Hip pain is very common among men and women of all ages. It can range from slight discomfort to debilitating pain, depending on the person and the cause behind the pain. While hip-related pain is common, it should never be ignored, especially when it impacts your quality of life. If you have hip pain, you’ll want to learn the cause of it and seek treatment as soon as possible.
When it comes to hip pain, it’s important to trust the professionals. Seeking attention from an orthopaedics doctor may be in your best interest to help diagnose and treat the problem. However, most causes behind hip pain can be treated relatively easily with pain management, physical therapy, or surgery. To learn more, here are five common injuries that can cause hip pain symptoms.
Groin Pulls and Tears
A pulled groin can often be caused by vigorous physical activities such as running and heavy contact sports like football and rugby. A groin pull or even a groin tear occurs when strain or tearing occurs in the hip abductors. For groin pulls, hip pain, swelling, and dull aches are common.
For tears, sharp pain and bruising down the leg is more common. Usually rest, ice, and elevation are all you need to treat a pull, but tears can sometimes require therapy and surgery in addition to pain management.
Hamstring Injuries
Hamstring muscles are made up of three distinct muscles that work together to operate as powerful knee flexors. These muscles run down the back of the leg, and while powerful, they are often vulnerable to injury. Both strains and tears are common, and the severity of the injury is dependent on the size of the tear and how completely the fibres are torn. You may experience hip pain if the strain or tear is higher up the leg, closer to your hip.
Hip Bursitis
Bursae are fluid-filled sacs that assist in lubricating the movement of structures around joints. They allow smooth movements of various tendons and overlap each other for a full range of movements. Sometimes these sacs can become inflamed and cause hip pain, especially from micro trauma which often occurs as a result of frequent long-distance running.
Pain related to inflamed bursae is usually located in the hip region and radiates down into the thigh. Usually only rest is needed to heal the inflammation. However, in rare and severe cases, surgery may also be required.
Stress Fractures
While stress fractures are more common in the feet and lower legs, they can also occur in the hips. Stress fractures are usually caused by overuse and muscle fatigue, but predisposed issues may also contribute to the problem as well. Stress fractures take time to develop, and symptoms also take time to develop as well, unlike with traumatic injuries. Full rest is required for healing, and surgery is sometimes required.
Hip Pain Due to a Labral Tear
The labrum is hip cartilage that acts as a lubricating ring around the ball of the femur. Tears and other types of injuries may occur, which is where surgery, therapy, and other treatments may be required.