Hip pain: causes and treatments

If you feel pain in the hip joint, you need to determine the cause.Treatment of pain depends on the pathology of which it is a symptom.Comprehensive measures and strict adherence to recommendations will help eliminate the disease and preserve the motor activity of the joint.Impaired functioning of the hip joint makes active movement impossible.Reduced functionality limits the patient's ability to move independently and work.

Anatomical features

A large joint connects the bones of the femur and pelvis and provides the ability to move in three directions: flexion and extension, abduction and rotation of the lower limbs.Degenerative changes that lead to deformity, limit movement and cause pain.

The hip joint is supplied with blood through the main femoral arteries, located in the joint area.Pathologies that can disrupt vascular capacity lead to oxygen starvation and lack of nutrients.

The major nerve trunks of the sciatic, obturator, and femoral nerves provide innervation.Compression or pinching of the nerve endings results in severe neurological pain in the pelvic area.
 

Causes of hip pain

The development of diseases of various etiologies in the area of the hip joint leads to serious health problems, including disability.The appearance of pain in the hip joint accompanies any pathology at different stages of its development.

The cause of the pain determines its nature and intensity.Acute pains occur due to injuries, inflammatory, purulent processes, while non-intense pains and sensations come from chronic diseases.

Numerous pathologies of unknown origin and congenital defects lead to the appearance of symptoms.The syndrome is present initially, or may appear as a result of the progression of the pathological condition.

Provocation of diseases

• Trauma of varying severity is one of the most common causes.Bruises, sprains and fractures cause mechanical damage to bones and ligaments.On the first day after the injury, sharp pain is observed in the hip joint.Then, the pain weakens, becomes silent.Frequent injuries: pelvic fracture, hip dislocation, femoral neck fracture.All of the above injuries occur after a direct, severe injury from a fall or impact.The situation becomes more complicated if a person has a history of osteoporosis or degenerative changes in the cartilage and bone tissue of the joint.
• Myositis ossificans is characterized by inflammation in the connective tissues of the joint capsule.Appears after injury or when inherited from parents.The progressive course leads to morphological changes in the cartilage tissue, which over time degenerates into bone formations.
• A dislocated hip, whether it occurs at birth or develops in the womb, leads to deformities, limited movement and pinched nerves.With this pathology, not only somatic but also neuropathic pain occurs in the hip joint.
• Coxarthrosis is a common pathology of elderly people who lead a sedentary lifestyle or perform heavy physical work.Dystrophic changes in the cartilage and the subsequent deformation of the bones cause pain.The first symptoms appear as a result of intense stress.The advanced course is accompanied by a constant dull pain that does not go away during rest or prolonged sleep.The worsening of the syndrome continues in parallel with the progressive changes in the hip joint.
• Arthritis – inflammation in the joint capsule is accompanied by severe throbbing pain.It can appear as an independent disease or as a complication after an injury or infectious disease.
• Reiter's syndrome is a reactive lesion of an allergic nature, which appears more often after infectious pathologies.There are cases when the condition develops after chlamydia or gonococcus penetrates the joint capsule.The pathology is accompanied by acute pain in the hip joint and tissue swelling.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease of the immune system in which the body's cells recognize healthy tissue as a foreign organism and attempt to destroy it.This condition leads to the modification of articular tissues against the background of severe inflammatory processes.
• Ankylosing spondylitis is a systemic joint disease of a chronic nature.Localization of the process in the iliosacral region is accompanied by pain in the pelvic area, progressing mainly at night.The patient's pain intensifies in the morning, the stiffness goes away after active movements or exercises.
• Osteochondritis dissecans, also known as Koenig's disease, develops in the cartilage that contacts the femur.Cartilage begins to delaminate with further separation of a small area.The condition is often complicated by the addition of synovitis.Patients complain of pain in the hip joint;in the final stages, complete blockade occurs due to the presence of necrotic cartilage tissue in the articular cavity.
• Legg-Calvé-Perthess disease is a pathology similar to osteochondropathy, which develops when blood circulation and nutrition in the hip joint are impaired.It is characterized by gradual necrosis of the femoral head, which is accompanied by pain and discomfort in walking due to the acquired shortening of the limbs.The disease is considered pediatric, since children of preschool and elementary age are most often affected.
• Bursitis is an inflammation of the synovial bursa that is followed by its filling with pathogenic fluid.The disease occurs in the bursae located near the hip joint, causing pain mainly during exercise or palpation.
• Synovitis is an inflammatory lesion of the synovial membrane that lines the walls of the joint capsule.In the acute period, strong continuous pain appears in the hip joint;during the chronic course, the symptoms subside.
• Symphysitis - changes in the tissues of the pubic symphysis with divergence of the pubic bones.It occurs during pregnancy and childbirth.The pathology is inflammatory in nature, accompanied by severe pain in the pubic area, spreading to the hip joint area.
• Radicular syndrome in the pelvic area is represented by neuropathic pain.The syndrome occurs due to the compression of large nerves located in the area of the intersection of the femur and pelvic bones by bone growths and deformed tissues.
• Varus foot deformity, clubfoot, can be a congenital defect or an acquired condition.Improperly distributed load on the leg, due to the displacement of the front part of the leg inwards, negatively affects the hip and knee joints.Over time, with improper actions or lack of treatment, the hip joint deforms, causing pain.
• Enthesopathy is degenerative-dystrophic processes in the ligamentous apparatus of the joint.The processes are often accompanied by inflammation.The painful condition leads to weakening of the structure of the ligaments and tendons with possible rupture of the connective tissue.In addition, there is ossification of certain areas, which reduces the functionality of the joint.
• Intermittent hydrarthrosis is a chronic joint pathology in which there is an increase in synovial fluid synthesis, accompanied by an increase in joint volume and a decrease in motor activity due to pain.
• Synovial chondromatosis is the degeneration of areas of the synovial membrane of the joint into cartilaginous formations.New growth can reach the size of a matchbox.Accompanied by severe pain during movements, a decrease in amplitude until the hip joint is completely blocked.
• Juvenile epiphysiolysis is a pathological displacement of the femoral head downwards and backwards.Boys get sick during puberty, when a malfunction occurs due to an imbalance in the synthesis of sex hormones and growth hormones.Pain in the hip joint occurs when you try to move your leg.
• Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head can develop due to acute lack of blood circulation in the hip joint.Against the background of bone tissue death, severe pain turns into a burning sensation, which severely limits the ability to move the affected leg.Attacks last several days and pass before the next acute phase begins.
• There are known cases of gout developing in the hip joint.The excess formation of uric acid with insufficient secretion crystallizes and settles in the joint cavity, gradually filling it.During a gout attack, pain appears that cannot be tolerated.
• Malignant neoplasms in bones or surrounding tissues.

