Hip pain
Hip pain is often caused by over excursion in exercise creating inflamed tissue and a strain to the tendons, which often resolves itself in a matter of days.
However, if hip pain continues or worsens, this can be a symptom of a number of conditions, which may require more than just rest and relaxation.
Hip Arthritis
Hip Arthritis can come in many forms, with the most common being Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis is a progressive condition caused by deterioration in cartilage causing bone surfaces to rub together and create the painful symptoms associated with hip arthritis.
Although hip arthritis is a condition that affects the hip – often pain known as referral pain can be experienced in the buttocks as well as the front of the leg and knee. The pain felt is often worsened by manual activities such as walking which creates a load bearing effect on the joint.
For the majority of patients, these symptoms are manageable with simple therapeutic techniques such as a change in exercise, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and natural therapies such as traction therapy.
However, for most patients as conditions develop and the pain adversely affects daily life they require total hip replacement surgery.
Although Hip arthritis is not an emergency condition, the pain can become severe and should therefore be diagnosed by a medical professional as soon as possible.
Bursitis
Another common condition that causes pain in the hip is Bursitis. Bursitis is an inflammatory condition that is generally caused by an injury to a bursa (fluid sac for reducing friction).
Bursitis is a progressive condition, caused by repetitive movement and excessive friction or impingement of the bursa. The majority of patients develop the painful symptoms over a period time.
Bursitis creates a painful burning sensation, which is felt in the area affected. Bursitis of the hip usually affects athletes through over exertion and repetitive movement, however it is more common to experience bursitis in the knee or ankle.
The majority of cases are treated with anti-inflammatory medications and self-treatment with symptoms usually subsiding with rest. However if symptoms persist patients may need to be reassessed for further intervention.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis is another inflammatory condition that can cause hip pain due to micro-tears in the hip flexor tendons or tendon-muscle attachments.
Tendonitis more commonly occurs in the shoulders, elbows or wrists due to overuse or injury. Again, tendonitis is caused by repetitive strain or tendon injury most likely related to sporting activities.
On most occasions, an episode of tendonitis lasts a short period of time and is resolved by rest and self care with the pain being eased by anti-inflammatory medication. However, for more serious cases musculoskeletal therapy and corticosteroids are most commonly used. Although surgery is not usually necessary, if the tendonitis doesn’t heal naturally, surgery has been used in some cases.
If you suspect that you are suffering from tendonitis you should seek advice from a musculoskeletal therapist or your GP.
Labral tear
The labrum is a ring of cartilage around the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint. The labrum provides a seal between the hip socket and the head of the femur. Sporting activities or structural abnormalities in the hip joint can cause a hip labral tear. The labrum can be torn with no apparent symptoms. If pain is felt the symptoms can feel similar to hip arthritis, such as locking or clicking in the hip, pain in your hip or groin and stiffness / limited range of motion at the hip.