The hip joint is considered to be the largest joint. And it is also the most stressed in the human body. It is located in the area of the joint of the thigh bone, as well as the pelvis. Due to the special structure, the limb moves freely in different directions. This joint ensures an upright posture. Pain in the hip joint affects its functionality and causes severe discomfort when walking and even when sitting. In this case, the extremity sometimes becomes numb.
General classification of the causes
Diagnosing a malfunction of the hip joint is fraught with some difficulties, since everything provokes painful sensations: trauma, skeletal diseases, accompanying pathology of internal organs. In this case, the damaged area will be painful, the sensations will burn.
This problem is most common in people who have passed the 50-year mark. At the same time, women are much more prone to 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, ossifying myositis resulting from a traumatic joint injury, fractures of the pelvic bones, epiphysiolysis of the femoral head.
- Hip joint connective tissue lesions: Reiter's disease, arthritis, and rheumatoid ankylosing spondylitis only.
- Diseases of the joint accompanied by degenerative processes in the tissues: coxarthrosis.
- Osteochondropathies: osteochondritis dissecans, Legg-Calve-Perthes pathology.
- Skeletal development problems: epiphyseal varus deformity of the foot that develops in adolescents.
- Inflammatory processes of the soft tissues in the joints: bursitis, temporary synovitis, joint coxitis caused by a tubercle bacillus.
The radiating pain in the thigh area develops as a result of such lesions: symphysitis, radicular syndrome, pathological processes in the sacroiliac joint, enthesopathy. In general, an injured left or right hip joint causes significant discomfort and pain. It needs treatment when the slightest symptoms appear.
Detailed description of the traumatic causes
If the hip joint hurts, then the reason for the development of such a pathological condition can be:
- Congenital hip dislocation as a result of unsuccessful childbirth or during intrauterine development. Damage can also be diagnosed quickly in newborns. 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 last for a lifetime.
- Traumatic dislocation of the hip. It is characterized by severe pain, a person cannot move, and there is no talk of sitting or standing. Edema and hematoma appear above the joint. During the dislocation of the hip (running, sports training) only the condition worsens, provokes the progression of changes and pathological processes in the hip joint. This type of injury requires immediate treatment.
- Fracture of the femoral neck. This diagnosis is often made in women over 60. The cause of such damage to the hip joint is a banal fall or a targeted blow to the hip joint. At the time of the fracture, a very sharp pain is felt, which is aggravated by movement. Unpleasant sensations begin to work on the inside of the thigh. A swelling appears at the injury site, a bruise over the area of the hip joint. The damaged left or right leg becomes shorter, and the person becomes lameness, the joint begins to click. In addition, the trauma helps pinch the nerve, making the thigh numb.
- Transtrochanteric fracture of the femur. The pain in this case is moderate or severe. Symptoms in the hip are worse with exercise. Here, too, a pinched nerve is quite possible. In such a situation, the pain shoots and the limbs can become numb.
- Bruising of the hip joint. Here the pain is of moderate intensity but can become severe during a person's active movement. The symptoms disappear in peace. This cause of hip or hip joint pain is very common, especially in people who are prone to falls. The patient has a lameness that goes away quickly.
Traumatic injuries to the hip joint can be considered the most important and common cause of uncomfortable pain. Serious fractures or dislocations of the femur or pelvis often require surgery. If a person has a pinched nerve and the patient begins to numb the limb, a doctor should be seen immediately.
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 lesions. Treatment of such diseases must be carried out constantly, since they are considered practically incurable. In addition, therapy should be comprehensive and, most importantly, have an impact on the cause of the development of unpleasant sensations.
So, the following pathologies can provoke pain in the left or right hip joint:
- Ankylosing spondylitis. Here the pain is dull. In a sick man or woman, painful sensations become stronger at night. Localization of the pain syndrome - sacrum or pelvis. At the same time he is able to give knees, thighs, groin and shot. In this case, movement, especially walking, is difficult, the patient feels stiff. The hip pain can be severe. An inflammatory process develops in the right or left joint.
