5 Common Causes of Hip Pain (And What to Do About Them)

1 in 4 American adults has arthritis. As most know, arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of the joints, which causes chronic pain and stiffness. This includes chronic hip pain.

But arthritis isn’t the only cause of hip pain. In fact, there are many causes of hip pain that you should be aware of. This helps to know when to see your healthcare provider for additional assistance.

Let’s look at the top five common causes of hip pain.

  1. Hip Bursitis 

The hip has small, squishy sacs called bursa that cushion the bones and soft tissues in the joint. Even though the bursa reduces friction, they can become inflamed over time.

Symptoms of hip bursitis include a burning sensation and a sharp, achy pain in the hip and outer thigh. Most have worse hip pain at night, when laying on the hip, or when getting up.

A hip injury can often lead to hip bursitis.

  1. Hip Labral Tear

The hip joint has a ring of cartilage around it called the labrum. It cushions the ball-and-socket joint, helping to keep the thigh bones rooted in the socket. When the labrum tears off, you will feel a deep pain in your groin and the front of your hips.

Further, clicking and clunking of your hips are both signs that you may have a labral tear.

There are two types of labral tears. A traumatic tear is an acute injury. It’s usually a result of an accident or fall. A degenerative tear is a chronic injury. It occurs because of repetitive activity.

  1. Meralgia Paresthetica

This neurological disorder causes your lateral femoral cutaneous nerve to become trapped. This nerve is responsible for providing sensation to the thigh. If you experience numbness or burning pain on the outer thigh, it could be meralgia paresthesias.

Related

Fortunately, pain management is manageable with this condition. Wearing loose clothing helps significantly. Then your doctor can treat the underlying condition.

  1. Pinched Nerve in the Hip

A pinched nerve occurs when there is too much pressure on a nerve by surrounding tissue. The stress disrupts the nerve’s function.

Symptoms of a pinched nerve in the hip include:

  • Sharp pain
  • Burning sensation
  • Numbness
  • Tingling that travels down your leg after a long period of sitting

If you have a pinched nerve, you will usually feel pain in the groin. It can travel down the thigh and butt.

  1. Sacroiliac Joint Pain

The sacrum includes fused, immoveable bones in the spine that attach to the hip’s right and left iliac bones. When there is inflammation where the backbone meets the pelvis, you will experience sacroiliac joint pain.

This is because this join supports the entire upper body. As a result, sacroiliac joint pain is often worse when standing. In addition, tightening the joint space will cause a burning sensation or stiffness around the pelvic area.

Talk To Your Doctor About Causes of Hip Pain

While osteoarthritis is a significant source of hip pain, there are several other causes of hip pain that may apply to you. Therefore, when experiencing prolonged hip pain, it’s best to consult your doctor for the best treatment advice.

If you learned something in this article, make sure you check out the Health section for other valuable information.

 

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