The hip joint is considered to be the largest joint. And at the same time it is the most loaded in the human body. It is located in the area of the femur joint as well as the pelvis. Due to its special structure, the limb moves freely in different directions. This joint provides an upright posture. Pain in the hip joint impairs its functionality, causing a person serious discomfort when walking or even sitting. In this case, the limb sometimes numbs.
General classification of causes
The diagnosis of hip joint malfunction is fraught with certain difficulties, because anything causes painful sensations: trauma, bone disease, accompanying pathology of internal organs. In this case, the damaged area will ache, the feelings become burning.
This problem is most common among people who have crossed the 50-year mark. At the same time, women are much more prone to problems with this joint or hip than men.
Hip pain is often caused by:
- Traumatic: fracture of the femoral neck, direct injury to the joint area, severe dislocations of the right or left hip, ossifying myositis, which developed as a result of traumatic joint injury, pelvic fractures, epiphysiolysis of the femoral head.
- Hip connective tissue lesions: Reiter's disease, arthritis and only rheumatoid, ankylosing spondylitis.
- Joint diseases, accompanied by degenerative processes in tissues: coxarthrosis.
- Osteochondropathy: osteochondritis dissecans, Legg-Calve-Perthes pathology.
- Skeletal development problems: epiphyseal varus deformity of the foot that develops in adolescents.
- Processes of soft tissue inflammation in the joints: bursitis, transient synovitis, joint coccyx, caused by the tubercle bacillus.
Radiation pain in the thigh area develops as a result of such lesions: symphysitis, radicular syndrome, pathological processes inside the sacroiliac joint, enthesopathy. In general, an injured left or right hip joint causes significant discomfort and pain. It must be treated when even the slightest symptoms appear.
Detailed description of traumatic causes
If the hip joint hurts, the reason for the development of such a pathological condition may be:
- Congenital hip dislocations, a consequence of a failed birth or during intrauterine development. The damage can be quickly diagnosed even in a newborn baby. The child has uneven gluteal folds, one leg is shortened. A pinched nerve is also common. For a newborn, this disease is quite complex and dangerous, because the consequences of trauma can last a lifetime.
- Traumatic hip dislocations. It is characterized by sharp pain, the person cannot make any movement and there can be no talk of sitting or standing. Edema and hematoma appear above the joint. During hip dislocation (running, sports training) only worsens the condition, causing the progression of changes and pathological processes in the hip joint. This type of injury requires urgent treatment.
- Fracture of the femoral neck. This diagnosis is often given to women older than 60 years. The cause of such damage to the hip joint is a banal fall or a targeted blow to the hip joint. At the time of the fracture, a very sharp pain is felt, intensified by movement. Unpleasant sensations begin to give on the inner surface of the thigh. Swelling, bruising at the hip joint, appears at the site of injury. The damaged left or right leg becomes shorter, and the person develops lameness, the ankle begins to click. In addition, the trauma contributes to the contraction of the nerve, so the thigh begins to tingle.
- Transtrochanteric fracture of the femur. The pain in this case is moderate or severe. When moving, the symptoms in the hip are worse. Here, a pinched nerve is quite possible. In such a situation the pain breaks out and the limbs may numb.
- Crush the hip joint. The pain here is of moderate intensity, but it can become strong during the active movement of the person. At rest, the symptoms disappear. This cause of pain in the hip or hip joint is very common, especially in people prone to falls. The patient has a lameness that passes quickly.
Traumatic hip injury can be considered a major and common cause of uncomfortable pain. Serious fractures or dislocations of the femur, pelvis often require surgery. If a person has a pinched nerve and the patient begins to tingle in the limb, a visit to the doctor should be immediate.
Systemic diseases as a cause of pain
Pain in the hip joint when walking or in other positions can be caused by systemic connective tissue lesions. Treatment of such diseases must be carried out constantly, because they are considered practically incurable. Moreover, the therapy should be comprehensive and provide an impact primarily on the cause of the development of unpleasant feelings.
Thus, the following pathologies can cause pain in the left or right hip joint:
- Ankylosing spondylitis. The pain here is dull. In sick men or women the painful feelings become stronger at night. Localization of pain syndrome - sacrum or pelvis. At the same time, it is able to give a knee, thigh, groin, shoot. Movement in this case, especially walking, is difficult, the patient feels stiffness. Hip pain can be quite severe. The inflammatory process develops within the right or left joint.
