Causes and treatment methods of hip joint pain

The bone-joint structure of a person is characterized by a complex structure and contains many elements. The hip joint is one of the largest and most stressed joints in the human skeletal and muscular system. It is located at the junction of the femur and pelvis. The joint has a specific structure that ensures free movement of the limb in different directions. A person's ability to walk vertically is connected to this joint. With the appearance of unpleasant pain in the hip joint, functionality is severely reduced, with problems with movement or sitting. In some cases, numbness of the limb is possible.

The main causes of pain

In order to start the treatment of pathologies of the hip joint in a timely manner, a comprehensive examination should be carried out as early as possible in order to diagnose the diseases and the causes of their manifestation. At the same time, the diagnosis can be difficult, since the pain is provoked by many problems - injuries, diseases of the skeletal system, background pathologies of internal organs. The intensity and nature of the pain also varies. They can be painful and sharp, even burning.

To the greatest extent, complaints about hip joint pain can be heard from patients over 50 years of age. In addition, such violations are usually found in women. This refers to pathologies of the joint or hip itself.

Pain can be caused by factors that affect the state of the joint:

1. Problems of traumatic origin - fractures affecting the femoral neck, direct bruising of the joint region, intense hip dislocations. Myositis ossificans, developed and progressing as a result of joint injuries, can cause discomfort and pain. Specialists note the frequent fractures of the pelvic bones, the development of epiphysiolysis of the femoral head.
2. Damage to the connective tissue of the hip joint caused by Reiter's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis.
3. Pathological disorders of articulation that occur against the background of degenerative processes in the tissue area. For example, we are talking about coxarthrosis.
4. Osteochondropathic manifestations caused by the progression of osteochondritis dissecans, Legg-Calve-Perthes pathology.
5. Variations in skeletal development processes. For example, this applies to epiphyseal varus deformity of the foot, which is characteristic of adolescent patients.
6. Inflammatory changes in soft joint tissues. These pathologies include bursitis, transient synovitis, joint-type coxitis due to the effect of the tuberculosis bacillus.

Traumatic causes of pain syndrome

With the appearance of hip joint pain, attention should be paid to those pathologies of a traumatic nature that can cause them:

• Congenital damage to the hip in the form of dislocation, which occurs due to the improper conduct of the birth process or develops during the prenatal stage of the child's development. Such a violation can be quickly diagnosed already in newborns. They will be uneven in the gluteal folds and may be signs of shortening of one leg. In some cases, nerve pinching occurs. Experts recommend paying close attention to signs of such deviations, as the disease itself can be considered dangerous. It often leads to maintaining the effects of the trauma for the rest of life.
• Traumatic dislocation of the hip - there are sharp pains, as a result of which the ability to move is lost. The patient cannot pick up or sit down in an upright position. Edema and hematoma develop in the area of the injured joint. If there are signs of hip dislocation, any physical activity is contraindicated. Sport during this period leads to deterioration of the patient's condition, causes negative changes and pathological abnormalities in the hip joint. Such injuries should be treated immediately.
• Fracture of the neck of the femur, which usually occurs in women over 60 years of age. This condition is caused by a fall or blow to the hip joint area. If a fracture occurs, the patient feels a sharp pain syndrome. Such pain intensifies during movement. Gradually, the pain appears on the inner side of the thigh. Swelling and hematoma appear at the site of the injury. With a fracture, shortening of the limbs can be observed, the person's gait is characterized by a limp, and clicks can be heard in the joint area. The damage often causes the nerve to become pinched, leading to numbness in the thigh.
• Pertrochanter type fracture of the femur - accompanied by severe or moderate pain. When the patient moves, the pain increases. The possible consequence of this is pinching of the nerve, which causes back pain and numbness in the limbs.
• Bruise in the hip joint. The pain syndrome is moderate, but active movement can trigger its increase. In this case, the pain decreases and disappears when the person is at rest. This factor is considered the most common. Contusions are often diagnosed in patients who fall, especially the elderly. The patient complains of lameness, but this symptom disappears relatively quickly.

Traumatic injuries to the hip joint are considered by experts to be the main cause of pain. In the case of severe fractures and dislocations, surgical intervention is prescribed in many cases. A pinched nerve and numbness of the limb indicate immediate hospital admission.

