The hip joint can withstand repetitive movement and a reasonable amount of wear and tear. This ball-and-socket joint – the body’s biggest – meshes in such a way that permits fluid movement. Whenever you use the hip (for example, by choosing a run), a cushion of cartilage assists prevent friction as the hip bone moves in its socket.
Regardless of its resilience, the hip joint isn’t really unbreakable. With age and use, the cartilage can use down or end up being harmed. Muscles and tendons in the hip can get overused. Bones in the hip can break during a fall or other injury. Any of these conditions can cause hip pain. If your hips ache, here is a rundown of what might be causing your discomfort and how to get hip pain relief.
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are among the most typical causes of hip pain, specifically in older adults. Arthritis causes inflammation of the hip joint and the breakdown of the cartilage that cushions your hip bones. The pain slowly worsens. People with arthritis also feel tightness and have actually reduced range of movement in the hip.
Hip Fractures
With age, the bones can end up being weak and breakable. Damaged bones are most likely to break during a fall.
Bursitis
A bursa is a sac-like structure filled with a thick gel that is normally discovered in between a joint and its overlying tissue. A bursa functions to reduce friction as the muscles and tendons repeatedly cross over a joint. In the hip joint, inflammation of the bursa is called trochanteric bursitis. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, hip bursitis can impact anybody, however is more typical in women and middle-aged or senior people and is less typical in more youthful people and in men. Hip bursitis can be caused by an activity such as running, or can establish without any obvious provocation. Pain from bursitis is generally even worse at night, specifically when pushing the involved side.
Tendinitis
Tendons are the thick bands of tissue that attach bones to muscles. Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of the tendons. It’s typically caused by repeated stress from overuse.
Muscle or Tendon Strain
Repetitive activities can put strain on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the hips. When they become swollen due to overuse, they can cause pain and prevent the hip from working typically.
Hip Labral Tear
This is a rip in the ring of cartilage (called the labrum) that follows the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint. Together with cushioning your hip joint, your labrum acts like a rubber seal or gasket to help hold the ball at the top of your thighbone firmly within your hip socket. Professional athletes and people who carry out repetitive twisting motions are at greater risk of establishing this issue.
Cancers
Bone cancer is an uncommon cancer that begins in a bone. Bone cancer can begin in any bone in the body, but it most typically impacts the long bones and sometimes to hips as well. Tumors that start in the bone or that infect the bone can cause pain in the hips, along with in other bones of the body.
Avascular Necrosis (Also Called Osteonecrosis)
This condition happens when blood circulation to the hip bone slows and the bone tissue dies. Although it can impact other bones, avascular necrosis frequently occurs in the hip. It can be brought on by a hip fracture or dislocation, or from the long-term use of high-dose steroids (such as prednisone), to name a few causes.
Other Causes of the Pain in Women Over 40
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
From the top of the hip crest to below the outside of the knee lies a broad band of connective tissue called the iliotibial band. When this tissue becomes irritated from activities that include repetitive flexing and extending, it is called iliotibial band syndrome. This syndrome frequently affects women who run or cycle cross countries and lead to pain along the beyond the hip or the knee. Inning accordance with the American Academy of Family Physicians, after passing over the higher trochanter, the iliotibial band inserts at the knee on the lateral element of the tibia, so patients with iliotibial band syndrome might also complain of lateral knee pain.
Piriformis Syndrome
The large sciatic nerve exits the spinal column and travels through the sciatic groove and under the piriformis muscle. The piriformis muscle can become tight and press versus the sciatic nerve, leading to radiating pain to the hip and buttock called piriformis syndrome. Inning accordance with the American Academy of Family Physicians, women are more frequently affected by piriformis syndrome. Symptoms normally include a dull ache in the hip, butt and occasionally down the back of the leg. It is frequently hard to distinguish piriformis syndrome from irritation of the sciatic nerve by a herniated disc and a physician may request diagnostic screening prior to making a diagnosis.
