The appearance of pain in the hip joint should definitely alert, because this is the biggest bone connection without which the walking process is impossible. It maintains balance, redistributes body weight between the spine and lower limbs. When hip joint function is impaired, the patient's quality of life immediately declines and their physical activity declines.
If you experience pain in your hip joint, you need to establish the cause. The treatment of pain depends on the pathology of which it is a symptom. Complex measures and strict adherence to the recommendations will help to get rid of the disease and maintain the motor activity of the joint.
Rupture of the hip joint makes it impossible to actively move. Decreased functionality limits the patient in terms of independent movement and performance.
So what are the causes of such unpleasant discomfort in the hip joint and how can it be treated at home? Let's try to find out.
Causes
Pain in the hip joint can appear for several reasons: due to damage to the joint itself, both on the right and left, as well as to the bones, cartilage or ligaments located close to it. Numbness and restriction of movement throughout the hip often comes with a painful symptom.
Diseases of the hip joint can appear at any age, but most often affect the elderly. If pain occurs, it is advisable to consult a general practitioner, who will prescribe an initial examination and recommend which doctor you should see.
The most common causes of hip pain are:
- displacements;
- fractures;
- infectious inflammation or arthritis;
- degenerative changes or osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis);
- aseptic necrosis of the femoral head;
- inflammation of the periarticular bag (bursitis);
- non-infectious inflammation in autoimmune connective tissue diseases;
- pregnancy period.
The prevalence of pain syndrome in this location increases with age. If among young people under 18 years of age, pain in the hip joint is found in 8-10%, for middle-aged people this figure is 20-30%. At 50-59 years old, 40% already suffer from it, and among older people - from 50 to 60%. Women are more likely to suffer from this localization pain syndrome than men.
according to age
Typical pathological conditions of different age groups that cause hip joint pain:
- Adults and Seniors. Osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis), joint injuries and deformities, compression of the acetabulum.
- Children and teenagers. Perthes disease, transient synovitis, acquired varus deformity, tuberculous lesions, joint injuries and deformities.
- Newborns and babies under 1 year of age. Congenital hip dislocation, consequences of the generic epiphysis, acute purulent osteoarthritis, congenital varus deformities.
bursitis
The main signs of bursitis:
- with the development of the disease, the appearance of back pain;
- increased discomfort when moving the leg;
- increased pain after prolonged sitting, back pain;
- sharp, burning pain, especially when lying on one's side at night, extending over the entire surface of the thigh.
If an infection enters, purulent bursitis may appear, characterized by sharp pain in the hip joint. For this type of bursitis, a characteristic symptom is the inability to fully extend the leg. When pressed, a firmness is felt, which can spread over the entire large surface of the thigh. Perhaps the onset of back pain.
Osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis)
Coxarthrosis is based on degenerative (destruction) and dystrophic (malnutrition) processes in the hip joint. As a result, the joint ceases to perform its functions - leg movements are interrupted. It can be an independent disease or develop with secondary damage to the joint (bone tumor). In old age, coxarthrosis develops again after a hip fracture.
Depending on the severity of the changes that have occurred in the joint, there are 3 stages of coxarthrosis.
- In stage 3, pain in the hip joint bothers the patient even at rest at night. Severe claudication, which requires the use of a cane.
- In stage 2 coxarthrosis, the pain begins to radiate to the groin, inner and front of the thigh, often down to the knee. They appear after the usual daily load, but at rest they do not bother.
- Stage 1 is characterized by pain in the hip joint that occurs during overexertion: climbing stairs with a load in your hands, walking for more than 2-3 kilometers, running. Pain sensations subside after a brief rest.
The choice of methods for treating osteoarthritis of the hip joint depends on the severity of the changes that have occurred in the joint. 1 and 2 degrees of the disease can be treated, as a rule, conservatively. Anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, drugs that improve blood circulation in the joint, physical therapy and therapeutic exercises are prescribed. The last stage is handled only with the help of operations.
hip fracture
A very common injury, especially in older people with weak bones. This condition is characterized by severe pain, inability to make any movement in the joint.
In this case, hospitalization is necessary for proper treatment, as a hip fracture is often complicated by an infectious process, e. g. bacterial arthritis, etc. The addition of inflammation significantly impairs fracture healing and contributes to inadequate bone fusion.
Hip joint dislocation
Most often it is a consequence of road accidents, and also occurs during falls and various occupational injuries.
Clinical manifestations of dislocation: sharp unbearable pain, almost absolute difficulty in moving the lower extremities, with damage to nerve endings, loss of sensation in the foot and ankle joint. With bilateral joint dislocation, symptoms are expressed in the form of intermittent claudication, or the so-called "duck gait".
