Hip Pain

The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint. It provide motion in multiple direction and one of most stable joint of body.

Whenever there is movement in hip joint like while walking/ running a cushion of cartilage over femoral head and acetabulum helps to prevent friction as the hip bone moves in its socket.

Despite its durability, the hip joint isn’t indestructible. With age and use, the cartilage can wear down or become damaged. Bones in the hip can break during a fall or other injury. Any of these conditions can lead to hip pain.

Causes Of Hip Pain

These are some of the conditions that commonly cause hip pain

• Arthritis :Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are among the most common causes of hip pain, especially in older adults. Arthritis leads to inflammation of the hip joint and the breakdown of the cartilage that cushions your hip bones. The pain gradually gets worse. People with arthritis also feel stiffness and have reduced range of motion in the hip.
• Hip fractures : With age, the bones can become weak and brittle. Weakened bones are more likely to break during a fall.
• AVN of femoral head : when blood supply of femoral head gets damaged it leads to avascular necrosis (AVN) of femoral head. Because of AVN femoral head shaped gets altered and then this lead to arthritis of hip.
• Bursitis : Bursae are sacs of liquid found between tissues such as bone, muscles, and tendons. They ease the friction from these tissues rubbing together. When bursae get inflamed, they can cause pain. Inflammation of bursae is usually due to repetitive activities that overwork or irritate the hip joint.
• Tendinitis : Tendons are the thick bands of tissue that attach bones to muscles. Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of the tendons. It’s usually caused by repetitive stress from overuse.

Symptoms Of Hip Pain

Depending on the condition that’s causing your hip pain, you might feel the discomfort in your:

• Thigh
• Inside of the hip joint
• Groin
• Outside of the hip joint
• Buttocks.
• Pain in knee as nerve supply of hip joint and knee joint overlaps.