The hip joint is considered the largest joint. And it is also the most charged in the human body. It is located in the area of the thigh bone joint, as well as the pelvis. Due to the special structure, the limb moves freely in different directions. This joint allows for an upright posture. Pain in the hip joint impairs its functionality, causing severe discomfort to a person when walking and even sitting. In this case, the limb sometimes even goes numb.
General classification of causes
The diagnosis of dysfunction of the hip joint faces certain difficulties, because everything causes painful sensations: trauma, skeletal disease, concomitant pathology of internal organs. In this case, the damaged area will hurt, the sensations will become burning.
This problem is more common in people who are over the age of 50. At the same time, women are much more prone to this joint or hip problem than men.
Hip pain is often caused by:
- Traumatic: fracture of the neck of the femur, direct injury to the joint area, severe dislocation of the right or left hip, ossifying myositis, which developed as a result of a traumatic injury to the joint, fractures of the bones of the pelvis, epiphysis of the femoral head.
- Connective tissue lesions of the hip joint: Reiter's disease, arthritis and only rheumatoid spondylitis, ankylosing.
- Diseases of the joint, accompanied by degenerative processes in the tissues: coxarthrosis.
- Osteochondropathies: osteochondritis dissecans, Legg-Calve-Perthes pathology.
- Skeletal development problems: epiphyseal varus deformity of the foot that develops in adolescents.
- Soft tissue inflammation process in the joints: bursitis, transient synovitis, joint coxitis, caused by a tubercle bacillus.
Radiating pain in the thigh area develops as a result of such lesions: symphysitis, radicular syndrome, pathological processes inside the sacroiliac joint, enthesopathy. Usually, an injured left or right hip joint causes significant discomfort and pain. It should be treated as soon as the slightest symptoms appear.
Detailed description of traumatic causes
If the hip joint hurts, the reason for the development of such a pathological condition may be:
- Congenital dislocation of the hip, resulting from an unsuccessful delivery or during intrauterine development. Damage can be quickly diagnosed, even in newborns. The child has uneven gluteal folds, a shortening of one leg. A pinched nerve is also common. For a newborn baby, this disease is quite complex and dangerous, since the consequences of trauma can last a lifetime.
- Traumatic hip dislocation. It is characterized by sharp pain, a person cannot make any movement, and there can be no question of sitting or standing. Edema and hematoma appear over the joint. During dislocation of the hip (running, sports training) only worsens the condition, provokes the progression of changes and pathological processes in the hip joint. This type of injury requires immediate treatment.
- Fracture of the femoral neck. This diagnosis is often made in women over the age of 60. The cause of such damage to the hip joint is a trivial fall or a targeted blow to the hip joint. At the time of the fracture, a very sharp pain is felt, aggravated by movement. Unpleasant sensations begin to manifest on the inner surface of the thigh. At the site of the injury, swelling appears, a bruise on the area of the hip joint. The damaged left or right leg becomes shorter and the person develops lameness, the joint begins to click. In addition, the trauma contributes to the pinching of the nerve, so that the thigh begins to go numb.
- Transtrochanteric fracture of the femur. The pain in this case is moderate or severe. When you move, hip symptoms are worse. Here, a pinched nerve is also quite possible. In such a situation, the pain springs up and the limbs may become numb.
- Contusion of the hip joint. The pain here is moderate in intensity, but it can become severe during active movement of a person. At rest, the symptoms disappear. This cause of hip or hip joint pain is very common, especially in people prone to falls. The patient has a lameness, which passes quickly.
Traumatic injury to the hip joint can be considered the main and common cause of unpleasant pain. Severe fractures or dislocations of the femur, the pelvis often requires surgery. If a person has a pinched nerve and the patient begins to numb the limb, a visit to a doctor should be immediate.
Systemic diseases as a cause of pain
Pain in the hip joint when walking or in other positions can be caused by systemic damage to the connective tissue. Treatment of these diseases should be carried out continuously, as they are considered to be practically incurable. In addition, the therapy must be comprehensive and have an impact, first of all, on the cause of the development of unpleasant sensations.
