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Do You Have Hip Pain?
By Andrew Burke, MSPT
Many of us will encounter some sort of hip pain throughout our lives. The pain can range from moderate to severe and can have serious effects on activities of daily living.
Hip pain can take many different forms and be caused by a number of things. I will talk about a few of the most common problems with the hip in this article.
Greater trochanteric bursitis
Greater trochanteric bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa that lies between a bony prominence on the outside of the hip and the muscles/soft tissue that rub over this structure when walking.
The bursa is meant to decrease friction between these moving parts. When this bursa becomes inflamed it can become chronically painful and the pain is usually located on the outside of the hip.
People who have groin pain or pain in the posterior hip region could have an arthritic process going on in the hip joint.
The hip is a ball and socket joint. Arthritis in the hip is a wearing away of the smooth cartilage that covers the ball and socket which allows for bone on bone contact that causes pain and decreased joint motion.
Sometimes people exhibit the signs and symptoms of hip arthritis but the X-rays show little or no cartilage degradation. Recently, taking closer looks at the x-rays or performing the diagnostic tests with different hip positions have shown bony abnormalities that are causing these arthritis-like symptoms. This is called Femoral Acetabular Impingement or FAI.
Hip pain is something that should not be ignored because chances are it will not go away on its own. These ailments can be treated in a number of different ways. Physical therapy, to address muscle imbalances and lower extremity flexibility issues, has been shown to be very beneficial in reducing pain, restoring normal gait mechanics, and improving functional capacity. Doctor recommended anti-inflammatory medication and surgical intervention are also possible treatment options.
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