- Reiter syndrome. This disease is a lesion of the joints, genitourinary organs, as well as inflammation of the conjunctiva. The disease is autoimmune and results from an intestinal infection. The pathological process in the joint begins several weeks or months after the disease begins to develop. It is characterized by acute pain in the hip or joint, temperature changes. There is pronounced swelling in the pelvic area on the left and right. In most cases, the disease leads to a symmetrical lesion of 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 joints. There is a gradual progression. Initially, it is characterized by the following symptoms: edema and swelling (left or right). When walking, there is a feeling of discomfort, the pain shoots. In the joint, due to the inflammatory process, the temperature rises (locally and generally). Another progression contributes to the appearance of stiffness with every movement. There is pain in the hip joint when lying on your side at night. Usually the presented pathology manifests itself on the right and left at the same time. Destroying the hip joint can pinch the patient's nerves and make limbs numb. Treatment here should be done immediately.
Systemic pathologies can inflict pain of various types on a person: sharp, extremely acute, pulling. Severe complaints cannot always be dealt with alone, even during a period of rest. Therefore, only a doctor should prescribe the correct treatment. This is especially true in situations where a newborn is sick. Ineffective treatment can ruin his life in the future.
Pain from degenerative changes
Sufficiently sharp, burning or pulling joint pain can cause such diseases:
- Epiphyseal varus deformity, common in adolescents. With her, the sensations have a dull, pulling character. They are able to give in to the inside of the knee. Running and other sports provoke an increase in the intensity of the pain syndrome. Pain can shoot up from time to time, and the joint can click.
- Coxarthrosis. The presented pathology occupies one of the leading positions among all lesions of the hip joint. It is diagnosed in both men and women. Treatment will take a long time and therapy will be quite complicated. The disease is characterized by the development of degenerative and destructive processes in the joint. The symptoms of the pathology are as follows: first, the patient's joint begins to hurt after running, a long walk or climbing stairs. And the complaints will go away in peace. The movements are not yet restricted here. In the second stage of development, the following symptoms appear: The pain syndrome begins to give way in the groin as well as in the thigh. Daily stress increases the intensity of the sensations, but at rest they go away. Prolonged walking provokes the appearance of lameness, the joint begins to click. The work of muscles and tendons is disturbed, their tone decreases. In the last stage of the development of the disease, the patient also has pain at night, and it is quite severe. The lameness becomes severe. Muscles lose their volume and atrophy - a person becomes immobile. Treatment can stop or slow the destruction of the joint.
These pathologies can lead to constant lameness, and this is already a limitation in work activity, the lack of full-fledged sports training. Getting up in the morning can also be very difficult.
Inflammatory and infectious causes of pain
In addition to direct damage to the joint bones, inflammation of muscles, tendons and joint capsules can also cause symptoms. And infectious diseases can also provoke a pain syndrome:
- Purulent arthritis. Signs of such a pathology are: an increase in general temperature, reddening of the skin in the joint area, severe swelling, sharp or sharp pain. Any stress (running and even walking) or even a mundane getting up becomes impossible. The pain begins to shoot through. Treatment should not be delayed here as the patient will develop sepsis.
- Femoral head necrosis (aseptic). Most often it is observed in fairly young men. The disease occurs due to the deterioration in blood circulation in this area. The result of the development of necrosis is the death of tissue cells. The pathology has the following signs: a sharp acute pain that may radiate into the groin, a burning sensation in the affected area. It can hurt so much that a person cannot support themselves on the affected leg and it is difficult for them to stand up. In most cases, the patient will need an injection of an analgesic to numb the joint. After a few days the symptoms will go away. As the pathology progresses, the person experiences changes in the muscles and tendons - they wither. The person develops a gait disorder and lameness.
