Hip pain often gets better on its own, and can be managed with rest and over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol (external link opens in a new window / tab) and ibuprofen(external link opens in a new window / tab) . See your GP if: your hip is still painful after one week of resting it at home.
Most problems should have improved within 6 weeks. If your hip problem hasn't improved within 6 weeks of following this advice, it's a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional about your symptoms.
Back pain can often times be mistaken for hip pain since the hip joint is so close to the spine. Generally, hip and back pain can range from a dull ache to sharp pain. This can affect your mobility and everyday activities.
If hip pain goes untreated, or is not treated properly, it can become chronic. In addition to the pain itself, this can also cause people to be unable to complete basic daily activities.
Other red flags of concern with respect to the patient presenting with hip and/or groin pain include a history of trauma, fever, unexplained weight loss, burning with urination, night pain, and prolonged corticosteroid use.
Problems within the hip joint itself tend to result in pain on the inside of your hip or your groin. Hip pain on the outside of your hip, upper thigh or outer buttock is usually caused by problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues that surround your hip joint.
Symptoms of bursitis of the hip
Symptoms include joint pain and tenderness. You may also see swelling and feel warmth around the affected area. The pain is often sharp in the first few days. It may be dull and achy later.
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.
Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) may help ease your hip pain. Ice or heat. Use ice cubes or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel to apply cold treatments to your hip.
Hip pain is usually temporary, especially after an injury. However, if the pain lasts for more than six weeks, you may want to consider consulting one of our orthopedic hip specialists at our University Orthopaedic Center.
Stage 1: Minor wear and tear of the hip joints and minor bone spurs, often with little to no pain. Stage 2: The cartilage begins to break down, and bone spur growths are often visible on X-rays.
The pain can come and go, either in the hip itself or in the groin. The pain may be worse after exercise, and can even cause difficulty sleeping. Another common early sign from a hip problem is stiffness of the joint. This can be worse in the morning when you get out of bed, or may get worse as the day goes on.
Walking can help reduce stiffness, as the hip flexors are loosened up, which improves hip flexibility and range of motion. Reduce inflammation in the hips. Arthritis causes chronic inflammation, and walking as a form of exercise boosts blood flow to your hip joint cartilage, which helps decrease inflammation.
1 Walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can help ease joint pain and stiffness, improve strength and mobility, and boost energy and endurance. Starting slowly and limiting the duration of your walks is important as your body needs time to adjust to increased physical activity.
However, you'll be glad to hear that in almost all cases, walking is something that is good for hip pain. Regardless of the issue causing the pain in your hip, you will benefit from going on regular walks.
Causes of hip pain
It might be caused by a sudden injury or a longer-lasting problem such as arthritis. Your symptoms might give you an idea what could be causing the pain. But do not self-diagnose, see a GP if you're worried.
"Hip pain from sitting can be from poor posture, but if you're sitting 40 to 50 hours week over 5, 6 months or longer, you probably have decreased strength in your hips. When you do get up from your desk, your glutes, core and hip extensors will be weaker, and you don't feel as strong."
Pain on the side of your hip is more likely from tendinitis, tight muscles, or another condition. Hip bursitis — an inflammation between your thighbone and nearby tendons — is commonly diagnosed when patients have pain on the outer side of the hip.
Diagnosing hip bursitis
Your doctor might also ask you to do simple tasks like standing on the affected leg to see how your legs are functioning. Sometimes, your doctor will order an X-ray or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan, too, to verify that the pain is due to bursitis and not a fracture or other problem.
There are a few basic ways to know if you have hip bursitis or arthritis. If the pain you feel is sharp and severe before spreading out into an ache in the affected area, you may have hip bursitis. On the other hand, if your pain develops slower and is more painful in the morning, it may be hip arthritis.
Diagnosis of hip bursitis
Your doctor might order imaging tests such as x-ray, MRIs, ultrasounds, or bone scans. Ultrasound and MRI specifically are used to confirm the diagnosis when the bursae are too deep for regular inspection.
The loss of cartilage leads to pain and inflammation. Pain due to arthritis in the hip is usually felt in the groin or thigh rather than the buttock. It may radiate down your thigh to your knee. Swelling in the joint can also make it harder for you to move your hip.
Hip pain involves any pain in or around the hip joint. You may not feel pain from your hip directly over the hip area. You may feel it in your groin or pain in your thigh or knee.