Symptoms

Pain in the hip joint is divided into 3 degrees:

1. light – accompanies injuries and light consequences after intense stress on the thigh and buttock muscles;
2. medium - occurs with pathology of a dystrophic, inflammatory and infectious nature, it can be local in nature or radiate to the lower limb or the pubic bone;
3. strong - appears with bone fractures, severe dislocations, accompanied by marked limitation of movement in the joint, sometimes with paralysis.

Pains that progress at night and go away during the day appear in pathologies with congestion in blood vessels.Lack of blood circulation can cause numbness, tingling and numbness.

Many diseases appear with inflammation in the joint capsule, ligaments or surrounding tissues.

In this case, characteristic symptoms appear:

• swelling around the hip joint appears due to a violation of the flow of excess fluids, while the skin stretches and becomes shiny;
• change in skin color over the injured area: from moderate red to bluish;
• a local increase in temperature over the joint area is due to a reaction to acute inflammation;
• severe course causes general intoxication of the body, which is accompanied by headache, joint pain and fever.

Methods for diagnosing the hip joint

For a detailed examination, a number of studies are carried out, with the help of which it is possible to create a complete picture of the disease that has appeared:

• a laboratory blood test will show latent or visible inflammation, the presence of rheumatoid factor;
• bacteriological examination of synovial fluid to determine the causative agent of inflammation;
• biopsy of suspicious tissue for the presence of a malignant factor;
• X-ray examination of the hip joint from different sides will help identify signs of tissue deformation;
• ultrasound examination of the joint;
• Doppler is an ultrasound method for assessing blood circulation;
• computed tomography.

Hip joint treatment

If the hip joint hurts, therapeutic measures may vary depending on the disease.It all depends on the pathology, the symptom of which is unpleasant pain.The set of procedures is defined by drugs, physiotherapeutic treatment, therapeutic exercises and methods of alternative medicine.Strict adherence to recommendations and fulfillment of all prescriptions leads to normalization of the condition.Only a doctor should prescribe medications and drugs.