It is worth highlighting a concept such as congenital hip dislocation, diagnosed in newborns. This disease is a consequence of the underdevelopment of the acetabulum, due to which the head of the femur goes out of its limits, thus forming a 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 slightly limited, but unpleasant sensations are constantly present.
Rheumatism
Systemic disease of the connective tissue, accompanied by damage to the joints and valve apparatus of the heart. It develops more often in girls and young women after strep throat.
Approximately two weeks after the illness, severe pain occurs in the large joints, which gradually decreases and disappears. Rheumatism does not cause permanent damage to the joints, its main danger is the development of acquired heart defects.
Arthritis
Arthritis is especially common in the elderly. The older a person is, the more processes can take place within their joints. Discomfort appears in the legs and groin area, cramps can be felt in the front of the thigh and even reach the knee. Symptoms are worse when walking and resting on the leg. It becomes difficult to get up from a sitting position, this causes severe pain in the hip joint.
Most of the time, the malaise increases in the morning, but with physical activity it decreases. But with excessive loads, unpleasant sensations increase and stiffness in movements appears. Treatment depends on the diagnosis, anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise therapy, and hormone medications are usually prescribed.
infections
Infectious arthritis can be caused by viruses such as influenza, staphylococci, streptococci, and others. . . In such cases, the disease develops quickly. Fever begins, swelling is observed in the affected joint area. Sharp pain in the hip joint is observed with movement and even touching the affected area.
A slightly different symptomatology is seen in tuberculous arthritis, which most often affects the hip joint. In this case, the disease makes itself felt gradually. At first, a person begins to bother with a slight pain when walking, radiating to the leg - the mid-thigh or knee part. As the disease progresses, hip movement is limited in all directions, the affected area swells.
tendinitis
Inflammation of the tendons, or tendonitis, often affects people exposed to high levels of regular physical activity. Most of the time they are athletes. It should be noted that this disease sometimes proceeds imperceptibly, especially if the patient reduces the load on the hip joint. And conversely, with very active movements and heavy loads, the pain becomes very strong.
Treatment of tendinitis is carried out with anti-inflammatory drugs - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed.
Which doctor are you treating?
Help from these doctors may be needed if you have hip joint pain:
- Rheumatologist;
- Traumatologist or orthopedist;
- Physical therapist;
- Neurologist.
The specialist will carry out a survey and examination of the patient, prescribe a comprehensive examination.
Diagnosis
Laboratory and instrumental research methods:
- X-ray and ultrasound examination. They are the gold standard for almost all diseases of the hip joint.
- General blood analysis. It will give the opportunity to assess the general condition of the body.
- Biochemical blood test and specific markers of rheumatological diseases.
- Urine analysis. Urine color, quantity, clarity and density are determined. In addition, protein, glucose and bilirubin are important indicators.
- Morphological examination of biopsy specimens. It is used to study the structure of the material removed, especially in cases of suspected oncological diseases of the skeleton.
- computed tomography. Allows you to visualize the joint, bone tissue in various projections, to determine its density.
- MRI image. Renders in thin layers of body tissue in any plane.
- Osteoscintigraphy. With the introduction of osteotropic radiopharmaceuticals, the state of blood flow in the bone tissue and the intensity of metabolic processes are visualized.
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 call the attention of a specialist to the possible causes of the disease. Describe in detail everything that bothers you.
How is hip pain treated?
What to do if painful symptoms are found in the hip joint area? After all, the pelvis is an important link in the musculoskeletal system. And if there is severe pain, you should immediately contact a specialist. It will help diagnose and identify the cause of the problem. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the more effective the treatment will be.
If you suspect that mild pain is associated with minor injuries or joint overload, the following measures can be taken:
- avoid stress on the painful joint, keep it calm;
- take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug;
- during sleep, it is advisable to lie on the healthy side.
Drug treatment consists of a complex intake of drugs in several directions:
- Hondoprotectors, mineral and vitamin complexes.
- Muscle relaxants that reduce the spasms that occur with pain.
- NSAIDs and steroids. Steroid medications are only prescribed for severe symptoms.
- Means to improve microcirculation. They relieve edema and hypoxic manifestations in the affected area.
- Diuretics to reduce swelling in the inflamed area.
Physiotherapeutic measures are also of great importance in the treatment of diseases of the hip joints. They are performed after removing acute inflammation and severe pain. Electrophoresis has proven itself well, with the help of which a high concentration of drugs can be created directly in the affected area.
A progressive method is considered laser therapy, which produces analgesic, resorptive, and anti-inflammatory effects. Magnetotherapy, diode dynamotherapy and drug phonophoresis are also successfully used.