Why does the hip joint hurt: reasons, what to do, how to treat

The hip joint is considered the largest joint. And it is also the most charged in the human body. It is found in the area of the femur joint, as well as in the pelvis. Due to the peculiar structure, the limb moves freely in different directions. This joint provides an upright posture. Pain in the hip joint affects its functionality, causing great discomfort to the person when walking and even when sitting. In this case, the limb sometimes even goes numb.

General classification of causes

The diagnosis of a malfunction of the hip joint is fraught with some difficulties, since anything provokes painful sensations: trauma, skeletal disease, concomitant pathology of internal organs. In this case, the damaged area will hurt, the sensations will become burning.

This problem is more common among people who have crossed the 50-year mark. At the same time, women are more likely to have problems with this joint or hip 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, myositis ossificans, which developed as a result of a traumatic injury to the joint, fractures of the pelvic bones, epiphysiolysis of the femoral head. .
• Hip joint connective tissue injuries: Reiter's disease, arthritis, and rheumatoid ankylosing spondylitis only.
• Joint diseases, accompanied by degenerative processes in the tissues: coxarthrosis.
• Osteochondropathies: dissecting osteochondritis, Legg-Calve-Perthes pathology.
• Skeletal development problems: epiphyseal varus deformity of the foot that develops in adolescents.
• Inflammation processes of the soft tissues in the joints: bursitis, temporary synovitis, joint coxitis, caused by a tubercle bacillus.

Radiating pain in the thigh area develops as a result of such injuries: symphysitis, radicular syndrome, pathological processes within the sacroiliac joint, enthesopathy. In general, an injured left or right hip joint causes great discomfort and pain. It should be treated when 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:

1. Congenital dislocation of the hip, resulting from an unsuccessful delivery or during intrauterine development. The damage can be quickly diagnosed even in newborn babies. The child has uneven gluteal folds, shortening of one leg. A pinched nerve is also common. For a newborn, this disease is quite complex and dangerous, since the consequences of trauma can remain for life.
2. Traumatic hip dislocation. It is characterized by sharp pain, a person cannot make any movement and cannot speak of sitting or standing. Edema and hematoma appear above the joint. During hip dislocation (running, sports training) only worsens the condition, provokes the progression of changes and pathological processes in the hip joint. This type of injury requires immediate treatment.
3. Femoral neck fracture. This diagnosis is often made in women over the age of 60. The cause of such damage to the hip joint is a banal fall or a blow aimed at the hip joint. At the time of the fracture, a very sharp pain is felt, aggravated by movement. The unpleasant sensations begin to give way to the inner surface of the thigh. At the site of the injury, swelling appears, a bruise in the area of the hip joint. The damaged left or right leg is shortened and the person has a limp, the joint begins to click. Also, trauma contributes to pinching of the nerve, which is why the thigh begins to go numb.
4. Transtrochanteric fracture of the femur. The pain in this case is moderate or severe. When moving, the symptoms in the hip get worse. Here, a pinched nerve is also quite possible. In such a situation, the pain shoots up and the limbs can go numb.
5. Contusion of the hip joint. Here the pain is of moderate intensity, but can become severe during active movement of a 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 limp, which passes quickly.

Traumatic injury to the hip joint can be considered the main and common cause of unpleasant pain. Severe femur and pelvic fractures or dislocations often require surgery. If a person has a pinched nerve and the patient begins to numb the limb, the visit to a 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 injuries. Treatment of such diseases must be carried out constantly, since they are considered practically incurable. In addition, therapy should be comprehensive and provide an impact, first of all, on the cause of the development of unpleasant sensations.

So, the following pathologies can provoke pain in the left or right hip joint:

• Ankylosing spondyloarthritis. Here the pain is dull. In a sick man or woman, the painful sensations intensify at night. Location of pain syndrome: sacrum or pelvis. At the same time, you can hit the knee, thigh, groin, shoot. Movement in this case, especially walking, is difficult, the patient feels stiff. Hip pain can be quite severe. An inflammatory process develops within the right or left joint.
• Reiter's syndrome. This disease is an injury to 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 within the joint begins several weeks or months after the onset of disease development. It is characterized by sharp pain in the hip or joint, changes in temperature. A pronounced swelling appears in the pelvic area on the left and right. In most cases, the disease leads to a symmetrical injury to 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. It is this disease that is considered a prerequisite for coxarthrosis of the hip joints. There is a gradual progression. Initially, it is characterized by the following symptoms: edema and swelling (left or right). You feel discomfort when walking, the pain shoots up. Inside the joint, due to the inflammation process, the temperature increases (local and general). Greater progression contributes to the appearance of stiffness in any movement. There is pain in the hip joint when lying on your side at night. Usually, the presented pathology manifests simultaneously on the right and on the left. Due to the destruction of the hip joint, the patient's nerves can be pinched, causing the extremities to go numb. Treatment here must be immediate.