Drug therapy

1. Anesthetic drugs can be used for temporary pain relief.Analgesics do not treat the cause of hip pain, but are effective in relieving symptoms for a short period of time.
2. In case of severe pain, if there is no effect from non-narcotic sedatives, a blockade is performed.
3. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic agents.The drug is taken strictly according to the instructions, without exceeding the dose, so as not to cause side effects from the gastrointestinal tract.
4. For severe inflammation that cannot be treated with non-hormonal drugs, glucocorticosteroids have a positive therapeutic effect.Steroid hormones provide anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antihistamine effects.They can be injected directly into the diseased joint during an injection.
5. Antibiotics are prescribed for associated purulent infections.Antibacterial agents have a harmful effect on the pathogen, destroying the cause of the pathology.Along with antibiotics, the patient is prescribed probiotics to normalize the intestinal microflora.
6. Muscle relaxants - effectively relaxes muscles, eliminating spasms.Medicines will lower the tone to the point of immobilization, relieving pain in the pelvic area.
7. Diuretics remove fluids, prevent swelling and negative effects on cardiac activity.
8. Vitamin therapy is indicated to increase immunity and improve general well-being.Biochemical processes that ensure the body's vital functions develop at optimal speed.
9. In case of degenerative processes that destroy the joint, chondroprotectors are taken for a long time to stop the degenerative process and recover independently.Medicines contain chondroitin and glucosamine, the lack of which creates an imbalance in the joints.Medicines are used in the form of tablets and are also injected into the joints.
10. Calming for unbalanced mental states.A nervous system disorder occurs when a person experiences constant, debilitating pain in the hip joint.
11. Angioprotectors to improve blood microcirculation.They improve metabolic processes in the walls of blood vessels, increasing their permeability.

Physiotherapy treatment of hip pain

Modern methods of adjuvant therapy provide pain relief in the affected area and help to quickly remove the pathology.Modern medicine has numerous methods available to relieve pain in the hip joint.

Each of the methods is designated with the goal of:

• improvement of blood circulation in the tissues of the hip joint;
• reduce inflammation;
• pain relief;
• preventing the development of edema;
• improvement of metabolic processes in cells;
• start tissue self-healing processes;
• strengthen the immune system.

Laser therapy allows you to affect the joint, penetrating up to 9 cm.Laser beams directed at the affected area heat the thickness of the tissue down to the bone.The healing effect on nerve processes suppresses pain.This method is designed to relieve inflammation;the analgesic effect is additive.

Electrophoresis is the use of galvanic current to penetrate deep into tissue.A direct electric current of low power and low voltage is prescribed together with anti-inflammatory or analgesic drugs, for their administration through a chemical reaction.

Magnetotherapy ensures the penetration of the magnetic pulse current to a depth of 7 to 12 cm.The treatment is carried out in courses, the effect is achieved until the end of the treatment period and is preserved until the beginning of the next session.To improve the health of the hip joint, a device that relieves pain and promotes regenerative processes is suitable.

Shockwave therapy involves short-term exposure to low-frequency acoustic pulses.It is used to eliminate inflammatory manifestations, offering a type of high-frequency massage.Improved collagen synthesis begins, blood supply and tissue trophism improve.

Orthopedic medical products

Reducing the manifestation of pain in the hip joint can be achieved with the help of orthoses and rehabilitation items.Modern developers of medical products have taken care in advance of the possible difficulties that patients will have to face.

Injuries involving the femoral neck require complete immobilization for several months.In order not to apply a massive plaster to the entire lower limb, there is an orthosis with a rigid degree of fixation - a "derotational boot".It is convenient for the patient to use the product in practice, safe from the point of view of allergy (plaster causes skin irritation and allergy) and for others to take care of the victim's foot.

An anti-decubitus mattress is a must if a person has to lie there for long months.During the rehabilitation period, when the first steps are taken after an injury, a walker is first used for independent movement.When greater stability appears, crutches are used and then a cane, which provides support while walking.

Symphysitis causes a lot of suffering due to severe pain in the pubic and pelvic area.To relieve the painful condition, unloading the hip joint, compression and support with the help of rigid ribs, an orthopedic corset for the pelvic ring is used.

Choosing the right shoes is of great importance for proper unloading of the hip joint.Preventative shock-absorbing braces for daily use will alleviate many problems not only with the joint, but also with the spine.