- Reiter's syndrome. This disease is a lesion of the joints, genitourinary organs, as well as inflammation of the conjunctiva. The disease is autoimmune and is the result of an intestinal infection. The pathological process inside the joint begins a few weeks or months after the onset of the disease. It is characterized by acute pain in the hip or joint, temperature changes. Pronounced swelling occurs in the pelvic area on the left and right. In most cases, the disease leads to a symmetrical lesion of the joints.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. This problem is characterized by connective tissue damage. This type of disease is never accompanied by the appearance of pus. It is this disease that is considered a prerequisite for coxarthrosis of the hip joints. There is gradual progress. Initially, it is characterized by the following symptoms: edema and swelling (left or right). Discomfort is felt when walking, pain cracks. Inside the joint, due to the process of inflammation, the temperature rises (local and general). Further progression contributes to the appearance of stiffness in any movement. There is pain in the hip joint when you lie on your side at night. Usually the pathology shown manifests simultaneously on the right and left side. Due to the destruction of the hip joint, the patient's nerves may tighten and the limbs become numb. Treatment here should be immediate.
Systemic pathologies are capable of bringing pain of different nature to a person: sharp, extremely acute, traction. It is not always possible to deal with severe discomfort alone, even during the rest period. Therefore, only a doctor should prescribe proper treatment. This is especially true in those situations where a newborn baby is sick. Ineffective treatment can ruin his life in the future.
Pain caused by degenerative changes
Sufficiently sharp, burning or pulling pains in the joints can cause such diseases:
- Epiphyseal varus deformity, common in adolescents. With it, the sensations have a dull, appealing character. They are able to give the inside of the knee. Running and other sports trainings cause an increase in the intensity of the pain syndrome. The pain may shoot from time to time and the wrist may click.
- Coxarthrosis. The presented pathology occupies one of the leading places among all hip joint lesions. It is diagnosed in both men and women. It will take a long time to treat, and the therapy is quite complex. The disease is characterized by the development of degenerative and destructive processes in the joint. The symptoms of the pathology are as follows: first, the patient's wrist begins to ache after running, long walks or climbing stairs. And at rest the discomfort disappears. Movements here are not yet limited. In the second stage of development, the following symptoms appear: the pain syndrome begins to give in the groin, as well as in the thighs. Everyday stress increases the intensity of sensations, but they disappear at rest. Prolonged walking causes lameness, the wrist begins to click. The work of muscles and tendons is disturbed, their tone decreases. In the last stage of the development of the disease, the patient has pains even at night, and they are quite strong. Lameness becomes serious. Muscles lose volume and atrophy - the person becomes immobile. Treatment can stop or slow the destruction of the joint.
These pathologies can lead to constant lameness, which is already a limitation of work activity, a lack of full-fledged sports training. Even getting out of bed in the morning can be very difficult.
Inflammatory and infectious causes of pain
In addition to direct damage to the bones of the joint, inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and joint capsules can cause discomfort. And infectious diseases are also capable of causing pain syndrome:
- Purulent arthritis. Signs of such pathology are: increase in general temperature, redness of the skin in the joint area, severe swelling, sharp or sharp pain. Any load (running and even walking) or even banal getting out of bed becomes impossible. The pain begins to subside. Treatment here should not be delayed as the patient develops sepsis.
- Femoral head necrosis (aseptic). This is mostly seen in fairly young men. The disease occurs due to worsening of blood circulation in this area. The result of the development of necrosis is the death of tissue cells. The pathology has the following signs: acute pain that appears suddenly and can radiate to the groin, a burning sensation in the affected area. It can hurt so much that a person cannot lean on the affected leg, it is difficult for him to get out of bed. In most cases, the patient needs an injection of analgesics to numb the joint. After a few days the symptoms disappear. If the pathology continues to progress, then the person will experience changes in the muscles and tendons - they will atrophy. The person develops gait disorder and lameness.