Thus, the following pathologies are able to cause pain in the left or right hip joint:
- Ankylosing spondylitis. Here the pain is dull. In a sick man or woman, painful sensations become stronger at night. Location of pain syndrome - sacrum or pelvis. At the same time, he is able to give knee, thigh, groin, to pull. Movements in this case, especially walking, are difficult, the patient feels stiffness. Hip pain can be quite severe. An inflammatory process develops inside the right or left joint.
- Reiter's syndrome. This disease is a lesion of the joints, genitourinary organs, as well as inflammation of the conjunctiva. The disease is autoimmune and results from an intestinal infection. The pathological process inside the joint begins several weeks or months after the onset of the development of the disease. It is characterized by sharp pain in the hip or joint, changes in temperature. Pronounced swelling appears in the pelvic region on the left and right. In most cases, the disease results in symmetrical injury to the joints.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. This problem is characterized by damage to the connective tissue. This type of disease is never accompanied by the appearance of pus. It is this disease that is considered a prerequisite for coxarthrosis of the hip joints. There is a gradual progression. Initially, it is characterized by the following symptoms: edema and swelling (left or right). Discomfort is felt when walking, pain springs up. Inside the joint, due to the inflammation process, the temperature rises (local and general). Further progression contributes to the appearance of stiffness in any movement. There is pain in the hip joint when lying on your side at night. Usually, the presented pathology manifests itself simultaneously on the right and on the left. Due to the destruction of the hip joint, the patient's nerves can be pinched, so that the limbs become numb. Treatment here must be immediate.
Systemic pathologies are able to deliver a person pain of a different nature: sharp, extremely sharp, pulling. It is not always possible to cope with severe discomfort on your own, even during a period of rest. Therefore, only a doctor should prescribe the appropriate treatment. This is especially true in situations where a newborn is sick. Ineffective treatment can ruin his life in the future.
Pain caused by degenerative changes
Sufficiently sharp, burning or pulling joint pains can cause such diseases:
- Epiphyseal varus deformity, common in adolescents. With her, the sensations have a dull and tugging character. They are able to give inside the knee. Running and other sports training causes an increase in the intensity of the pain syndrome. The pain from time to time may pull and the joint may click.
- Coxarthrosis. The presented pathology occupies one of the first positions among all injuries of the hip joint. It is diagnosed in both men and women. It will take a long time to treat it and the therapy is quite complicated. The disease is characterized by the development of degenerative and destructive processes in the joint. Symptoms of the pathology are as follows: first, the patient's joint begins to hurt after running, taking a long walk or climbing stairs. And at rest, the discomfort disappears. Movements are not yet limited here. In the second stage of development, the following symptoms appear: the pain syndrome begins to give way in the groin, as well as in the thigh. Daily stress increases the intensity of sensations, but at rest they disappear. Prolonged walking causes the appearance of lameness, the joint begins to snap. The work of muscles and tendons is disturbed, their tone decreases. At the last stage of the development of the disease, the patient has pains even at night, and they are quite severe. The lameness becomes severe. Muscles lose their volume and atrophy - a person becomes immobile. Treatment can stop or slow down the destruction of the joint.
These pathologies can lead to constant lameness, and this is already a restriction of professional activity, the lack of full sports training. Even getting out of bed in the morning can be very difficult.
Inflammatory and infectious causes of pain
In addition to direct damage to the bones in the joint, inflammation of the muscles, tendons and joint capsule can cause discomfort. And infectious diseases are also able to cause pain syndrome:
- Purulent arthritis. Signs of such a pathology are: an increase in general temperature, redness of the skin in the joint area, severe swelling, sharp or sharp pain. Any load (running and even walking) or even getting out of the mundane bed becomes impossible. The pain begins to flow. Treatment here should not be delayed, as the patient develops sepsis.
- Necrosis of the femoral head (aseptic). Most of the time, it is seen in fairly young men. The disease appears due to the deterioration of blood circulation in this area. The result of the development of necrosis is the death of tissue cells. The pathology presents the following signs: a sharp emerging pain that can radiate to the groin, a burning sensation in the affected area. It can hurt so much that a person cannot lean on the affected leg, it is difficult for them to get out of bed. In most cases, the patient needs an injection of a pain reliever to numb the joint. After a few days, the symptoms disappear. If the pathology continues to progress, the person will experience changes in muscles and tendons - they will atrophy. The person develops a gait disorder and lameness.