The effect of systemic pathologies on the appearance of pain

A common cause of pain in the hip joint when walking or in other body positions is the development of systemic changes in the connective tissue. In the case of such pathologies, constant therapy is necessary, since they belong to the group of practically incurable ones. It is important to ensure the comprehensive nature of treatment, which affects the causes of the development and progression of pain and other symptoms.

Systemic pathologies that can cause pain in the hip joint include:

1. Ankylosing spondylitis, which causes dull pain in the joints. Patients affected by this disease notice an increase in negative symptoms at night. Usually the sensations are localized in the area of the sacrum or pelvis. The pain syndrome can give to the knee joint, thigh, groin. Frequent shots are possible. In this condition, walking and other movements are difficult, the patient shows stiffness. The pain in the thigh area is strong, the joint is affected by the inflammatory process.
2. Reiter's syndrome - accompanied by damage to the joints and organs of the urogenital system. A parallel inflammatory process takes place in the conjunctiva. It is an autoimmune disease caused by an intestinal infection. The development of the pathological process can begin several weeks or even months after the pathogen enters the body. Patients complain of acute hip pain. The pain syndrome also affects the joints. This causes the body temperature to rise. There is swelling on the left and right side of the pelvic area. This pathology is usually associated with the symmetrical nature of joint damage.
3. Rheumatoid type of arthritis in which connective tissue damage is observed. The process of the development of the disease does not cause the formation and release of purulent masses. Usually, it becomes a precursor of pathology, indicating the possibility of the development of coxarthrosis of the hip joint. The disease develops gradually, although the initial symptoms are swelling and swelling. The patient begins to complain of discomfort during movement, the pain pierces through. An inflammatory process takes place in the joint, which leads to an increase in general and local temperature. The further development of the changes is accompanied by the stiffness of the movements, the activation of the pain syndrome in the lateral lying position. In most cases, the pathology develops symmetrically. Destruction of the hip joint leads to nerve entrapment and numbness in the limbs. It is necessary to start the therapeutic process quickly.

Pathologies of a systemic nature often cause a lot of discomfort to patients. There are pains that vary in intensity and nature. They can be sharp, sharp, pulling. It is very difficult to get rid of such discomforts on your own, even resting the body does not help. Therefore, targeted treatment is needed, especially when pathology is detected in newborns. Ignoring symptoms can worsen a person's condition.

Pain caused by degenerative disorders

Often, patients experience sharp, burning or pulling pains in the joints, but have not suffered injuries and are not diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. In this case, the causes of degenerative changes caused by such diseases may be:

• Epiphyseal varus deformity, which occurs most often among adolescents. The pains are dull and pulling, and can be given to the inner zone of the knee joint. Increased sensations occur during running or other sports activities. Sometimes shots are observed, clicks are heard in the joint.
• Coxarthrosis, which is considered a fairly common pathology of the hip joint. Violation can be detected in patients regardless of gender. The disease requires long and complex therapy. It causes the active progression of degenerative and destructive joint disorders. The main symptom is reduced by the feeling that the joint hurts after physical exertion. At rest, these feelings disappear, there is no movement restriction. After that, the pain radiates to the groin and thigh area. In case of daily stress, this symptom increases, although it disappears at rest. When walking for a long time, lameness begins to appear, clicking sounds are heard in the joint. At the same time, the functioning of the muscle-tendon structures malfunctions, and the tone drops. The last stage of the development of the pathology is characterized by the appearance of pain even at rest, especially at night. Severe pain is accompanied by severe lameness and muscle atrophy. This leads to immobility of the patient. In the final stage, treatment focuses on inhibiting destructive changes in the joint.

The development of degenerative pathologies causes permanent lameness, which leads to disruption of work functions and a decrease in performance. Lack of physical activity worsens the patient's condition. Over time, difficulties arise even with getting out of the usual bed.

The effect of inflammation and infection on the occurrence of pain

The appearance of unpleasant sensations can be associated not only with direct damage to the bone structures of the joint, but also with inflammatory processes of the muscles, tendons and joint bag.

