What is Hip Pain?
Hip pain is any form of pain in or around the hip joint. Hip pain is not always felt directly over the hip. Instead, it may be felt in the middle of the thigh or in the groin. Similarly, pain in the hip might actually be a sign of a problem in the back, rather than in the hip itself.
Hip Pain Symptoms
Hip pain comes in a variety of forms, which can be categorised based on the time the pain occurs and its intensity and duration. Pain when resting is the first type, which does not increase with motion or standing and is indicative of a mild problem. Secondly, pain with movement which increased when the person moves the hip is often caused by a muscle injury or infection. Finally, pain with weight bearing which increases when a person stands or walks is indicative of a problem with the hip joint itself.
Hip Pain Causes
To direct appropriate treatment at the underlying problem, it is very important that the main causative factor or hip pain is correctly diagnosed. There are normally two main causes of hip pain – fractures and insufficient blood flow to the hip.
Some of the more specific causes of hip pain include arthritis, trochanteric bursitis, tendonitis, osteonecrosis, lumbar pain, overuse injuries, snapping hip syndrome, bone cancer and infection.
Bursitis of the hip is one of the most common causes of hip pain. A bursa is a closed fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between tissues of the body. When the bursa becomes inflamed, the condition is referred to as bursitis.
There are two major bursae of the hip, both of which can cause stiffness and pain around the hip joint. Known as the tronchanteric bursa and the ischial bursa, these cause tenderness in the outer hip and a dull pain in the upper buttock area, respectively.
Hip Pain Treatment
We offer intra-articular steroid injections, viscosupplement injections (with or without steroid), trochanteric bursae injections, obturator nerve blocks, and obturator pulsed radiofrequency.