Systemic pathologies are capable of causing pain of a different nature to a person: sharp, extremely sharp, pulling. It is not always possible to cope with serious discomfort on your own, even during a period of rest. Therefore, only a doctor should prescribe the correct treatment. This is especially true in those situations where a newborn child is ill. Ineffective treatment can ruin your life in the future.

Pain caused by degenerative changes.

Sufficiently sharp, burning or drawing joint pains can cause such diseases:

1. Epiphyseal varus deformity, common in adolescents. With it, the sensations have a dull and tight character. They are able to give in to the inside of the knee. Running and other sports workouts cause an increase in the intensity of the pain syndrome. The pain can occasionally shoot up and the joint can click.
2. Coxarthrosis. The presented pathology occupies one of the main positions among all the injuries of the hip joint. It is diagnosed in both men and women. It will take a long time to treat and therapy is quite complicated. The disease is characterized by the development of degenerative and destructive processes in the joint. Symptoms of pathology are as follows: first, the patient's joint begins to ache after running, taking a long walk or climbing stairs. And at rest, the discomfort disappears. The movements are not limited here yet. At the second stage of development, the following symptoms appear: the pain syndrome begins to subside in the groin, as well as in the thigh. Daily stress increases the intensity of the sensations, but at rest they disappear. Prolonged walking causes the appearance of lameness, the joint begins to click. The work of muscles and tendons is interrupted, their tone decreases. At the last stage of the development of the disease, the patient has pains even at night and they are quite strong. The lameness becomes severe. Muscles lose their volume and atrophy - a person becomes immobile. Treatment can stop or slow down the destruction of the joint.

These pathologies can lead to constant lameness, and this is already a restriction of work activity, the lack of full-blown 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 in the joint, inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and joint capsule can cause discomfort. And infectious diseases can also lead to pain syndrome:

• Purulent arthritisThe signs of such a pathology are: an 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. Pain begins to flow through him. Treatment here should not be delayed, as the patient develops sepsis.
• Necrosis of the femoral head (aseptic). It is seen mainly in quite young men. The disease appears due to the deterioration of blood circulation in this area. The result of the development of necrosis is the death of tissue cells. Pathology has the following signs: a sharp pain of acute onset that 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, making getting out of bed difficult. In most cases, the patient needs an injection of pain reliever to numb the joint. After a few days, the symptoms disappear. If the pathology continues to progress, the person will experience changes in the muscles and tendons, they will atrophy. The person develops a gait disorder and lameness.
• Tuberculous arthritis. A feature of the pathology is that it develops mainly in young children who have weakened immunity. The pathology is slow. The little patient tires quickly, runs very little. The thigh muscles gradually atrophy. The joint begins to click, the leg shortens. Over time, the affected joint starts to hurt a lot. Sometimes the pain is sharp and sometimes pulling or burning. In addition, suppuration appears inside the joint, the symptoms intensify.
• Bursitis is an inflammatory lesion of the joint bag. The main symptom of the pathology is pain that will creep along the leg. At the same time, the sensations are sharp, and when getting up or walking, the discomfort manifests itself very strongly. At rest, the injured limb will hurt or burn.

Infectious pathologies cause various types of pain within the hip joint: burning sensation, pulling or dullness. Often the discomfort is felt so much that the person cannot sleep at night. Naturally, all these pathologies must be treated urgently.

Characteristics of the diagnosis of pathology.

To accurately determine the causes and factors that provoke pain in the hip joint, the patient needs the attentive attitude of doctors and a correct diagnosis. To do this, the following procedures are 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 factor, an increase in the level of leukocytes, and a change in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
• External examination of the joint with palpation, as well as fixation of the patient's complaints.
• Magnetic resonance.

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

How should the pathology be treated?

If you periodically feel pain in your hip joint, it should be treated. The therapy depends on the cause that caused it. So, the treatment of the joint occurs depending on the pathology.

Congenital dislocation

If the dislocation is congenital, special orthopedic products are applied to the child's joint: stirrups, spacers, or Frejk's pillow are recommended. All these tools support the newborn's legs in the correct physiological position. The child must remain in them for at least six months. If the traditional treatment is not effective, a surgical intervention is prescribed to the baby. That is, the head of the femur is operatively placed in a newborn child, and other deficiencies are also corrected. Once the braces are removed, the baby can be gently massaged to strengthen the muscles.

Traumatic dislocation

In the presence of a traumatic dislocation, the doctor will need to adjust it again with medications that help eliminate muscle tone. After that, the patient should have peace. Numbness in 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 an orthopedist. 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 apply a plaster bandage on the left (right) leg and from the lower back to the heel. In women or men after age 60, such hip bone damage rarely heals and the recovery process takes months. Among the consequences of this disease, the insufficiency of the functionality of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems can be highlighted, 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. Regarding the operation, in this case the fixation of the head and body of the bone with pins or screws, as well as endoprostheses, is used for the treatment.

