Why hip joints hurt: causes, what to do, how to treat

The hip joint is considered to be the largest joint. And he is also the most loaded in the human body. It is located in the joint area of the femur, as well as the pelvis. Due to its strange structure, the limb moves freely in different directions. This joint provides an upright posture. Pain in the hip joint impairs its function, causing a person to be uncomfortable when walking and even sitting. In this case, the limbs sometimes grow numb.

General classification of causes

Diagnosis of hip joint damage is fraught with some difficulties, because of anything that provokes a painful sensation: trauma, skeletal disease, pathology of the corresponding internal organs. In this case, the damaged area will be sore, the sensation becomes burning.

This problem most often occurs in people who have passed the 50 -year mark. At the same time, women are more prone to problems in these joints or hips than men.

Hip pain is often caused by:

• Traumatic: femoral neck fracture, direct injury to the joint area, severe dislocation of the right or left hip, ossification of myositis, which develops as a result of traumatic injury to the joint, pelvic fracture, epiphysiolysis of the femoral head.
• Hip connective tissue lesions: Reiter's disease, arthritis, and only rheumatoid, ankylosing spondylitis.
• Joint disease, accompanied by degenerative processes in the tissues: coxarthrosis.
• Osteochondropathies: osteochondritis dissecans, Legg-Calve-Perthes pathology.
• Skeletal developmental problems: epiphyseal varus defects in the legs that develop in adolescents.
• Inflammatory processes of soft tissues in the joints: bursitis, late synovitis, articular coxitis, provoked by tubercle bacillus.

Radiant pain in the thigh area develops as a result of lesions such as: symphysis, radicular syndrome, pathological processes in the sacroiliac joint, enthesopathy. Generally, an injured left or right hip joint causes significant discomfort and pain. It must be treated when the slightest symptoms appear.

A detailed description of the cause of the trauma

If the hip joint is sore, the reason for the development of such pathological conditions:

1. Congenital hip dislocation, as a result of unsuccessful childbirth or during intrauterine development. Damage can be diagnosed quickly even in newborns. The child has an uneven gluteal fold, shortening one leg. Pinching nerves are also common. For newborns, the disease is quite complex and dangerous, because the consequences of trauma can last a lifetime.
2. Traumatic dislocation of the hip. It is characterized by sharp pain, a person cannot move, and cannot talk about sitting or standing. Edema and hematomas appear on the joints. During hip dislocation (running, sports training) only exacerbates the condition, provoking the development of changes and pathological processes in the hip joint. This type of injury requires immediate treatment.
3. Fractures of the femoral neck. This diagnosis is often made in women over 60 years of age. The cause of damage to the hip joint is a shallow fall or a targeted blow to the hip joint. At the time of the fracture, a very sharp pain is felt, exacerbated by movement. Unpleasant sensations begin to give to the inner surface of the thighs. At the site of injury, swelling appears, bruising in the hip joint area. The damaged left or right leg becomes shorter, and the person suffers from lameness, the joint begins to click. In addition, trauma contributes to pinching of the nerves, until the thighs begin to numb.
4. Transtrochanteric fractures of the femoral bone. The pain in this case is moderate or severe. While moving, the symptoms in the hip are worse. Here, pinched nerves are also possible. In such cases, the pain pales and the limbs can become numb.
5. Shrinkage of the hip joint. Here the pain is of moderate intensity, but can be severe during one’s active movements. At rest, the symptoms disappear. Causes of pain in the hip or hip joint are very common, especially in people prone to falls. The patient suffers from lameness, which passes quickly.

Traumatic injuries to the hip joint can be considered a major cause and unpleasant pain. Serious fractures or dislocations of the femur, pelvis often require surgery. If a person has a pinched nerve and the patient begins to numb the limbs, a visit to the doctor should be made immediately.

Systemic diseases as a cause of pain

Pain in the hip joint when walking or in other positions can be caused by systemic lesions of connective tissue. Treatment of such diseases must be carried out continuously, as it is considered incurable. Moreover, the therapy should be comprehensive and affect, first of all, the cause of the unpleasant sensation.