Pathological processes are also caused by such infectious diseases:

1. Suppurative arthritis. The disease is accompanied by an increase in general temperature and redness of the skin in the joint area. Extensive edema appears with acute or sharp pain. It is difficult and sometimes simply impossible to carry out any load. Over time, feelings appear in the form of shooting. These changes require immediate treatment to prevent the development of sepsis.
2. Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head, which usually develops in young and middle-aged men. The disease is activated due to disturbances in blood circulation in the joint area. Necrosis leads to the death of tissue cells. The pathological process manifests itself in a sharp pain syndrome that radiates to the groin area, as well as a burning sensation in the affected areas. The intensity of the pain can be so strong that the person has difficulty supporting the limb. This leads to problems getting out of bed. An analgesic injection is used to anesthetize the joint. The symptoms disappear after a while, but further progression of the disease causes muscle and tendon atrophy. The person begins to limp, his gait changes.
3. Tuberculous arthritis. Different manifestations of pathology in young children with a weakened immune system. Progress is very slow. The child shows increased fatigue and is inactive in games. Muscle atrophy is accompanied by clicking in the joint and shortening of the limb. After a while, pains appear in the joint, which are pulling or burning in nature. The articulation is covered with suppuration with increased symptoms.
4. Bursitis is an inflammatory lesion that covers the bursa of the joint. The main symptom is pain that spreads along the limb. Sharp pains increase during movement. In a state of rest, the limb hurts and burns.

Various pains occur in the hip joint due to the development of infectious processes. This can be a burning, pulling or dull discomfort. The intensity of the feelings can be high, which is why a person has difficulty resting at night. This condition requires immediate treatment.

Diagnosis of pathologies

Complex diagnostics, which must include:

• ultrasound examination of the condition of the hip joint;
• x-ray examination in two views;
• laboratory examination of blood parameters based on general and biochemical analysis, which helps to identify rheumatoid factors, an increase in the leukocyte count, a change in the sedimentation rate of erythrocytes;
• general examination of the patient by recording complaints and palpating the injured area;
• MRI diagnostics.

Based on the results of the examination, the correct diagnosis is determined and complex treatment of the pathologies causing the pain syndrome is prescribed.

Features of the treatment

If you experience infrequent or intermittent pain, the symptom should not be ignored. In this case, you should consult a doctor and start treatment. The therapeutic process is determined by the cause of the pain.

Presence of congenital dislocation

With such a pathology, a special orthopedic device is placed in the area of the joint of the baby. It can be a stirrup or a spacer. In some cases, the use of a Frejka pillow is recommended. Thanks to these designs, the baby's legs are in a physiologically correct position. The child wears these foundations for 6 months, sometimes longer.

If conventional therapy is unsuccessful, surgical intervention may be necessary. Functionally, the femoral head is reduced and some associated defects are eliminated. After removing the orthopedic devices, light massage procedures are prescribed to strengthen the muscle structures.

Traumatic dislocation

Such damage requires the use of drugs to eliminate muscle tone and displacement. After that, the patient should be at rest to stabilize the structures. If they complain of numbness, this indicates a pinched nerve. In this case, you should consult a neurologist.

Hip fracture

The treatment of this injury is carried out by a traumatologist with surgical manipulations. Conservative methods of therapy are possible, but often do not bring the desired effect. If surgery is not possible, a plaster-type bandage is placed on the patient from the lumbar sector to the heel.

It is important to note that older patients experience the most severe effects. Fractures in them usually do not grow together, and the healing period itself lasts several months.

In addition, damage has many consequences. Patients show a lack of functioning of the respiratory organs, dysfunction of the heart and vascular system, which results from the lack of conditions for an active lifestyle and normal movement. Patients experience sitting problems, which causes a burning sensation in the soft tissue area as a result of the fracture.

During surgery, the head and bone body are fixed with pins and screws. Endoprosthesis technology is used.

The development of Bechterew's syndrome

The treatment of this pathology requires an integrated approach, which allows reducing the intensity of the manifestation of symptoms caused by inflammatory disorders. Medicines are taken during the therapy - anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal drugs, immunosuppressants. Physiotherapy is also carried out.

Physical exercises to stretch the muscles are also prescribed. In this condition, massage is useful - the joint is worked on the left or right side, depending on the manifestation of the disease.