- Tuberculous arthritis. A feature of the pathology is that it develops mainly in young children with weakened immunity. The pathology is slow. The little patient gets tired quickly, he runs very little. The thigh muscles gradually atrophy. The joint begins to click, the leg becomes shorter. Over time, the affected joint begins to hurt a lot. Sometimes the pain is sharp, and sometimes pulling or burning. In addition, suppuration appears inside the joint, the symptoms intensify.
- Bursitis is an inflammatory lesion of the bursa. The main symptom of the pathology is pain that creeps down the leg. At the same time, the sensations are acute, and when getting up or walking, discomfort manifests itself very strongly. At rest, the injured limb will hurt or burn.
Infectious pathologies cause various types of pain inside the hip joint: burning, tugging or muffling sensations. Often the discomfort is felt so much that the person is unable to sleep at night. Naturally, all these pathologies must be treated urgently.
Features of pathology diagnosis
To accurately determine the causes and factors provoking pain in the hip joint, the patient needs the attentive attitude of doctors and the correct diagnosis. For this, the following procedures are used:
- Hip joint ultrasound examination.
- X-ray of the thigh area, and this should be done in two projections.
- Laboratory blood tests: general and biochemical. They will determine the presence of rheumatoid factor, an increase in the level of leukocytes and a change in the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation.
- External examination of the joint with palpation, as well as fixation of patient complaints.
- MRI.
After the examination, an accurate diagnosis is made and comprehensive treatment is prescribed.
How to treat the pathology?
If you periodically experience pain in the hip joint, it should be treated. Treatment depends on the cause that caused it. Thus, the treatment of the joint is done according to the pathology.
Congenital dislocation
If the dislocation is congenital, special orthopedic products are applied to the child's joint: stirrups, spacers or Frejk's pillow are recommended. All of these tools support the newborn's legs in the correct physiological position. The child must stay there for at least six months. If traditional treatment is not effective, the baby is prescribed surgery. That is, the head of the femur is operatively adjusted on a newborn, and other defects are also corrected. After the braces are removed, the baby can be gently massaged to strengthen his muscles.
Traumatic dislocation
In the presence of a traumatic dislocation, the doctor will have to readjust it with the help of drugs that help to eliminate muscle tone. After that, the patient should be at peace. Numbness in the limb indicates that the nerve is pinched. This will require a mandatory examination by a neurologist.
Hip fracture
A hip fracture is treated by a traumatologist. With such damage, the patient is indicated for surgery. Conservative treatments are sometimes ineffective. But if the operation cannot be performed, the patient is recommended to apply a plaster bandage to the left (right) leg and from the lower back to the heel. In women or men after 60 years, such damage to the hip bone rarely heals, and the recovery process takes months. Among the consequences of this disease can be distinguished insufficient functionality of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, since the patient does not have the opportunity to lead an active life and move normally. Even sitting becomes a problem for him. A fracture of the joint can be accompanied by a burning sensation in the soft tissues. As for the operation, in this case fixation of the head and body of the bone with pins or screws, as well as stents, is used for treatment.
Ankylosing spondylitis
The treatment of ankylosing spondylitis is complex. It helps reduce the intensity of symptoms caused by inflammation. Therapy includes drugs (anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal drugs, immunosuppressants), physiotherapy procedures, therapeutic exercises (muscle stretching is useful). Massaging the affected joint on the left or right is considered to be equally useful. All drugs, as well as therapeutic exercises, are strictly selected by a traumatologist, orthopedist or surgeon. To strengthen your pelvic muscles, you need to go swimming. In particularly difficult cases, the patient is shown arthroplasty of the left or right joint.
Reiter's disease
For the treatment of Reiter's pathology, antibiotics will be required, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, drugs to suppress the function of the immune system and local ointments. The treatment will take a long time - at least 4 months. Note that the pathology presented is likely to recur in half of the cases. During treatment, it is necessary to maintain muscle tone with physical exercise - regular stretching.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, which can cause severe pain even at rest, cannot be completely ruled out. But you have to try to improve the quality of life of a sick man or woman. For this, drug therapy is used with cytostatics, hormonal agents, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as anti-rheumatic drugs. As for surgical intervention, it is used only in the later stages, when walking and sitting is almost impossible. Fixation or arthroplasty of the joint is recommended. Exercise is also helpful, especially stretching topical ointments.
