumatoid Arthritis?

• Fatigue
• Restless sleepless nights
• Joint and soreness
• Stiffness when walking
• Aching joints
• Loss of appetite
• Lumps formed under the skin
• Fever

What is Hip Bursitis?
Nearly 60 percent of cases of hip pain are caused by hip bursitis - specifically trochanteric bursitis, a condition caused by painful inflammation of the bursa that covers the upper part of the thighbone i.e. femur. This can occur in anyone, but is more common in women in the age bracket of 45-80. The main causes of hip bursitis are:

• Abnormal patterns of walking
• Standing for long periods
• Difference in the length of the two legs
• Lying on one side of the body for too long
• Falling from an icy sidewalk
• Traumatic & minor accidents
• Overuse of that joint
• Previous hip surgery
• Hip replacement
• Scoliosis or other forms of spinal diseases

What Hip Joint Pains Are Caused By Injuries?
Serious hip injuries, dislocations, or fractures can lead to Avascular Necrosis, a condition wherein blood supply to the ball (the ball-shaped piece of bone that fits into the socket of the hip) portion of the thighbone is cut off and the bone begins to break down. As a result, the surrounding cartilage also begins to collapse, producing acute pain and other symptoms. Such injuries can be caused by:

• Hip fracture that tears the vessels supplying blood to the head of the femur
• Steroid medications, such as prednisone and other immune suppressant drugs.
• Chronic asthma
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Lupus organ transplants & other surgeries

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