The therapeutic process is determined by the attending physician based on the nature of the development of the pathology and the patient's condition. Swimming helps to strengthen muscle structures. If the disease has taken a severe form, a joint replacement procedure is performed.

Reiter's disease

Treatment of this disease is impossible without the use of antibiotics. Anti-inflammatory drugs are also prescribed. In the therapeutic process, the place of glucocorticosteroids, agents that inhibit the activity of the immune system, and ointments for local use should be determined.

The duration of the treatment is not less than 4-5 months. At the same time, the probability of a relapse is high. Treatment should be accompanied by measures to maintain muscle tone through physical activity such as stretching.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Due to the progression of arthritis, pain may occur not only during movement, but also at rest. It is impossible to completely eliminate such pain. The therapeutic effect is aimed at improving the patients' quality of life. For this purpose, prescribe medicines:

• cytostatics;
• hormonal drugs;
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• antirheumatic drugs.

Surgical intervention is prescribed only when the disease reaches the last stage. In this condition, the patient experiences severe walking and sitting problems. Surgical manipulations are performed using the method of joint fixation or arthroplasty. In the healing process, stretching exercises and external ointments are prescribed.

Coxarthrosis

The therapy of this pathology is aimed at eliminating the causes of its manifestation. In the early stages of the disease, it can be cured with conservative therapy, by appointing the following:

• NSAIDs;
• chondroprotectors;
• funds that restore blood flow;
• pain relievers;
• local ointments with a warming effect.

The treatment complex also includes low-intensity exercise therapy. If necessary, injections are used to anesthetize the joint.

At the last stage of the progression of the pathology, conservative treatment methods are ineffective. In this state, the deterioration of well-being occurs with minimal stress. Getting out of bed requires injection anesthesia. The treatment is carried out surgically due to joint arthroplasty. Elderly patients are not prescribed such a procedure, but are limited to additional manipulations.

After the surgery, the rehabilitation process begins. They don't do intense stretching, they do light, low-load training.

Treatment of inflammatory diseases and infections

The therapeutic process is determined by the nature and manifestations of the disease:

1. In case of purulent arthritis, anesthesia of the hip joint is performed by injecting a pain reliever into the joint area. It can contain several medicines at the same time. An antibacterial agent is used in combination with an antibiotic. Pustules are also removed. A cast or splint is used to secure the limb.
2. Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head requires normalization of blood circulation and absorption of dead zones. NSAIDs are used for pain relief. The therapeutic plan includes vitamins and medicines that reduce blood viscosity. Massages and anesthetic ointments help to get rid of painful pains. In parallel, physiotherapy and exercise therapy are prescribed. In severe cases of the disease, minimally invasive surgeries or arthroplasty are performed.
3. Bursitis requires rapid joint pain relief. At the same time, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, which are administered intramuscularly. Steroid drugs help to eliminate severe symptoms of discomfort and pain. The affected joint must be at rest.
4. Conservative treatment methods are used in tuberculous arthritis. The baby must be still, so a tight bandage should be used. The appearance of an abscess in the soft tissue area requires removal.

Use of traditional medicine recipes

These funds can be used as a supplement to traditional treatment. Always consult your doctor first. The most popular recipes are:

• Blue or white clay-based compresses. They help eliminate swelling and minimize pain. Before going to bed, make a poultice with clay and leave it overnight. Wrap the damaged area with a warm cloth from above.
• He compresses it with cabbage and honey. Take a cabbage leaf and cover it with a layer of honey. Then such a poultice is applied to the area of burning or acute pain. It must be covered with foil from above and then insulated with a woolen scarf or scarf. The duration of the procedures is a maximum of 1 month. Between manipulations, it is recommended to rub and caress the affected area.
• Ointment with visceral fat and white foot root. Pour 250 g of crushed root into the pre-melted fat and boil on low heat for 7 minutes. Allow the product to cool, then apply it to the surface of the joint and leave it overnight. A woolen cloth should be applied on top of the treated area. Thus, it will be possible to remove bloating and other symptoms.
• A medicine consisting of 2 lemons, 300 g of celery root, and 130 g of garlic helps to get rid of severe pain in the tendon area. The ingredients must be finely chopped and poured into a container with a lid. Pour the preparation with boiling water and mix, then wrap the container and leave it overnight. Use 1 tsp. before meals for 1-3 months.