Does hip pain keep you from enjoying the simple things in life?
The hip joint can withstand repeated motion and a fair amount of wear and tear. This pieces of the ball-and-socket joint, the body's largest, fit together in a way that allows for fluid movement. Whenever you use the hip, a cushion of cartilage helps prevent friction as the hip bone moves in its socket.
Despite its durability, the hip joint isn't indestructible. With age and use, the cartilage can wear down or become damaged. Muscles and tendons in the hip can get overused. Bones in the hip can break during a fall or other injury. Any of these conditions can lead to hip pain.
Hip pain on the outside of your hip, upper thigh, or outer buttock is usually caused by problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues that surround your hip joint. Diseases and conditions in other areas of your body, such as your lower back, can sometimes cause hip pain. Depending on the condition that is causing your pain, you might also feel discomfort in the inside of your hip joint or in your groin. Sometimes pain from other areas of your body – such as the back or groin (from a hernia, for example) can radiate to your hip.
Common hip-related ailments include osteoarthritis of the hip, hip bursitis, transient osteoporosis of the hip, hip dysplasia, snapping hip, and arthritis of the hip. Additional causes of hip pain include hip fractures, tendinitis, muscle or tendon strain, hip labral tears, cancer, and avascular necrosis (also known as osteonecrosis).
Treatments for hip pain may include a hip injection, hip arthroscopy, partial hip replacement, or total hip replacement.
Signature Medical Group’s practitioners are board-certified orthopedic surgeons whose expertise, experience, and leadership in their profession translate into exceptional medical care and treatment for you.
Schedule an appointment to have your hips evaluated by one of our St. Louis or Kansas City orthopedic specialists today.