What Are The Causes And Most Common Hip Pain Diagnoses?

What are the most common hip pain diagnoses?

The hip joint literally has a lot riding on it. As a result, there are many reasons why we can experience pain here. That's why diagnosing hip pain might not always be quite as simple as we would like to believe.

There are many different reasons for hip pain. Some are minor enough that the individual can handle caring for it on their own through rest and over-the-counter medicines. But others can be quite serious and actually jeopardize our ability to ever walk again. This makes accurately diagnosing the problem of the utmost importance.

Some common causes

Cartilage: Since we are dealing with a joint, one of its components is cartilage. Cartilage has a tendency to wear out over time due to age, carrying excessive weight, etc. Cartilage can also tear due to an injury.

Inflammation: The hip joint is made up of numerous different components, many of which are susceptible to inflammation. These include muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fluid-filed sacs called bursas.

Sciatic: Although pain may be felt in the hip area, it does not necessarily mean that this is the actual source of the pain. Nerves running through the back to the legs have to pass through the hip. When these nerves become pinched, they create pain. The sciatic nerve is a classic example of this. Other nerves can also become inflamed, referring pain to the hip.

Slipped discs: The spinal column serves as a protection for many nerves which run through it and down into the legs and feet. If a disc becomes bulged or slips even slightly out of position, it presses against these nerves causing mild to severe pain.

Weight: Being overweight, particularly obese, places a great deal of strain on your frame. Joints are put to the test as they are now depended on to support even more weight than they are actually designed for. The resulting strain can wear joints out over time, but in the interim it can cause them to hurt from the additional weight of your body.

Diagnosing hip joint pain

Unless there is clear evidence of specific trauma to the area, hip pain has to be dealt with from a process of elimination. Your doctor will need to gather a history starting from when the discomfort first began and working forward to find the underlying cause. Once a specific diagnosis is made, then treatment options can be discussed.