- Tuberculous arthritis. A feature of the pathology is that it develops mainly in young children with weakened immunity. The pathology is slow. The little patient gets tired quickly, he walks very little. The thigh muscles gradually atrophy. The joint begins to click, the leg becomes shorter. Over time, the affected joint starts to hurt a lot. Sometimes the pain is sharp and sometimes it is aching or burning. In addition, suppuration appears in the joint, the symptoms intensify.
- Bursitis is an inflammatory lesion of the articular bursa. The main symptom of the pathology is pain that creeps along the leg. At the same time, the sensations are acute, and when getting up or walking, the discomfort manifests itself very strongly. The injured extremity is painful or burning at rest.
Infectious pathologies cause a wide variety of pains in the hip joint: burning, pulling or dull sensations. Often times, the discomfort is so severe that the person cannot sleep at night. Of course, all of these pathologies need urgent treatment.
Features of the diagnosis of pathology
In order to accurately determine the causes and factors that cause pain in the hip joint, the patient needs the attentive demeanor of doctors and proper diagnosis. The following procedures are used for this:
- Ultrasound examination of the hip joint.
- X-ray of the thigh area and it should be done in two projections.
- Laboratory blood tests: general and biochemical. They determine the presence of rheumatoid factor, an increase in the level of leukocytes and a change in the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation.
- External examination of the joint with palpation, as well as fixation of patient complaints.
- MRI.
After the examination, an accurate diagnosis is made and comprehensive treatment is prescribed.
How should the pathology be treated?
If you regularly experience pain in the hip joint, it needs treatment. Therapy depends on what caused it. So, the treatment of the joint is carried out depending on the pathology.
Congenital dislocation
With congenital dislocation, special orthopedic products are attached to the child's joint: stirrups, spacers or Frejk pillows are recommended. All of these aids support the newborn's legs in the correct physiological position. The child must stay in it for at least six months. If traditional treatment is not effective, then surgical intervention is prescribed for the baby. That is, the femoral head is surgically adjusted to a newborn child, and other defects are also corrected. After the orthopedic devices are removed, the baby can be gently massaged to strengthen the muscles.
Traumatic dislocation
If there is a traumatic dislocation, the doctor must put it back with medication that will help eliminate muscle tone. After that, the patient must be given rest. Limb numbness indicates that the nerve is pinched. This requires a mandatory examination by a neurologist.
Hip fracture
A hip fracture is treated by a traumatologist. In the event of such damage, the patient is indicated for an operation. Conservative treatments are sometimes ineffective. However, if the surgery cannot be performed, the patient is advised to put a cast on the left (right) leg and from the lower back to the heel. In women or men after 60 years of age, such damage to the hip bone rarely heals and the recovery process takes months. Among the consequences of this disease, one can highlight the inadequate functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, since the patient does not have the opportunity to lead an active life and move normally. Sitting is also a problem for him. A fracture of the joint can be accompanied by a burning sensation in the soft tissues. During the operation in this case, fixation of the head and the bone body with pins or screws, as well as endoprosthetics are used for treatment.
Ankylosing spondylitis
Treatment for ankylosing spondylitis is complex. It helps reduce the intensity of symptoms caused by inflammation. Therapy includes drugs (anti-inflammatory drugs, hormone preparations, immunosuppressants), physiotherapeutic procedures, therapeutic exercises (muscle stretching is useful). Massage of the affected joint on the left or right is considered to be equally useful. 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 particularly difficult cases, the patient is shown a joint endoprosthesis on the left or right.
Reiter's disease
To treat Reiter's pathology, antibiotics, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids, drugs to suppress the function of the immune system and local ointments are needed. Treatment will last for a long time - at least 4 months. It should be noted that the presented pathology can recur in half of the cases. During treatment, it is necessary to maintain muscle tone through physical exercise - regular stretching.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, which can cause severe pain even at rest, cannot be completely eliminated. But you have to try to improve the quality of life of a sick man or woman. For this purpose, drug treatment with cytostatics, hormone drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs is used. Surgical intervention is used only in the latter stages, when walking and sitting are almost impossible. Fixation or endoprosthetics of the joint is recommended. Exercise is also helpful, especially 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 using conservative methods. The patient is shown NSAIDs, chondroprotectors, and drugs to improve blood flow. Painkillers and warming ointments are used for treatment. In addition, the patient is prescribed light therapeutic training. Of course, the joint often needs to be numbed. Injections are used for severe discomfort.
