A condition called irritable hip is the most common cause of hip pain in children. This is where the hip joint becomes sore and inflamed. Irritable hip can be painful, but it's not usually serious and often gets better by itself.
Growing teens can develop hip pain from overuse, bone changes due to growth, changes in the blood and congenital (present from birth) conditions.
Hip pain may be caused by many things, including overuse, a fall, or a twisting movement. Other causes include a viral infection or a problem with the bones in the hip. Your child's pain may increase when standing, walking, or squatting. The pain may come and go or may be constant.
Hip pain in children is most often caused by a condition called irritable hip, which usually gets better on its own. But it should always be checked because it could be a sign of something serious, (see section below).
It can cause pain, swelling and tenderness in the hip area, resulting in an injury known as hip apophysitis. Hip apophysitis is common in children and teens ages 12 to 18 who have: Growth spurts, in which bone growth can put added stress on the muscle. Tight hips and thigh muscles.
It's no surprise hip pain is a common problem in teenage athletes. Between constant growth spurts and activity levels at an all-time high, sometimes the hip joint has a hard time working properly. It's important to know the different types of hip pain and how to manage it.
Apophysitis is due to long bones such as the femur (thigh bone) growing more quickly than the muscles of the thigh or hip. The relatively tight muscles then tug on the growth zones in the immature pelvis and femur, which is why the condition is often referred to as 'traction apophysitis'.
Hip pain may be caused by problems in the bones or cartilage of your hip, including: Hip fractures -- can cause sudden and acute hip pain. These injuries can be serious and lead to major problems. More common as people get older because falls are more likely and your bones become weaker.
Restless leg syndrome in children is sometimes misdiagnosed as growing pains, but unlike growing pains this syndrome persists into adulthood. One small study found that children with growing pains were more likely than others to have a parent with a history of restless leg syndrome.
Myth: Young people don't have hip pain
Patients, between the ages of 30 and 50 often experience wear and tear at the hip joint. Patients ages 50 and older commonly deal with “bad hips” and have pain in the worn joints.
Redness, swelling, or stiffness of the joint or limb (possible infection or inflammatory joint disease). Weight loss, anorexia, fever, night sweats, or fatigue (possible malignancy, infection, or inflammation). Unexplained rash or bruising (possible haematological or inflammatory joint disease, or child maltreatment).
Transient synovitis (irritable hip) is the most common cause of limping in children. It is generally a mild condition that will get better on its own with rest, usually within two weeks. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. ibuprofen, may help relieve the pain and reduce inflammation.
Transient synovitis is an inflammation in the hip joint that causes pain, limp and sometimes refusal to bear weight. This occurs in pre-pubescent children and is the most common cause of hip pain. It occurs when a viral infection, such as an upper respiratory infection, moves to and settles in the hip joint.
Children often complain of joint or leg pains. Usually, these are muscular growing pains that go away. However, joint pain can suggest something more serious, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Hip dysplasia can affect anyone at any age. Although it is believed to develop around birth, a child with mild dysplasia may not have symptoms for years, or even decades. Hip dysplasia in babies is known as infant developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH).
The child with leukemia often shows symptoms of an infection such as fever, runny nose, and cough. Bone and joint pain. Pain in bones and joints is another common symptom of leukemia. This pain is usually a result of the bone marrow being overcrowded and full.
Growing pains is a term that not only applies to the emotional challenges of childhood, but to the physical ones as well. Boys and girls between the ages of nine and 14 will commonly complain of muscle and joint pains directly associated with pubescent growth spurts.
Seek immediate medical attention
Ask someone to drive you to urgent care or the emergency room if your hip pain is caused by an injury and is accompanied by: A joint that appears deformed. Inability to move your leg or hip. Inability to bear weight on the affected leg.
See a GP if: hip pain is stopping you doing normal activities or affecting your sleep. the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back. the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks.
Any hip pain that does not improve in a short period of time should be checked out by a qualified medical professional. First of all, minor muscle strain or ligament sprain can resolve which rest, but they can also develop into more chronic, nagging, long-term strain and repeated hip injury.
Some people with leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes have bone or joint pain. This bone pain is most often felt in the long bones of the arms and legs, in the ribs and in the breastbone. Joint pain and swelling of the large joints, like the hips and shoulders, sometimes starts several weeks after bone pain begins.
Hip pain has many causes besides cancer. Cancer of the hip can be a bone cancer, metastatic cancer (spread to the hip from somewhere else), or leukemia (a bone-marrow cancer). Symptoms of hip cancer include pain, swelling, fever, swollen lymph nodes, night sweats, and generally feeling sick.
Pain or dysfunction in the hip or groin are common in women, particularly in the child bearing or menopausal years. Female hips generally have more range of motion than male hips, and the hormonal changes occurring in this life stages are thought o contribute to the loss of support and altered biomechanics leading to ...