- Tuberculous arthritis. The characteristic of the pathology is that it mainly develops in small children who have weakened immunity. The pathology is slow. The little patient gets tired quickly, runs very little. The thigh muscles gradually atrophy. The wrist begins to click, the leg becomes shorter. Over time, the affected joint begins to ache severely. Sometimes the pain is sharp, and sometimes it pulls or burns. Further, suppuration appears inside the joint, the symptoms intensify.
- Bursitis is an inflammatory lesion of the articular bursa. The main symptom of the pathology is pain that will creep along the leg. At the same time, the feelings are acute, and when getting up or walking the discomfort manifests itself very strongly. At rest, the injured limb will ache or burn.
Infectious pathologies cause various types of pain in the hip joint: tingling, pulling or dull sensations. Often the discomfort is felt so much that the person cannot sleep at night. Of course, all these pathologies need to be treated urgently.
Characteristics of pathology diagnosis
In order to precisely determine the causes and factors that cause pain in the hip joint, the patient needs a careful attitude of the doctor and an accurate diagnosis. The following procedures are used for this:
- Ultrasound examination of the hip joint.
- X-ray of the thigh area, in two projections.
- Laboratory blood tests: general and biochemical. They will determine the presence of rheumatoid factor, increase in leukocyte levels and change in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
- External examination of the joint by palpation, as well as fixing the patient's complaints.
- MRI.
After the examination, an accurate diagnosis is made and a comprehensive treatment is prescribed.
How should pathology be treated?
If you occasionally feel pain in your hip joint, it must be treated. Therapy depends on what the cause is. Thus, the treatment of the joint takes place depending on the pathology.
Congenital dislocations
If the dislocation is congenital, special orthopedic products are applied to the child's wrist: stirrups, spacers or a Frejk pillow are recommended. All of these tools support the newborn baby's legs in the correct physiological position. The child will have to stay in them for at least six months. If traditional treatment is not effective, then the baby is prescribed surgery. That is, the head of the femur is surgically placed on the newborn child, and other defects are corrected. After removing orthopedic aids, the baby can be gently massaged to strengthen the muscles.
Traumatic dislocation
In the event of a traumatic sprain, the doctor will need to restore it using medications that help remove muscle tone. After that, the patient should be given peace. Numbness of the limb indicates that the nerve is pinched. This will require a mandatory examination by a neurologist.
Hip fracture
A hip fracture is treated by a traumatologist. With such damage, the patient is indicated for surgery. Conservative treatments are sometimes ineffective. But if the operation cannot be performed, the patient is recommended to put a plaster bandage on the left (right) leg and from the lower back to the heel. In women or men after the age of 60, such hip bone damage rarely heals, and the recovery process takes months. Among the consequences of this disease, insufficient functionality of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems can be singled out, because the patient does not have the opportunity to lead an active life and move normally. Even sitting becomes a problem for him. A joint fracture can be accompanied by a burning sensation in the soft tissues. As for surgery, in this case, fixation of the head and body bones with needles or screws, as well as endoprosthetics are used for treatment.
Ankylosing spondylitis
The treatment of ankylosing spondylitis is complex. Helps reduce the intensity of symptoms caused by inflammation. Therapy includes medications (anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal drugs, immunosuppressants), physiotherapy procedures, therapeutic exercises (stretching the muscles is useful). Massage of the affected joint left or right is considered equally beneficial. All medications, as well as therapeutic exercises, are strictly selected by the traumatologist, orthopedist or surgeon. To strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, you need to swim. In particularly severe cases, the patient is shown left or right joint arthroplasty.
Reiter's disease
Antibiotics will be needed to treat Reiter's pathology, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids, drugs to suppress immune system function, and topical ointments. The treatment will last a long time - at least 4 months. It should be borne in mind that the pathology shown is capable of recurrence in half of the cases. During the treatment, it is necessary to maintain muscle tone with physical exercise - regular stretching.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, which can cause severe pain even at rest, cannot be completely eliminated. But you should try to improve the quality of life of a sick man or woman. Treatment with cytostatics, hormonal agents, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as antirheumatic drugs is used for this. As for surgical intervention, it is used only in the last stages, when walking and sitting are almost impossible. Joint fixation or arthroplasty is recommended. Exercise is also helpful, especially local fat stretching.