The last stage of coxarthrosis is no longer amenable to conservative therapy. Any stress on the joint worsens a person's well-being. It is impossible to get up without help. The patient must give analgesic injections. In this case, it is necessary to treat the disease only through surgery. Arthroplasty of the joint is generally required, but is contraindicated in the very old. Therefore, such patients are only subjected to auxiliary operations. After the surgical treatment, the patient needs a recovery course: light stretching, very simple training under medical supervision. The load should be minimal.
Proper therapy will help slow down the progression of the disease a little and eliminate unpleasant symptoms.
Features of the treatment of infectious and inflammatory pathologies
It all depends on the type of disease:
- Purulent arthritis. First, the patient has to numb the affected hip joint. This can be done by injecting an analgesic directly into the joint. The infection must be fought with antibacterial agents and antibiotics. In addition, several groups of drugs are used at the same time. Only a doctor can prescribe them. In addition, abscesses are removed. The diseased leg should be completely at rest, that is, a plaster cast or splint is put on the patient.
- Treatment of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head involves restoring blood flow and rapid resorption of dead areas. The limb should be anesthetized with NSAIDs. Also used are vitamin complexes, drugs designed to reduce blood viscosity. If the thigh continues to hurt, you should also apply an anesthetic ointment. This condition can also be treated with physical therapy and therapeutic exercises. In difficult cases, minimally invasive surgical techniques or joint endoprosthetics are used.
- Since the hip joint is very painful in the case of bursitis, it must be anesthetized. This is done using an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent and given by intramuscular injection. Steroids are also used to get rid of severe discomfort quickly. Since the hip and hip joint can hurt constantly, it should be kept at rest.
- Tuberculous arthritis is treated primarily conservatively. The baby has to restrict mobility with a tight bandage. If an abscess forms in the baby's soft tissues, it should be surgically removed.
Burning, numbness of the limbs, pain in the hip joint, radiation to the leg - these are unpleasant sensations that indicate the possible presence of serious problems.
Alternative treatment for hip joint pain
If a person has burning pain, has problems with tendons, but it is undesirable to take tablets, then folk remedies can be used. They cannot be called a panacea, but they will help in complex treatment. Of course, before using it, you need to consult a doctor.
The following folk recipes will be useful:
- Clay compress (blue, white). Such a folk remedy can help you relieve swelling and pain. It is better to alternate tone. The clay should be applied overnight and wrapped in a warm cloth.
- 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. In addition, the compress is covered with a plastic bag and insulated with a woolen cloth. The duration of treatment is 1 month. In the intervals between compresses on the affected hip joint, you can do a light massage: rubbing, caressing.
- Homemade ointment from internal fat and white perestroot root (250 gr. ). The fat must be melted, add the root chopped in a meat grinder and heat over low heat. It is necessary 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 swelling and other unpleasant symptoms well.
- A type of folk remedy made from garlic, celery, and lemon that relieves severe tendon pain. For cooking you need 2 lemons, 300 grams of celery root and 130 grams of garlic. All ingredients are carefully chopped in a meat grinder and placed in a container with a tight lid. Further, the whole mixture is poured with boiling water and mixed. Now the product needs to be tightly covered, wrapped in a blanket and left to stand overnight. You need to take the medicine one teaspoon before meals for several months.
A pinched hip nerve cannot be eliminated with these remedies. Limb numbness should alert you and force you to see a neurologist. Any injury to the hip joint that causes pain must be identified and treated in a timely manner. And light gymnastics, stretching exercises will help prevent the development of dysfunction of the hip joint.