Can Leg Pain Be Coming From My Hip?

If you're experiencing leg pain, you might be wondering if it's possible that the pain is actually originating from your hip. The answer to this question is yes. Many times people with leg pain actually have an issue in their hip. It's very common for a person with a hip problem to have symptoms that refer down to the front of the leg or knee. This referred pain can radiate to other areas and cause a dull ache or even sharp, stabbing pains.

Could It Be Sciatica?

One very common yet issued that radiates down to the leg is called sciatica. Sciatica, simply put, is pain which radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve and the branches associated with it. Some people also feel it in their lower back down their buttocks and leg. The longest nerve in your body is the sciatic nerve as it runs from your spinal cord to your hip area and then down the back of each leg.

Sciatica is Just a Symptom

It's important to note that sciatica isn't a disorder in and of itself. It's actually a symptom that indicates to your doctor that there's another problem involving that nerve. For instance, you may have a herniated disc that's pressing on the sciatic nerve. Often, sciatica comes and goes in certain individuals. However, without treatment for the underlying cause of the nerve irritation, many people are destined to continue experiencing the pain of sciatica throughout their lives.

Leg Pain Isn't Always Sciatica

While sciatica can present several symptoms including pain, tingling and even a pins and needles feeling, there are other nerve irritations that can come from the hip and cause pain in the front of the leg and knee. When you feel pain in the front of the leg, it typically is not a problem with the sciatic nerve.

Because the pain can radiate from the hip throughout the leg, there are specific tests that a trained pain specialist can use to differentiate hip pain from a spinal problem or a leg problem. Just because you feel pain in your legs doesn't mean that the pain is actually originating from there. Instead, it could be coming from any number of nerves in your spinal column.

It's very important to have a pain specialist do the proper testing in order to find the underlying cause of your pain. By doing so, they will be able to create a complete treatment plan that may include physical therapy and other modalities to treat the cause rather than just throwing medication at the symptoms.