Therefore, the following pathologies can cause pain in the left or right hip joint:

• Ankylosing spondylitis. Here the pain is dull. In sick men or women, the painful sensation becomes stronger at night. Localization of pain syndrome - sacrum or pelvis. At the same time, he can give to the knees, thighs, groin, shoots. Movement in this case, especially walking, is difficult, the patient feels stiffness. Pain in the hips can be very severe. The inflammatory process develops in the right or left joint.
• Reiter's syndrome. The disease is a lesion of the joints, genitourinary organs, and even inflammation of the conjunctiva. The disease is autoimmune and is caused by an intestinal infection. The pathological process in the joints begins a few weeks or months after the onset of the development of the disease. It is characterized by acute pain in the hips or joints, temperature changes. Significant swelling appears in the pelvic area on the left and right. In most cases, the disease leads to symmetrical lesions in the joints.
• Rheumatoid arthritis. This problem is characterized by damage to the connective tissue. This type of disease is never accompanied by the appearance of pus. This disease is considered a prerequisite for coxarthrosis of the hip joint. There is gradual progress. Initially, it is characterized by the following symptoms: edema and swelling (left or right). Discomfort is felt while walking, pain peaks. In the joints, due to the inflammatory process, the temperature rises (local and general). Further progress contributes to the emergence of stiffness in any movement. There was pain in the hip joint when lying next to him at night. Usually, the pathology shown manifests itself simultaneously on the right and on the left. Because of the damage to the hip joint, the patient's nerves can be pinched, leaving the limbs numb. Treatment here should be immediate.

Systemic pathology is capable of giving a person different pain: sharp, very acute, interesting. You may not always be able to cope with severe discomfort, even during rest periods. Therefore, only a doctor should prescribe the right treatment. This is especially true in situations when the newborn is sick. Ineffective treatment can ruin his life in the future.

Pain is caused by degenerative changes

Quite sharp, burning or pulling joint pain can cause diseases such as:

1. Epiphysis varus defect, common in adolescents. Along with it, the sensation has an interesting and boring character. They are able to give to the inside of the knee. Running and other sports exercises give rise to an increase in the intensity of the pain syndrome. Pain from time to time can shoot up, and the joints can click.
2. Coxarthrosis. The pathology presented occupies one of the leading positions among all hip joint lesions. It is diagnosed in both men and women. It will take a long time to cure, and the therapy is quite complicated. The disease is characterized by the development of degenerative and destructive processes in the joints. The pathological symptoms are as follows: first, the patient's joints begin to ache after running, long walks or climbing stairs. And at rest, the discomfort disappears. His movement is not limited here. In the second stage of development, the following symptoms appear: pain syndrome begins to give in the groin, as well as in the thighs. Daily stress increases the intensity of sensations, but at rest they disappear. Prolonged walking gives rise to the appearance of lameness, the joints begin to knock. Muscle and tendon work is disturbed, their tone is reduced. In the last stages of the development of the disease, patients experience pain even at night, and they are quite strong. The lameness became severe. Muscles lose volume and atrophy - a person becomes immobile. Treatment can stop or slow down joint destruction.

This pathology can lead to persistent lameness, and this is already a restriction of work activity, lack of complete sports training. Even waking up in the morning can be very difficult.

Causes of inflammatory and contagious pain

In addition to direct damage to the joint bones, inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and joint capsules can cause discomfort. And infectious diseases are also able to provoke pain syndromes:

• Purulent arthritis. Signs of such pathology: 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 superficial getting out of bed becomes impossible. The pain began to spread. Treatment here should not be delayed, as the patient suffers from sepsis.
• Necrosis of the femoral head (aseptic). Often it is observed in fairly young men. The disease appears to be due to declining blood circulation in this area. The result of the development of necrosis is the death of tissue cells. The pathology has the following symptoms: acute pain that appears suddenly that can radiate to the groin, a burning sensation in the affected area. It can be so painful that a person is unable to lean on the affected leg, making it difficult to wake up from sleep. In most cases, patients need analgesic injections to shut down the joint. After a few days, the symptoms disappeared. If the pathology continues to progress, then the person will experience changes in muscles and tendons - they will experience atrophy. The person suffers from gait disorders and lameness.
• Tuberculosis arthritis. The pathological feature is that it develops mainly in young children who have weakened immunity. Slow pathology. The little patient was quickly tired, he walked a little. Thigh muscles gradually atrophy. The joints start to knock, the legs become shorter. Over time, the affected joints begin to ache a lot. Sometimes the pain is sharp, and sometimes pulling or burning. Subsequently, suppuration appears in the joints, the symptoms worsen.
• Bursitis is an inflammatory lesion on the articular bursa. The main symptom of the pathology is pain that will creep along the legs. At the same time, the sensation is acute, and when waking up or walking, the discomfort appears very strongly. At rest, the injured limb will ache or burn.

