Chronic acute or aching pain in the hip joint (HJ) often indicates the development of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, which is important to timely diagnose and treat. In the initial stages of the development of pathology, it will be possible to relieve joint pain conservatively, using special compresses and ointments. When the disease begins, the joint becomes immobile and the constant pain syndrome worries and surgical intervention is indispensable.
Possible causes and symptoms
Severe pain in the hip joint can be caused by various degenerative-dystrophic pathologies, under the influence of which the joints are destroyed, erased and cease to function completely. Periodic pain often worries in diseases of the spine, as a result of which there is tension in the muscles and pinching of nerve fibers. Symptoms of pain in the pelvic bones occur due to injuries, bruises, fractures of the femoral head or neck. To accurately determine the causes of hip pain, you need to go to the doctor.
Traumatic factors
Severe bruises
Sharp pain when sitting, walking or abducting the leg occurs due to bruises that occur as a result of a sideways fall or a direct blow to the femoral joint. With bruises, the bone tissue structure remains intact, but the soft fibers suffer greatly, and ligament damage may occur. At the site of the impact, an extensive hematoma is formed, which hurts when pressed, but if the person is at rest, there is no pain syndrome. When pain in the hip joint on the left or right side gradually increases, it is worth visiting a doctor to rule out a fracture.
hip dislocation
Such a violation occurs under the influence of a large force along the axis, bent at the knee joint with a fixed torso. A typical situation of this condition is an accident or a fall from a great height. With dislocations, a person is worried about severe joint pain radiating to the leg and groin areas, which completely disrupts the functioning of the limb. It is possible to alleviate the condition by applying cold to the affected area, additional qualified medical assistance is required.
It is important to keep in mind that if a dislocation is suspected, it is forbidden to try to fix the joint on your own.
Hip fracture
It often becomes the cause of pain in the hip joint in women in old age. Damage to integrity often occurs as a result of a fall and a strong impact of the trochanter on a hard surface. A femoral neck fracture is considered one of the most dangerous pathologies, since there is a high risk of complications in the form of thrombosis, infection and necrosis. Typical symptoms:
- Severe pain in the left or right hip joint, aggravated by attempts to move the limb or take it to the side.
- When sitting or lying down, the victim is unable to lift the leg off the floor.
- In relation to a healthy and injured leg, it looks shortened.
- If nerve structures are affected, a feeling of numbness in one limb appears.
After the operation
Pain in the hip joint, lower back and back often occurs after surgery associated with implant installation. The need to insert an endoprosthesis appears in cases where the native joint has worn out and worn out for some reason, and it is not possible to treat the problem conservatively. To prevent further destruction of the joint, endoprosthesis is performed. After the operation, until the wound is completely healed, the patient will be bothered by pain, however, with each new day, their intensity will decrease.
Complications after hip replacement negatively affect not only the hip area, but also affect the general physical, psychological state, physical activity and ability to walk. To restore former health, it is necessary to undergo a number of rehabilitation measures, which are prescribed depending on the developed pathologies and problems. For a quick and effective recovery, the causes of the complications and limitations after hip arthroplasty must be established.
Diseases
infectious inflammation
A dangerous complication that causes pain in the hip joint. There are such types of purulent inflammation:
- Primary. The main reason is the penetration directly into the joint cavity of pathogenic microflora.
- Secondary. The infection penetrates the joint structures with blood from other inflammatory foci.
Symptoms of an inflammatory complication are:
- musculoskeletal pain;
- edema formation;
- skin redness;
- heat;
- limb dysfunction.
Inflammatory bursitis
Often, frequent joint injuries lead to an inflammatory process in its bags.
This disease is often diagnosed in athletes whose knees and hip joints are prone to frequent injuries and bruises.
Under the influence of a traumatic factor, inflammation develops in the joint sacs. Gradually, pathological exudate accumulates in the bag, an inflammatory complication joins. When walking, pain in the groin and below begins to bother, giving to the knee. There is a feeling of stiffness of movements, in advanced cases, the limb hurts even at rest, the temperature rises and swelling forms.
