What's causing your hip pain? Here's everything you need to know.
If you sit at a desk all day, or lie on your side at night, you might already be familiar with the achy, uncomfortable sensation that comes with experiencing hip pain.
Hip pain stems from a problem occurring in or around the hip joint, per Cleveland Clinic. It’s thought to affect 10% of the general population, and its prevalence increases with age.
What exactly causes hip pain? The reality is: hip pain can stem from a multitude of underlying conditions. Hip pain can impact different areas of the hip joint, and sometimes, what you think might be hip pain could actually be a condition that’s causing pain to another area of your body.
We asked the experts to break down what you need to know about this common condition.
What is hip pain?
Your hip joint supports basic functions of balance and movement in the body, such as holding up body weight and enabling upper leg movement. It’s a ball-and-socket joint that connects your femur (thigh bone) to your pelvis (hip bone), according to Cleveland Clinic.
There are many possible causes for hip pain, but typically, the pain manifests from a problem that has to do with the tissues that surround the ball-and-socket, such as cartilage, muscles and tendons, says Dr. Spencer Stein, an assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
There are a few different areas of the hip that patients usually point to when experiencing hip pain: the front of the hip (close to the groin or hip crease area), the back of the hip (close to the buttock), and around the sides of the hip, says Dr. W. Christian Thomas, an assistant professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Adult Reconstruction at Northwestern University.
“Each of those different areas can have a different constellation of problems that go along with it,” says Thomas. The symptoms of hip pain will vary depending on the underlying cause. Hip pain is often characterized by a clicking and snapping around the hip, although it could also feel more deep-seated, with cramps and burns.
Why do my hips hurt?
The underlying cause of your hip pain Is likely going to be age-dependent, says Stein. Younger people and athletes are more likely to experience pain caused by hip impingement, he says. This condition can cause a tear in the labrum (the tissue that surrounds the socket), and a pinching of the joint.
“As people progress in age, a more common cause of pain would be hip arthritis,” Stein says. Osteoarthritis, the most prevalent form of hip arthritis, occurs as a result of “the loss of the smooth surface that lines the bone that allows the joint to glide.” Once that smooth surface is gone, patients may experience pain and inflammation near the hip joint, difficulty walking, and difficulty bearing weight, Stein says.
Another possible cause of hip pain is inflammation of the muscles and tendons that surround the hip joint. The hip flexors, located near the top of the thighs, and the hip abductors, which line the back and outside part of the hip, can very commonly be irritated, says Thomas.
When it comes to any kind of problem with hip rotation, the hip can hurt with simple activities like walking. Bending or flexing of the hip, and sitting for long periods of time, can also aggravate hip pain, Stein says.
Bursitis is another condition that impacts the tissues on the outside of the hip. This happens when the bursa, which is the protective padding where the tendon meets bone, becomes inflamed, Thomas adds. When hip pain impacts the outside of the hip, applying any direct pressure to the hip, such as lying on your side at night, can exacerbate the pain, Stein says.
What can be mistaken for hip pain?
There are a few conditions that may be perceived as hip pain, when in reality they are the result of pain in another area of the body. For example, lower back pain that stems from the lumbar spine, the sacroiliac (SI) joint, or a pinched nerve in the back, could be confused for hip pain, says Thomas.
While rare, hernias and some urologic conditions can cause issues that exist in close proximity to the hip, says Thomas. However, because these conditions are not true hip pain, they need to be treated by a different specialty, he says.
When should I be worried about hip pain?
How do you know if your hip pain is serious? Thomas says the number one decision point to ask yourself here is: “Can you walk?”
More: Recovering from a sprained ankle? Here’s how long it’ll take to heal.
If you have a known diagnosis of a problem that’s causing chronic hip pain, and it’s not improving from simple things like stretching or physical activity, the best course of action would be to see a healthcare provider, Stein recommends.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why do my hips hurt? Symptoms, causes and when to see a doctor