Infectious pathology causes various types of pain in the hip joint: a burning, pulling or dull sensation. Often the discomfort is felt so much that the person is unable to sleep at night. Naturally, all of these pathologies need to be treated immediately.

Characteristics of pathological diagnosis

To accurately determine the causes and factors that cause pain in the hip joint, patients need a caring physician attitude and proper diagnosis. For this, the following procedure is used:

• Ultrasound examination of the hip joint.
• X-ray of the thigh area, and should be done in two projections.
• Laboratory blood tests: general and biochemical. They will determine the presence of rheumatoid factors, increased levels of leukocytes and changes in the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation.
• External examination of the joint with palpation, as well as improvement of the patient's complaints.
• MRI.

After examination, an accurate diagnosis is made and comprehensive treatment is prescribed.

How should pathology be treated?

If you periodically feel pain in the hip joint, it must be treated. Therapy depends on the cause. So, joint treatment takes place depending on the pathology.

Congenital dislocation

In case of congenital dislocation, special orthopedic products are applied to the child’s joints: braces, spacers, or Frejk pillows are recommended. All of these devices support the newborn’s feet in the correct physiological position. The child must live in it for at least six months. If traditional treatment is not effective, then the baby is given surgical intervention. That is, the femoral head is arranged for the newborn, and other deficiencies are also corrected. Once the orthopedic device is removed, the baby can be gently massaged to strengthen the muscles.

Traumatic dislocation

If there is a traumatic dislocation, the doctor should readjust it back using medications that help relieve muscle tone. After that, the patient should be given solace. Limb numbness indicates that his nerves are pinched. This requires mandatory examination by a neurologist.

Hip fracture

Hip fractures are treated by a traumatologist. With such damage, the patient is shown to undergo surgery. Conservative treatment is sometimes ineffective. But if surgery is not possible, then the patient is advised to apply a plaster bandage on the left (right) foot, and from the lower back to the heel. In women or men after age 60, damage to the hip bone rarely heals, and the recovery process takes months. Among the consequences of this disease, one can find out the inadequate functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, because the patient does not have the opportunity to lead an active life and move normally. Even sitting was a problem for him. Fractures of the joints may be accompanied by a burning sensation in the soft tissues. For surgery, in this case, attachment of the head and bone body with pins or screws, as well as endoprosthetics, are used for treatment.

Ankylosing spondylitis

The treatment of ankylosing spondylitis is complex. This helps reduce the intensity of symptoms caused by inflammation. Therapy includes medications (anti-inflammatory drugs, hormone medications, immunosuppressants), physiotherapy procedures, therapeutic exercises (useful muscle stretching). Massage on the affected joints on the left or right is considered equally useful. All medications, as well as therapeutic exercises, are strictly selected by the traumatologist, orthopedist or surgeon. To strengthen your pelvic muscles, you need to swim. In very difficult cases, patients are shown arthroplasty of the joints on the left or on the right.

Reiter's disease

For the treatment of Reiter's pathology, antibiotics are needed, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids, drugs to suppress immune system function, and local ointments. Treatment will take a long time - at least 4 months. It should be noted that the pathology presented is capable of recurrence in half of the cases. During 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 strive to improve the quality of life of a sick man or woman. For this, drug treatment is used with cytostatics, hormonal agents, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and even antirumatic drugs. As for surgical intervention, it is used only in the last stage, when walking and sitting is almost impossible. Joint fixation or arthroplasty is recommended. Exercise is also beneficial, especially topical ointments, stretching.

