Hip Pain is the globally accepted name for pain in or around the hip joint area.
Sometimes, the pain is not only or always experienced in the hip area alone but it can be felt in the groin or thigh part.
What Causes Hip Pain?
There are some sprains or traumas that can lead to hip pain.
Inflamed Tendons
The most ordinary and familiar root cause of acute pain in the hip is aggravated tendons which is also medically called tendonitis.
This is mostly a result of excessive training or exercise. This phenomenon can be very excruciating and irritating but it mostly goes away after some days.
Arthritis
The very familiar cause of a pro-longed hip pain is Arthritis.
Certain irritations like stiff and tender joints and pain coupled with challenges with walking can be triggered by arthritis.
A number of different arthritis exist that are peculiar to humans and they are namely Osteoarthritis, Infectious arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis etc.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition caused by ageing as the cartilage around the joints may wear down. A gash to a joint in the form of a fracture may result in traumatic arthritis such as osteoarthritis.
Infectious arthritis is a result of an infection in the joint area leading to the cartilage being destroyed or harmed.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a condition that happens when the joints are overwhelmed by the body’s immune system and this may lead to the joint cartilage and bones getting ruined and severely damaged.
Hip Fractures
Hip fractures usually occur in older adults and in people who already suffering from a condition known as osteoporosis which is when the bones become fragile and weak because of ageing and some other complications.
Hip fractures can lead to very sharp excruciating hip pain and it needs urgent medical treatment.
There are challenges that can come up caused by a fractured hip, or a blood clot in the leg.
A fracture in the hip necessitates surgery to be conducted in order for it to be resolved and after surgery, it must be followed by physiotherapy to guarantee fast recovery.
A number of less common causes of hip pain exist. Some of them are snapping hip syndrome and avascular necrosis.
Snapping Hip Syndrome
This condition mostly affects dancers and athletes and a typical feature of this is the snapping sound you will get in the hip.
It sometimes happens when you are getting up from a chair or you are walking and this does not mean it will be painful but there might be feelings of pain in some instances.
One thing you should also note is that Snapping hip pain is basically an indication that the cartilage has been damaged.
Osteonecrosis
Osteonocrosis otherwise known as avascular necrosis happens when the blood is temporarily or permanently unable to get into the bones causing the supporting bone to be lost.
Here, the cartilage is normal at first but it deteriorates in the long run as it progresses and this consequentially causes the bones to break or crumple.
Researchers and scientists have not been able to identify the leading cause of osteonecrosis.
Those who are treating cancer or are relying on steroid medication and are suffering from joint wounds may endanger you and make you vulnerable to Osteonecrosis.
When should I seek medical attention?
You will have to consult your doctor or a health expert if you experience hip pain that has prevailed for many days.
The medical expert or professional can introduce or recommend ways to manage the pain and remedy your condition.
More importantly, you should seek urgent medication attention if the hip is bleeding or you can see your bone or muscle exposed and a snapping or popping sound is heard.
Also, if your hip joint looks deformed or see deformity in your hip joint area and if you are unable to bear weight you should consider seeking immediate health care.
How To Diagnose Hip Pain?
Pains that are associated with conditions like arthritis will compel your doctor to ask you these kinds of questions below;
What Time Of Day Is The Pain Worse?
Does the pain affect how you walk or your ability to walk well?
When Did You First Experience The Symptoms?
You will do well to move around to aid your doctor in monitoring and examining the particular joint in motion. Your doctor will examine the motion in the normal and abnormal hip and make his comparisons and findings.
To come out with an accurate diagnosis, your doctor will undertake fluid and imaging tests. Fluid tests deal with taking blood, urine, and joint fluid samples for testing in a medical lab.
The imaging tests will be carried out in the form of X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasounds and they will offer the doctor a more detailed depiction or display of your bones, cartilage, and as well as other tissues.
Apart from seeing the medical doctor for professional help in treating the hip pain you would consider the following measures.
First of all, rest. Stay away from bending at the hip consistently and do well not to sleep on the injured or affected side or hip area. Do not sit for a long time.
Secondly, you can take pain relievers. Some of them include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium and these can help reduce the pain.
Thirdly, you can adopt the use of ice cubes wrapped in a towel and place them on the affected hip area.
Home Remedies For Hip Pain
Whilst at home, something you can do to ease the pain is to ensure that your sofa, or chair is favorable for your posture when you sit. Using a firm cushion or support system at your back will be a good thing to do.
You are advised to wear loose dresses as tight jeans, and pants can cause pain in the hip when sitting, and also don’t wear high heels and sitting as they can lead to your hips tilting asymmetrically.
Others include altering or making adjustments to your seat height and also massage the affected area with some relied ointments or jells to ease the pain.
Medically, some procedures that can be carried out to relieve the pain and correct the condition include muscle relaxing medication, cold compress, heat therapy, weight loss, knee brace, chiropractic adjustments, nerve block injection, steroid injections for arthritis, and many more.
