THE FASTEST WAY TO RELIEVE HIP PAIN

Hip pain is a common problem that can have many different causes. The exact spot where your hip hurts can tell you a lot about what’s causing it. When something is wrong with the hip joint itself, it usually hurts on the inside of the hip or in the groin, and hip pain on the outside of your hip, upper thigh, or outer buttock is usually caused by problems with the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues that surround your hip joint.

Causes of Hip Pain

Below is a list of some of the conditions that commonly cause hip pain:

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two of the most common reasons why older adults have hip pain. When you have arthritis, your hip joint gets inflamed and the cartilage that cushions your hip bones breaks down. The pain gets worse over time. People with arthritis also feel stiff and can’t move their hips as much as they used to.

Hip Fractures

As people get older, their bones can get weak and break easily. When you fall, your bones are more likely to break if they are weak. Hip fractures may also occur due to trauma like in a car accident.

Bursitis

There are liquid-filled sacs called bursae between tissues like bone, muscles, and tendons. They make it easier for these tissues to rub against each other and when a bursa gets inflamed, it can hurt. Most of the time, the bursae get inflamed when the hip joint is overworked or irritated by activities that involve repetitive motions.

Tendinitis

Tendons are the thick bands of tissue that connect bones to muscles. Tendinitis is when the tendons get swollen or irritated, and most of the time, it’s caused by stress from overuse.

Muscle or Tendon Strain

The muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the hips can get tired, or strained from doing the same things over and over again. When they get swollen from being used too much, it can hurt and stop the hip from working normally.

Hip Labral Tear

This is a tear in the labrum, which is a ring of cartilage that goes around the outside of the socket of your hip joint. In addition to cushioning your hip joint, your labrum acts like a rubber seal or gasket to help keep the ball at the top of your thighbone in place in your hip socket. Athletes and people who twist their bodies over and over again are more likely to get this problem.

Cancer

Hip pain can be caused by tumors that start in the bone or spread to the bone, which can also happen in other bones of the body.

Osteonecrosis

When blood flow to the hip bone slows down and bone tissue dies, this is called osteonecrosis.  Even though this can happen in other bones, it usually happens in the hip and can be caused by a broken or dislocated hip, or by taking high-dose steroids like prednisone for a long time.

Hip Pain Relief

• If your hip pain is caused by a muscle or tendon strain, osteoarthritis, or tendinitis, you can usually treat it with an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen or naproxen and reducing exercise or strain on the joint for some time to give it time to heal
• Putting ice on the hip for about 15 minutes a few times a day is another way to ease hip pain. As much as possible, try to rest the joint until you feel better. You could also heat the area, such as a  warm bath or shower, which can help your muscles warm up for stretches that can help relieve pain and increase strength and range of motion
• If you have arthritis, you can reduce pain and improve joint mobility by doing low-impact exercises, stretching, and resistance training on your hip joint. For people with arthritis, swimming is a good exercise that doesn’t hurt their joints, and their  range of motion can also be helped by physical therapy
• When osteoarthritis gets so bad that it causes severe pain or changes the shape of the hip joint, a total hip replacement might be a good idea. When someone breaks their hip, they may need surgery to fix the break or to replace it

All of the above are treatment options for hip pain. The severity of your injury will impact what you will need to relieve your pain. Many causes of hip pain can be quickly resolved with some rest, ice, and stretches.