Hip Problems, Age 12 and Older

Hip, Opens dialog

Osteoarthritis of the hip, Opens dialog

Pelvic tilt, Opens dialog

Hamstring stretch in a doorway, Opens dialog

Hip flexor stretch (kneeling), Opens dialog

Overview

Hip pain can make it hard to walk, go up and down stairs, squat, or sleep on the side that hurts. A clicking or snapping feeling or sound around your hip joint (snapping hip) may bother you or cause you to worry. But if your hip isn't painful, in many cases the click or snap is nothing to worry about. Home treatment may be all that's needed for minor hip symptoms.

To better understand hip problems, it may be helpful to know how the hiphip works. It's the largest ball-and-socket joint in the body. The thighbone (femur) fits tightly into a cup-shaped socket (acetabulum) in the pelvis. The hip joint is tighter and more stable than the shoulder joint, but it doesn't move as freely. The hip joint is held together by muscles in the buttock, groin, and spine; tendons; ligaments; and a joint capsule. Several fluid-filled sacs (bursae) cushion and lubricate the hip joint and let the tendons and muscles glide and move smoothly. The largest nerve in the body (sciatic nerve) passes through the pelvis into the leg.

Hip problems

Hip problems may develop from overuse, bone changes with age, tumors, infection, changes in the blood supply, or a problem that was present from birth (congenital). Oddly enough, a person who has a hip problem often feels pain in the knee or thigh instead of the hip. The type of hip pain you have may help your doctor find the cause of your pain.

• Pain when resting doesn't get worse with motion or standing. This type of pain is usually caused by a less severe problem, unless the pain doesn't go away or it awakens you from sleep.
• Pain with movement gets worse when you move the hip or leg, but not when you stand or bear weight. This type of pain is most often caused by a muscle injury, inflammation, or infection.
• Pain with weight-bearing gets worse when you stand or walk. It may cause you to limp. This type of pain usually means that you have a problem with the hip joint itself. Pain that's severe enough to prevent any weight-bearing is more likely to mean a serious bone or joint problem.

You may have pelvic, groin, thigh, or knee pain (referred pain) along with a sore, painful, or tender hip. Hip pain can have many causes.

• Snapping pain on the outside of the hip and sometimes the knee may be caused by iliotibial band syndrome. The iliotibial band is a band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the thigh. The band may overdevelop, tighten, and rub across the hipbone or the outer part of the knee.
• Pain in the hip, thigh, or knee of an older child or teen may be caused by conditions such as slipped capital femoral epiphysisslipped capital femoral epiphysis, in which the upper end of the thighbone (femur) slips at the growth plate (epiphysis), or Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.
• Pain that's worse in the morning and improves during the day may be caused by bones rubbing togetherbones rubbing together. This can happen with osteoarthritisosteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritisrheumatoid arthritis, and lupuslupus.
• Pain may be a sign of inflammation of the large sac that separates the hipbones from the muscles and tendons of the thighs and buttocks (trochanteric bursitis).
• Pain can occur with signs of infection in a joint (septic arthritisseptic arthritis), bursa (septic bursitisseptic bursitis), or bone (osteomyelitisosteomyelitis).
• Pain and stiffness in the hip may be caused by lack of blood flow to the hip joint (avascular necrosisavascular necrosis). You may also have pain in the knee.
• Pain that shoots down the leg from the hip or lower back may be caused by an irritated or pinched nerve (sciaticasciatica).
• Pain with weight-bearing that gets worse over several months may be caused by transient osteoporosistransient osteoporosis. This is more common in middle-aged men. But it also can affect women in the later part of pregnancy (third trimester). Osteoporosis related to pregnancy usually goes away on its own within a year after the baby is born.
• Some types of bone cancer (osteosarcomas) and the spread of cancer to the bone (metastatic disease) can cause bone pain.

Treatment may include first aid and using a brace, cast, harness, or traction. It may also include physical therapy and medicines. In some cases, surgery is needed. Treatment for a hip problem depends on:

• The location and type of injury, and how bad it is.
• Your age, general health, and activities (such as work, sports, hobbies).