Hip pain can present in different ways. The typical area of pain due to hip joint is the groin pain. However, people often experience pain in the C shaped area around the side below the waist all the way from front to back to the gluteus. Some experience pain in the knee due to radiation of the pain to knee from the hip.
Symptoms
Pain: Around the hip area and the knee. Hip pain is first felt in rotational movement such as trying to sit and wear a sock or sitting cross legged. Getting up from low chairs becomes difficult. Later pain can affect the walking distance.
Stiffness: Limitation of the thigh movements inwards and outwards is often the first problem experienced. Later other movements also get affected.
Locking and Catching: Clicking sounds in certain movements or even getting stuck in particular movements is another symptom more commonly experienced in young adults with hip problems.
Conditions
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AVN Hip (Avasular Necrosis)
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Osteoarthritis of hip
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Hip Dysplasia
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Sequelae of Perthes disease as a child
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SCFE (Slipped capital femoral epiphysis)
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Hip Labral tear
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FAI (Femoro Acetabular Impingement)
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Stress fracture
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Hip Fracture
When to see the Doctor?
The persistent hip pain or pain that keeps recurring in certain hip movements with or without clicks, needs the attention of the Doctor. If there is sudden pain and inability to bear weight in elderly women, that needs to be assessed for the femoral (thigh bone) neck fracture. Often, they may not be able to give a proper history of injury; a low threshold to rule out any osteoporotic (bone thinning) fracture is recommended.
Prevention of hip pain
- Maintaining good Quadriceps (thigh muscle) strength
- Flexibility of hip and knee
- Foot and knee pain management so that stress on hip reduces.