Coxarthrosis
Treatment of coxarthrosis is aimed at eliminating the cause of the development of symptoms and signs. The pathology is treated in the early stages of development by conservative methods. The patient is shown NSAIDs, chondroprotectors, as well as drugs to improve blood circulation. Painkillers and warming ointments are used for treatment. In addition, the patient was prescribed light therapeutic training. Naturally, the joint often needs to be numb. In case of severe discomfort, injections are used.
The last stage of coxarthrosis is no longer amenable to conservative therapy. Any load on the joint worsens the well-being of the person. Getting out of bed without help is impossible. The patient must do injections to relieve pain. In this case, it is necessary to treat the disease only with surgery. Joint arthroplasty is generally required, however it is contraindicated for very older people. Therefore, such patients undergo only auxiliary operations. After surgical treatment, the patient needs a course of recovery: light stretching, very simple training under the supervision of a doctor. The load should be minimal.
Proper therapy will help to slow down the progression of the disease, as well as eliminate the unpleasant symptoms.
Characteristics of treatment of infectious and inflammatory pathologies
It all depends on the type of disease:
- Purulent arthritis. To begin with, the patient must numb the affected hip. An analgesic injection directly into the joint can be used for this. The infection must be fought with antibacterial agents and antibiotics. Moreover, several groups of drugs are used simultaneously. Only a doctor can prescribe them. In addition, the abscess is removed. The diseased leg should be completely at rest, ie a plaster or splint is applied to the patient.
- Treatment of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head includes restoration of blood flow, rapid resorption of dead areas. The limb should be anesthetized with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Vitamin complexes, drugs to reduce blood viscosity, are also used. If your thigh still hurts, then you should additionally apply a massage, anesthetic ointment. This condition can also be treated with physical therapy and therapeutic exercises. In severe cases, minimally invasive surgical techniques or arthroplasty of the joints are used.
- Because the hip joint hurts a lot in bursitis, it must be numb. An analgesic and an anti-inflammatory agent given by intramuscular injection are used for this. Steroids are also used to quickly resolve severe discomfort. Since the hip and hip can ache constantly, they should be kept at rest.
- Tuberculous arthritis is treated primarily conservatively. The baby should limit mobility with a tight bandage. If an abscess forms in the baby's soft tissues, it should be surgically removed.
Burns, numbness of the limbs, pain in the hip joint, radiating to the leg - these are unpleasant sensations that indicate the possible presence of serious problems.
Alternative treatment for hip pain
If a person has burning pain, tendon problems, but it is not desirable to take pills, then you can use folk remedies. They can’t be called a lifesaver, but they help with complex treatment. Before use, you must consult a doctor.
The following folk recipes will be useful:
- Clay coating (blue, white). Such a folk remedy allows you to relieve swelling and pain. It is better to exchange clay. The clay should be applied overnight and wrapped in a warm cloth.
- Cabbage compresses. They also need honey. It is spread on a cabbage leaf and applied to the place where the burning or sharp pain is felt. Next, the lining is covered with a plastic bag and insulated with a woolen cloth. The course of treatment is 1 month. In the intervals between the compresses on the affected hip joint, you can do a light massage: rubbing, stroking.
- Homemade lard from internal fat and white root perestroot (250 gr. ). The fat must be melted, add the root chopped in a meat grinder and put on low heat. The mixture should be boiled for 7 minutes. Once the ointment has cooled, it should be applied to the affected hip overnight. In this case, the joint must be insulated. This folk remedy well relieves swelling and other unpleasant symptoms.
- Some kind of folk remedy made from garlic, celery and lemon that relieves severe tendon pain. For cooking you need 2 lemons, 300 gr. celery root, as well as 130 gr. garlic. All the ingredients are carefully chopped in a meat grinder and placed in a bowl with a tight lid. Next, the whole mixture is poured over boiling water and stirred. Now the product should be tightly covered, wrapped in a blanket and left overnight. You must take the medicine by the teaspoon before meals for several months.
A pinched hip nerve cannot be removed with these medications. Numbness of the limbs should alert you and force you to visit a neurologist. Any hip joint lesion that causes pain must be identified and treated in a timely manner. And light gymnastics, stretching exercises will help prevent the development of functional disorders of the hip joint.