Hip Pain

Why does my hip hurt?

Hip pain is a common complaint and can be a result of many different reasons. In fact, patients will often report pain in the hips when the root cause is actually from pain in other areas of the body radiating to the hips (for instance, a hernia or groin injury). Though the hip is a resilient joint that can sustain repeated motion and usage, hip injuries often have crippling effects because nearly all body motion involves the hip joint.

Cartilage in the hip can become worn down, hip tendons can become overused, hip muscles can fatigue, and the hip bone itself can be fractured during a fall or similar injury. If you experience hip pain toward the outside area of your hip, the buttock, or thigh it can be due to injuries involving tendons, ligaments, and muscles in the hip region. Another cause of low back pain, buttock pain, hip pain or even leg pain may be attributed to dysfunction in the sacroiliac joint (SI joint). The symptoms of an SI joint dysfunction may feel very similar to the pain caused by sciatica.

Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) is a painful hip condition which is thought of as a precursor to the development of hip arthritis. The underlying pathology of FAI is usually resultant from the impingement of bony incongruences at the pelvis and thigh bone. There are many varieties of FAI, but the pain is usually located in the front of the hip with pronged sitting or athletic maneuvers. FAI is most commonly experienced by younger people participating in recreational or competitive athletics or dance, but can also be experienced in the middle-aged population.

Symptoms of hip pain:

• Groin pain
• Pain inside the hip joint
• Pain outside the hip joint
• Pain in the thigh area
• Pain in the buttocks area
• Reduced range of motion
• Limping
• Pain with prolonged sitting
• Pain while laying on your side

Possible reasons for hip pain:

• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Septic arthritis
• Tendinitis
• Hip dislocation
• Hip fracture
• Labral tear in the hip
• Bursitis
• Inguinal hernia
• Pinched nerves
• Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
• Sports hernia
• Gluteal muscle tear