Coxarthrosis
Treatment of coxarthrosis is aimed at eliminating the cause of the development of symptoms and signs. Pathology in the early stages of development is treated using conservative methods. The patient is shown NSAIDs, chondroprotectors, as well as drugs to improve blood circulation. Pain relievers and warming ointments are used for treatment. In addition, the patient is prescribed a light therapeutic training. Naturally, the joint often needs to be numb. In case of severe discomfort, injections are used.
The last stage of coxarthrosis no longer lends itself to conservative treatment. Any load on the joint worsens the well-being of a person. It is impossible to get out of bed without help. The patient should give injections to relieve the pain. In this case, it is necessary to treat the disease only with surgery. Usually, joint replacement is necessary, however, it is contraindicated in the very elderly. Therefore, these patients only undergo ancillary operations. After surgical treatment, the patient needs a course of recovery: light stretching, very simple training under the supervision of a doctor. The load must be minimal.
Correct therapy will help to somewhat slow down the progression of the disease and eliminate unpleasant symptoms.
Features of the treatment of infectious and inflammatory pathologies
It all depends on the type of disease:
- Purulent arthritis. To begin with, the patient should numb the affected hip joint. For this, an injection of an analgesic directly into the joint can be used. The infection should be combated with antibacterial agents and antibiotics. In addition, several groups of drugs are used simultaneously. Only a doctor can prescribe them. In addition, the removal of abscesses is carried out. The sick leg should be completely at rest, that is, a cast or a splint is applied to the patient.
- Treatment of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head involves the restoration of blood flow, the rapid resorption of dead areas. The limb should be anesthetized with NSAIDs. Also used are vitamin complexes, drugs to reduce the viscosity of the blood. If the thigh continues to hurt, then you need to additionally apply massage, numbing ointment. This condition can also be treated with physical therapy and therapeutic exercises. In difficult cases, minimally invasive surgical techniques or joint arthroplasty are used.
- As with bursitis, the hip joint hurts a lot, it needs to be numb. For this, an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory agent are used, and it is administered by intramuscular injection. Steroids are also used to quickly get rid of severe discomfort. Since the hip and hip joint can be painful all the time, they should be kept at rest.
- Tuberculous arthritis is treated mainly conservatively. The baby should restrict his mobility with a tight bandage. If an abscess forms in the soft tissue of the baby, it must be removed surgically.
Burning, numbness of the limb, pain in the hip joint, radiating to the leg - these are unpleasant sensations that indicate the possible presence of serious problems.
Alternative treatment for pain in the hip joints
If a person has a burning pain, problems with the tendons, but it is undesirable for him to take pills, you can use folk remedies. They can not be called a panacea, but they help in complex treatment. Of course, you should consult a doctor before use.
The following folk recipes will be useful:
- Clay compress (blue, white). Such a folk remedy allows you to relieve swelling and pain. It is better to alternate clay. Clay should be applied overnight and wrapped in a warm cloth.
- Cabbage compresses. They also need honey. It is smeared with a cabbage leaf and applied to the place where a burning or sharp pain is felt. In addition, the compress is covered with a plastic bag and insulated with a woolen sheet. The duration of treatment is 1 month. In the intervals between compresses on the affected hip joint, you can do a light massage: rubbing, stroking.
- Homemade ointment based on internal fat and white perestroot root (250 gr. ). The fat should be melted, add the chopped root in a meat grinder and put on low heat. It is necessary to boil the mixture for 7 minutes. After the ointment has cooled, it should be applied to the affected hip joint overnight. In this case, the seal must be insulated. This folk remedy well relieves swelling and other unpleasant symptoms.
- A kind of folk remedy based on garlic, celery and lemon, which relieves severe pain in the tendons. To cook, you need 2 lemons, 300 gr. celeriac, as well as 130 gr. Garlic. All the ingredients are carefully chopped in a meat grinder and placed in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Further, the whole mixture is poured with boiling water and mixed. Now the product should be well covered, wrapped in a blanket and left overnight. You need to take the medicine one teaspoon before meals for several months.
A pinched hip nerve cannot be removed by these remedies. Numbness in the limb should alert and force you to see a neurologist. Any injury to the hip joint that causes pain should be identified and treated in time. And in light gymnastics, stretching exercises will help prevent the development of functional disorders of the hip joint.