Ankylosing spondyloarthritis

The treatment of ankylosing spondylitis is complex. Helps reduce the intensity of symptoms caused by inflammation. Therapy includes drugs (anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal drugs, immunosuppressants), physiotherapy procedures, therapeutic exercises (muscle stretching is useful). Massaging the affected joint on the left or right is considered equally helpful. All drugs, as well as therapeutic exercises, are strictly selected by a traumatologist, orthopedist or surgeon. To strengthen your pelvic muscles, you need to swim. In especially difficult cases, the patient is shown an arthroplasty of the joint to the left or right.

Reiter's disease

For the treatment of Reiter's pathology, antibiotics will be needed, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids, drugs to suppress the function of the immune system, and local ointments. Treatment will take a long time, at least 4 months. It should be noted that the presented pathology 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 must try 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 antirheumatic drugs. 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 topical stretching ointments.

Coxarthrosis

Treatment of coxarthrosis is aimed at eliminating the cause of the development of symptoms and signs. Pathology in the early stages of development is treated with conservative methods. The patient is shown NSAIDs, chondroprotectors, as well as drugs to improve blood circulation. Pain relievers and warming ointments are used for treatment. In addition, the patient is prescribed light therapeutic training. Naturally, it is often necessary to numb the joint. In case of severe discomfort, injections are used.

The last stage of coxarthrosis is no longer amenable to conservative treatment. Any load on the joint worsens the well-being of a person. Getting out of bed without help is impossible. The patient has to do injections to relieve pain. In this case, it is necessary to treat the disease only by surgery. A joint replacement is generally required, however, it is contraindicated for very old people. Therefore, these patients undergo only auxiliary operations. After surgical treatment, the patient needs a recovery course - light stretching, very simple training under the supervision of a doctor. The load should be minimal.

The correct therapy will help to slightly slow down the progression of the disease, as well as eliminate unpleasant symptoms.

Features of the treatment of infectious and inflammatory pathologies.

It all depends on the type of disease:

1. Purulent arthritisTo begin with, the patient must numb the affected hip joint. This can be done by using an injection of a pain reliever directly into the joint. The infection must be fought with antibacterial agents and antibiotics. In addition, several groups of drugs are used simultaneously. Only a doctor can prescribe them. In addition, abscess removal is performed. The diseased leg must be completely at rest, that is, a cast or splint is applied to the patient.
2. Treatment of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head involves restoration of blood flow and rapid reabsorption of dead areas. The limb must be anesthetized with NSAIDs. Also used vitamin complexes, drugs to reduce the viscosity of the blood. If the thigh continues to hurt, you should also apply a massage, anesthetic ointment. This condition can also be treated with physical therapy and therapeutic exercises. In difficult cases, minimally invasive surgical techniques or joint arthroplasty are used.
3. Since with bursitis, the hip joint hurts a lot, it needs to be numb. For this, an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory are used and it is administered by intramuscular injection. Steroids are also used to quickly eliminate severe discomfort. Since the hip and hip joint can constantly ache, you need to stay at rest.
4. Tuberculous arthritis is mainly treated conservatively. The baby needs to restrict mobility with a tight bandage. If an abscess forms in the baby's soft tissues, it must be removed surgically.

Burning, numbness of the limb, pain in the hip joint, radiating to the leg - these are unpleasant sensations that indicate the possible presence of serious problems.

Alternative treatment of pain in the hip joints.

If a person has burning pain, tendon problems, but it is not desirable for him to take pills, he can use folk remedies. They cannot be called a panacea, but they help in complex treatments. Naturally, you should consult a doctor before use.

The following popular recipes will be useful:

1. Clay compress (blue, white). Such a folk remedy allows you to relieve swelling and pain. It is better to alternate clay. The clay should be applied overnight and wrapped in a warm cloth.
2. Cabbage compresses. They also need honey. It is smeared with a cabbage leaf and applied to the place where a burning or sharp pain is felt. Also, the compress is covered with a plastic bag and insulated with a woolen cloth. The course of treatment is 1 month. In the intervals between compresses on the affected hip joint, you can do a light massage: rubbing, stroking.
3. Homemade ointment with internal fat and white perestro root (250 gr. ). You have to melt the fat, add the chopped root in a meat grinder and bring to a simmer. You need to boil the mixture for 7 minutes. After the ointment has cooled, it should be applied to the affected hip joint overnight. In this case, the joint must be insulated. This folk remedy relieves bloating and other unpleasant symptoms well.
4. A kind of folk remedy made from garlic, celery and lemon, which relieves intense 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 placed in a container with a tight lid. Also, the whole mixture is poured with boiling water and mixed. Now the product should be well covered, wrapped in a blanket and left overnight. You need to take the drug one teaspoon before meals for several months.

These remedies cannot remove a pinched hip nerve. The numbness of the limb should alert you and force you to see a neurologist. Any injury to the hip joint that causes pain should be identified and treated early. And light gymnastics, stretching exercises will help prevent the development of functional disorders of the hip joint.