The applicator has proven itself to be effective in relieving pain and improving blood circulation.Plastic needles, in close contact with the painful area, initially cause pain, turning into pleasant warmth.During the acute period, the session time is 5 minutes to 6 times a day, for chronic pain - 15 minutes to 3 times a day.

Therapeutic gymnastics

Exercise therapy classes have a special role.The more movement a joint makes with a measured load, the more synovial fluid is produced, which is necessary for tissue nutrition and performance.A set of exercises is compiled by a medical instructor for each patient individually.

Exercises are performed in the phase of remission, when there is no pain.The technique of correct execution of movements is explained by a physiotherapist and reproduced under the supervision of a specialist.Movements should not be sharp or sweeping;the number of repetitions should be exactly as directed.

Therapeutic exercises improve blood circulation, tone thigh muscles, increase motor skills in the pelvic joint, make walking easier and improve immunity.Every exercise must be coordinated;incorrect actions provoke an attack of pain, increase in blood pressure and the appearance of microtraumas that lead to inflammation.

A set of exercises to perform at home:

• in a lying position, bend your knees at a right angle, pull both legs to your chest at the same time, creating slight resistance with your hands;
• Without changing the position, pull your bent legs one at a time, holding them for a few seconds;
• lying on your right side, raise the left leg, bent at the knee, repeat the same action with the other leg;
• in a position on the stomach, stretch the arms along the body, raise the straightened leg by 15 cm, holding for 5 seconds, perform movements in turn with both legs;
• sitting on a chair, raise your legs parallel to the floor, repeat the movements with each leg.

Surgical treatment of the hip joint

When conservative treatment does not bring the desired result, surgery is performed to alleviate the patient's condition.There are several methods of surgical care:

1. Arthroscopic debridement - cleaning the inner walls of the joints from necrotic particles, followed by washing with a medicinal solution.The manipulation is performed in an operating room.
2. Periarticular osteotomy - a fracture of the joint bones is performed to connect at another angle to reduce the load on the diseased joint.
3. Endoprosthetics is the replacement of a diseased joint with an artificial one;the method includes active rehabilitative actions after surgery.

Traditional medicine

Affordable and safe recipes from healers with centuries of experience help relieve pain in the hip joint and speed up recovery.Before use, you should consult to rule out contraindications.

1. Peel and chop a head of garlic, add finely chopped celery root and a lemon with the skin.Mix all the ingredients and add hot water, leaving it for a day in a cool place.Take 1 spoon for thirty days.
2. To reduce inflammation, strawberry and birch tea can be drunk daily.A teaspoon of linden flowers and birch buds is drunk with hot water.After 30 minutes, the decoction is ready for use.
3. Prepare the herbal mixture: St. John's wort, chamomile and immortelle, combine 1 tablespoon each.Pour the composition into 500 ml of water and boil for 10 minutes.Take the product 50 ml 3 times a day.
4. Finely chop the turnips, add a little honey and 30 ml of vodka.Apply the resulting mixture to the sore joint, securing it with plastic wrap on top.The compress is covered with a warm blanket on top for the whole night.
5. Mix mustard powder with honey and vegetable oil.Gauze, folded in several layers, is soaked in the composition and applied to the joint.Keep the compress for no more than 60 minutes.
6. Wash the cabbage leaf and smear it with honey, apply it to the hip joint area.Honey has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and cabbage will relieve pain in the affected joint.
7. Crushed celandine leaves are mixed with a small amount of olive oil.The mixture is injected for 7 days, after which it is used to rub the painful area.
8. It is necessary to chop and combine hop cones and St. John's wort, add petroleum jelly to an oil-like consistency.Rub it on the injured joint 2 times a day.
9. Mix red pepper, kerosene and vegetable oil and leave for 3 weeks.Use for rubbing no more than once a day.

Hip joint prevention

To prevent pain in the hip joint, simple recommendations will help:

• lifestyle should be active with periodic light physical exercises;
• proper nutrition is the basis of health: exclude fatty, salty and smoked foods, alcohol, sausages, chocolate, sweets;
• do not overload the joints with tiring physical activity or heavy work;
• use preventive bandages to unload the pelvic joint;
• wear comfortable shoes that meet orthopedic standards;
• If unpleasant symptoms appear in the hip joint area, consult a doctor for examination and prescribe effective treatment.