The appearance of pain in the hip joint should definitely alert, because this is the largest bone connection without which the process of walking is impossible. Maintains balance, redistributes body weight between the spine and lower extremities. When the function of the hip joint is affected, the patient's quality of life immediately decreases and their physical activity decreases.
If you feel pain in your hip joint, you need to establish the cause. Pain treatment depends on the pathology of which it is a symptom. Complex measures and strict adherence to the recommendations will help to eliminate the disease and maintain the motor activity of the joint.
The disruption 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 an unpleasant hip joint discomfort and how can it be treated at home? Let's try to figure it out.
Causes
Pain in the hip joint can appear for several reasons: due to damage to the joint itself, both on the right and on the left, as well as to the bones, cartilage or ligaments located next to it. Numbness and restriction of movement in the entire hip usually appear 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, he will prescribe an initial examination and recommend which doctor you should go to.
The most common causes of hip pain are:
- dislocations;
- fractures;
- infectious inflammation or arthritis;
- degenerative changes or osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis);
- aseptic necrosis of the femoral head;
- inflammation of the periarticular bursa (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 8-10%, then for middle-aged people this figure is 20-30%. At the age of 50-59 years, 40% already suffer from this, and among the elderly, 50-60%. Women are more likely to suffer from this localized pain syndrome than men.
According to age
Typical pathological conditions of different age groups that cause pain in the hip joint:
- Adults and Seniors. Osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis), joint injuries and deformities, acetabulum pressure.
- Children and adolescents. Perthes disease, transient synovitis, acquired varus deformity, tuberculous lesions, joint injuries and deformities.
- Newborns and infants under 1 year. Congenital hip dislocation, generic epiphysis sequelae, 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 your side at night, spreading over the entire surface of the thigh.
If an infection enters, purulent bursitis may appear, which is 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 large area of the thigh. Perhaps the appearance 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: the movements of the legs are interrupted. It can be an independent disease or develop with secondary damage to the joint (tumor in the bone). 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 patients even at rest, at night. Marked limp, which requires the use of a cane.
- In stage 2 coxarthrosis, pain begins to radiate into the groin, inner and front sides of the thigh, and 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 excessive exertion: climbing stairs with a load on the hands, walking more than 2-3 kilometers, running. Pain sensations disappear after a short 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, physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises are prescribed. The last stage is treated 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 perform any movement in the joint.
In this case, hospitalization is necessary for proper treatment, since a hip fracture is often complicated by an infectious process, for example, bacterial arthritis, etc. The addition of inflammation significantly affects fracture healing and contributes to improper bone fusion.
Hip joint dislocation
Most of the time it is the result of traffic accidents, and also occurs during falls and various occupational injuries.
Clinical manifestations in dislocation: unbearable acute pain, almost absolute difficulty in the movement of the lower extremities, with damage to the nerve endings, the sensitivity of the foot and ankle joint is lost. With bilateral dislocation of the joint, 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 ailment is a consequence of the underdevelopment of the acetabulum, so 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
A systemic disease of the connective tissue, accompanied by damage to the joints and the valve apparatus of the heart. It develops most often in girls and young women after a strep throat.
About two weeks after the illness, severe pain occurs in the large joints, gradually decreasing and disappearing. 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 occur within their joints. Discomfort appears in the area of the legs and groin, you can feel cramps 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, causing severe pain in the hip joint.
Most often, the discomfort increases in the morning, but decreases with physical activity. But with excessive loads, unpleasant sensations increase, and stiffness in movements appears. Treatment depends on the diagnosis, anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise therapy, and hormonal drugs are usually prescribed.
Infections
Infectious arthritis can be caused by viruses such as influenza, staph, strep, and others. . . In such cases, the disease develops rapidly. Fever begins, swelling is observed in the affected joint area. Acute pain in the hip joint is seen with movement and even when 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 gradually makes itself felt. At first, a person begins to feel bothered by slight pain when walking, radiating to the leg, mid-thigh or knee. As the disease progresses, the hip has limited movement in all directions, the affected area swells.
tendinitis
Tendon inflammation, or tendonitis, usually affects people who are exposed to high levels of regular physical activity. Most of the time these are athletes. It should be noted that this disease sometimes progresses imperceptibly, especially if the patient reduces the load on the hip joint. And, on the contrary, with too active movements and heavy loads, the pain becomes very strong.
Treatment of tendonitis is carried out with anti-inflammatory drugs; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed.
What doctor are you treating?
You may need the help of these doctors if you have pain in your hip joint:
- rheumatologist;
- Traumatologist or orthopedist;
- Physiotherapist;
- Neurologist.
The specialist will conduct 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 hip joint diseases.
- General blood tests. It will give the opportunity to assess the general condition of the body.
- Biochemical analysis of blood and specific markers of rheumatological diseases.
- Urine test. The color, quantity, clarity, and density of urine are determined. Also, protein, glucose, and bilirubin are important indicators.
- Morphological examination of biopsy samples. It is used to study the structure of the material taken, especially often in cases of suspected oncological diseases of the skeleton.
- computed tomography allows to visualize the joint, bone tissue in various projections, to determine its density.
- Magnetic resonance imaging. Performs in thin layers of body tissue in any plane.
- Osteoscintigraphy. With the introduction of osteotropic radiopharmaceuticals, the state of blood flow in bone tissue and the intensity of metabolic processes are visualized.
Note decreased joint mobility. Remember if the disease was accompanied by fever, headache, local hyperemia, edema and other local manifestations. Do not be afraid to draw 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 are severe pain, you should immediately contact a specialist. He 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 a minor injury or joint overload, the following steps can be taken:
- avoid stress on the sore 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 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 hip joint diseases. They are carried out after the removal of acute inflammation and severe pain. Electrophoresis has proven to be good, with the help of which a high concentration of drugs can be created directly on the affected area.
A progressive method is considered to be laser therapy, which produces analgesic, resorption, and anti-inflammatory effects. Magnetotherapy, diode dynamotherapy, and drug phonophoresis are also used with success.