Tumors of various etiologies
Pain in the hip joint on the right or left side can cause neoplasms:
- Benign. As they increase in size, they compress nerve structures, cause discomfort, and cause periodic unpleasant symptoms in the spine and hip.
- Malicious. These are dangerous neoplasms that tend to grow rapidly and spread metastases throughout the body. In the initial stages, the patient complains that the joints hurt after running or walking. Increasing, the tumor compresses the nervous structures, a leg is taken away from a person, the sacrum hurts badly, painful symptoms are felt in the lumbar regions. The usual painkillers in this case are not able to relieve pain in the hip joint.
- Femoral neck sarcoma. Severe, cancerous bone disease, during the progression of which the patient's pelvic bones ache badly after sitting, walking, standing. The disease is characterized by chronic fractures of the femoral neck, as a result of which the functioning of the joint is significantly limited. Also concerned about signs of intoxication, under the influence of which the patient's general condition deteriorates significantly.
Other reasons
Due to the destruction of the cartilage in the joint, a person begins to experience movement difficulties.
If a person has a sore leg and hip joint, the following pathologies can cause such symptoms:
- Coxarthrosis. A chronic, degenerative-dystrophic disease characterized by the destruction of the interarticular cartilage and the growth of osteophytes on bony structures. In the initial stages, the symptoms are not expressed, but as the progression progresses, the functional mobility of the joint is disturbed, the patient is bothered by excruciating pains, muscle deformity and atrophy. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, a person becomes disabled.
- Osteochondrosis. A disease of a degenerative nature, in which the lumbar spine is subject to destruction and deformation. Due to the inflammation and pinching of the nerve fibers, the pain radiates to the thigh, the patient's motor activity is significantly reduced, the discomfort worries even in a state of complete rest.
If the hip joint hurts in a child, the development of such pathologies is possible:
- dysplasia and subluxations of the hip joint;
- osteochondropathy;
- epiphysiolysis.
Diagnostic methods
With severe and continuous pain in the hip joint, you should contact an orthopedist who will help establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe an adequate treatment regimen.
After conducting an initial examination and taking an anamnesis, the doctor will give a direction for the passage of such diagnostic measures:
- x-ray examination of the spine and hip joint;
- dopplerography and angiography of vessels;
- electromyography;
- CT, MRI of thigh;
- laboratory tests that will show the presence or absence of other dangerous pathologies in the body.
What is the treatment?
Effective drugs
Depending on the patient's diagnosis, the doctor selects an adequate drug therapy regimen aimed at eliminating the concomitant symptoms and alleviating the general condition of the patient. During the period of conservative treatment, it is important to limit the load on the joint, if necessary, observe bed rest and use orthopedic devices. The following fund groups are used:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Helps relieve inflammation, swelling, pain.
- Analgesics. Reduce acute pain.
- Glucocorticosteroids. If NSAIDs did not help get rid of the inflammatory complication, steroid drugs are prescribed, which are injected directly into the joint cavity.
- Muscle relaxants. Relieves muscle spasms.
- Hemostatic. Promote the resorption of hematomas.
- Chondroprotectors. Restore cartilage structures, prevent their further destruction.
Auxiliary methods
The "bicycle" exercise will help to avoid joint problems.
To speed up recovery and normalize the functioning of the hip joint, it is useful to regularly perform therapeutic exercises. The training complex is selected by the doctor for each patient individually, taking into account the general condition and diagnosis. For prevention, the following exercises are recommended to be performed daily:
- bike;
- scissors;
- picking up small objects with your toes;
- walking barefoot on toes and heels.
In parallel, a course of physiotherapeutic procedures is prescribed, for example, electrophoresis, phonophoresis, laser therapy, massage. When diagnosing malignant tumors or advanced pathologies of a deforming nature, surgical intervention is indispensable. During the operation, the surgeon removes the affected tissue, installs an implant if necessary. To prevent relapses and speed up recovery, rehabilitation is prescribed.