Coxarthrosis

Treatment of coxarthrosis aims to eliminate the cause of the development of symptoms and signs. Pathology in the early stages of development is treated using conservative methods. Patients are shown NSAIDs, chondroprotectors, and even medications to improve blood circulation. Painkillers and warming ointments are used for treatment. In addition, patients were given light therapy training. Naturally, joints often need to be numb. If discomfort is severe, injections are used.

The last stage of coxarthrosis is no longer compatible with conservative therapy. Any load on the joints worsens a person’s well -being. It is impossible to wake up without help. The patient should have a pain -relieving injection. In this case, it is necessary to treat the disease only with surgery. Generally, arthroplasty of the joints is required, however it is contraindicated for very elderly people. Therefore, such patients only undergo additional surgery. After surgical treatment, the patient needs a course of rehabilitation: light stretching, very moderate exercises under the supervision of a doctor. The load must be minimal.

Proper therapy will help slow the progression of the disease, as well as eliminate unpleasant symptoms.

Characteristics of the treatment of infectious and inflammatory pathology

It all depends on the type of disease:

1. Purulent arthritis. For a start, the patient should numb the affected hip joint. For this, analgesic injections directly into the joints can be used. The infection must be treated with antibacterial agents and antibiotics. Moreover, several groups of drugs are used simultaneously. Only a doctor can prescribe it. In addition, removal of the abscess is performed. The diseased foot should be in a state of complete rest, i. e. a cast plaster or splint is applied to the patient.
2. Treatment of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head involves restoration of blood flow, rapid reabsorption of the area. Limbs should be anesthetized with NSAIDs. Also used are vitamin complexes, drugs to reduce blood viscosity. If the thighs continue to hurt, you should also use massage, anesthetic ointment. This condition can also be overcome with physical therapy and therapy training. In difficult cases, minimally invasive surgical techniques or joint arthroplasty are used.
3. Due to bursitis, the hip joint hurts a lot, it must be numb. For this, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents are used, and they are given by intramuscular injection. Steroids are also used to relieve discomfort quickly. Since the hip and hip joints can ache constantly, it should be kept in a state of rest.
4. Tuberculous arthritis is treated primarily conservatively. Babies need to restrict movement with tight bandages. If an abscess forms in the baby’s soft tissue, it must be removed surgically.

Burns, numbness of the limbs, pain in the hip joints, radiating to the legs - these are unpleasant sensations that indicate the possibility of a serious problem.

Alternative treatment of pain in the hip joint

If a person suffers from burning pain, problems with tendons, but does not want to take pills, then you can use folk remedies. They cannot be called panacea, but they help in complex treatments. Naturally, you must consult a doctor before using it.

The following folk recipes will be useful:

1. Compress clay (blue, white). Folk remedies like these allow you to get rid of swelling and pain. It is better to replace the clay. The clay should be wiped overnight and wrapped in a warm cloth.
2. Cabbage compresses. They also need honey. It is smeared with cabbage leaves and applied to the place where the pain is burning or sharp. Next, the compress is covered with a plastic bag and covered with a woolen cloth. The course of treatment is 1 month. In the interval between compresses on the affected hip joint, you can do a light massage: rubbing, caressing.
3. Homemade ointment from internal fat and white perestroot root (250 gr. ). The fat must be melted, add the chopped roots in a meat grinder and put on low heat. It is necessary to boil the mixture for 7 minutes. Once the ointment has cooled, it should be applied to the affected hip joint overnight. In this case, the joints must be protected. This folk remedy can relieve swelling and other unpleasant symptoms.
4. A traditional medicine made from garlic, celery and lemon, which relieves pain in the tendons. To cook, you need 2 lemons, 300 gr. celery root, as well as 130 gr. garlic. All ingredients are carefully chopped in a meat grinder and put in a container with a tight lid. Next, the whole mixture is poured with boiling water and mixed. Now the product needs to be tightly closed, wrapped in a blanket and left overnight. You need to take one teaspoon of the medicine before meals for several months.

The pinched hip nerve cannot be removed with this medication. Numbness of the limbs should be vigilant and force you to see a neurologist. Any hip joint lesions that cause pain must be identified and treated in a timely manner. And light exercise, stretching exercises will help prevent the development of dysfunction of the hip joint.