Causes Of Hip Pain

Hip pain is a very common symptom experienced by most of us. This situation can vary from mild uneasiness to severe pain that limits activities of daily living. Often due to a stressful day or an event we get a pain in the hip but it could be for a short period of time and can be taken care of with the help of pain relief ointments. But if the discomfort in the hip prolongs for ten days then it is something serious and an orthopedic can detect the problem. There are a multitude of medical disorders that can cause hip pain.

The hip is a "ball and socket" joint shaped by the pelvic bones (the socket) and the end of the femur bone (the ball). Both these bones are enclosed with a smooth layer of protective cartilage; loss of this cartilage due to exertion, wear and tear, inflammation, or injury causes arthritis. The hip joint and the huge muscles that coat it are lubricated by five large bursa sacs and the fluid contained in the hip joint. Each sac produces lubricating fluid and functions to minimize pressure and friction around the joint. These bursa sacks can become aggravated from injury, excessive pressure, and overuse. Soreness of a bursa is called bursitis.

Arthritis is the most ordinary cause of chronic hip pain. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two kinds of arthritis that causes hip pain. Arthritis of the hip is universally treated with a joint substitution. There are many tendons located around the hip that attach the muscles to the joint. With a range of activities or overuse, these tendons can become swollen. This soreness consequences in pain around the hip region. Iliotibial band condition is one of the most widespread causes of tendonitis at the hip joint.



Hip fractures, or a crack in the hip bone, are another common cause of hip pain. Fractures of the hip frequently happen after falls in the elderly population. Osteoporosis puts this population at bigger risk for hip fractures. Stress fractures are one more form of fracture that can cause hip pain. A variety of risk factors add to ones risk for developing a stress fracture at the hip joint. Time and again due to pressure around the hip bone due to some physical activity also leads to a crack in the bone. It could be due to lack of calcium in the body. Calcium is very important for growth of bones. Food like milk, cheese, curd and other dairy products rich in calcium should be a part of our daily diet.

Muscle strains result from minute micro tears in muscles caused by a speedy twist or pull to the muscle. When this occurs to muscles located around the hip joint, pain in this area is experienced. Groin and hamstring muscle strains are two injuries that result in hip pain and uneasiness as well. This type of muscle pull is generally seen with athletes or people who are new to rigorous physical activities such as sports.

Bursitis is inflammation of the fluid filled sacs, bursa, that pad areas of pressure between joints, muscles, and tendons. Bursitis is due to overuse or recurring actions around the joints of the body. This redness results in pain that is experienced during movement or force. We should be very careful while during any stressful physical activity as it may lead to a crack in the bone or a fracture. Regular exercise and healthy food helps the body muscles to stay fit at all times reducing the chances of hip injuries.

• Felicia Byrnes
• 03/04/2009, 4:59 AM
• 0 Comments