Many people complain of pain in the hip joint when walking. It arises sharply and over time is repeated more and more often, it worries not only when moving, but also at rest. There is a reason for every pain in the human body. Why does it arise? How dangerous is this and what threatens? Let's try to figure it out.
Anatomical structure
Before talking about why the hip joint hurts when walking, we will tell you what it consists of in the anatomical plan. In general, the pelvic bone is a joint of three interdependent elements: pubic symphysis, sacro-air joints and hip joints.
The latter are long bones with two round-shaped heads, which allows you to make leg movements in different directions. The range of motion can be different: forward, backward, to the side. Hip joints provide stability, body verticalization, actively participate in movement, weight transfer, bear the main body load.
If the sacro-air joints and symphysis are practically motionless, then the heads of the hip joints are as if in bowls - in the acetabulums that surround the acetabular lips. The main function of the lips is to lubricate the cartilage of the joints with the so-called synovial fluid. Due to it, a certain effect of suction is created, which prevents the joints from walking freely inside the hollows.
The aforementioned heads of the hip bone are connected to the bone itself by the neck, behind them are small and large trochanters, to which the thigh muscles are firmly attached . The joints themselves are surrounded by joint capsules with ligaments, thanks to which the bones are attached to the pelvis. For strength, the hip joints are attached in addition to the bottom of the acetabulum with round ligaments. In the femur, the head is covered with articular cartilage, it is very smooth and elastic, which reduces friction between the joints.
Blood supply to the bones of the hip joint is vital, and it is provided:
- blood vessels through the capsule to the joint;
- vessels of the bone;
- vessels inside the ligament of the head of the joint.
Blood supply and lubrication provide mobility of the hip joints.
The onset and causes of pain
It is often difficult for specialists to diagnose and find out why pain occurs in the hip joint when walking. The causes of its occurrence may be blurry. These can be radiating pains from the lumbar spine, arthritis and arthrosis, trauma and stretching of muscles and ligaments.
Pain in the hip joint when walking can occur suddenly, with careless movement, at the beginning or in the middle of walking, with bending or squats. Many patients complain of hip pain in the groin. How to treat ailment? First you need to decide what causes the pain.
Four groups of pain
Hip pain can be caused by the following reasons:
1. The consequences of injury:
- bruises of the pelvic area and hip joint, the femur itself, as well as myositis (muscle inflammation);
- muscle breaks and strains, fractures, cracks;
- fractures of stress groups due to "fatigue" of the joint, articular bag, femoral neck;
- traumatic tears and tears of ligaments, joint capsules;
- fractures in the pelvic area;
- subluxations and dislocations, including congenital.
2. Features of the structure of the joint, ligaments and muscles, concomitant diseases:
- clicking hip syndrome, chondromatosis, impingement;
- coxarthrosis, osteoarthritis, arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis;
- necrosis of an aspetic and avascular property;
- phenomena of osteoporosis due to disruption of the endocrine system.
3. Radiating pains:
- dysplasia and coxarthrosis;
- osteochondrosis and osteopathy of the vertebral joints;
- muscle dysplasia;
- myopathy, neuralgia, neuropathy in diabetes;
- inguinal hernia;
- dysplastic syndrome with coxarthrosis.
4. Groups of systemic diseases:
- types of arthritis with gout, rheumatism, lupus;
- spondylitis and ankylosing spondylitis ;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- arthritis with psoriasis;
- infectious diseases, including bone tuberculosis, Lyme disease;
- myalgia of fibrous tissue;
- oncological diseases.
Features of manifestation
Pain in the hip joint when walking can be different. The following types of pain are distinguished:
- due to mechanical stress during exercise, the intensity of pain manifests itself more in the evening and passes by morning;
- with synovitis, pain occurs at the beginning of the movement and decreases with activity, and sometimes disappears altogether;
- tendonitis is characterized by the fact that pain occurs in muscle tissues and tendons only with movement;
- spasms of the periaticular muscles;
- due to hypertension inside the bones, aching pain in the hip joint may occur;
- elongation of the capsule of the joints in case of trauma or inflammatory processes;
- mechanical damage by osteophytes on the head of the bone.
Now you know why pain occurs in the hip joint when walking. The reasons, as you see, can be different.
Clinical symptoms
Initially, the pain is inconstant and unexpressed, associated only with movement. With the progression of the disease, they increase. Hip pain when walking predetermines further stiffness, contracture does not allow to move the joint to the side, which causes unbearable suffering in the patient.
Due to the fact that the patient reflexively protects the joint from unnecessary movements, lameness, muscle weakness, innervation occur, the leg may decrease in volume and shorten, the head of the joint is deformed. The doctor must tell you exactly how the hip joint hurts when walking.
Treatments for arthrosis
For any, even minor pain, seek medical attention. Many patients who have a hip joint pain do not have a clue what to do and think that everything will go away by itself. But only a doctor can diagnose the cause, identify the features of the destructive process and prescribe adequate treatment.
If the patient is diagnosed with arthrosis of the hip joint, then the first steps are the selection of drugs aimed at treating the processes of destruction of cartilage and ligaments. If the patient has severe pain in the hip joint, then they usually use anti-inflammatory drugs, auxiliary medicines, including vitamin supplements, methods and methods of physiotherapeutic effects, fixation of joints by splinting and plaster casting (especially at the stage of exacerbation), therapeutic exercises.
In the event that there is constant pain in the hip joint when walking, treatment is often only surgical. Today, methods are used to replace the head of the joint with an artificial titanium implant. This allows not only to stop the destruction process, but also to return the patient to a full, active life. This process takes less than 6 months, including a rehabilitation complex.
It must be remembered that treatment should be comprehensive, using all possible methods and means to combat a destructive illness.
Biologically active additives
At the beginning of the disease, the cartilage is not yet destroyed, pain symptoms are not pronounced. At this stage, you can start taking dietary supplements. So, preparations containing collagen hydrolyzate, which is part of cartilage, will be useful. The components of the substance prevent the destruction process, contribute to the restoration of the cellular structure and ligamentous preparation. Warming ointments, gels, compresses are useful if the hip joint hurts. What to do to alleviate suffering, tells traditional medicine. It is recommended to use cabbage and burdock leaves as a warming and anti-inflammatory agent. It is useful to wrap the joint with a warm down scarf at night, which will create a heat effect and increase blood flow.
Medical preparations
If your hip joints hurt, what else can be treated? Folk remedies and dietary supplements are, of course, good. but only in the very early stages of the pathological process. You need to seek advice from a podiatrist or rheumatologist who will prescribe medications aimed at eliminating pain.
Chondroprotectors, for example, Chondroitin, which not only restore the structure of cartilage, but also contain components that affect the mobility of the ligamentous apparatus, are prescribed. Since pain is a sign of inflammation, a group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is prescribed, such as Ibuprofen, Ketorol, Nimesulide, Nise. They will stop inflammation and relieve pain.
Muscle relaxants are drugs that relieve painful muscle spasms. They are useful in that when taken at night they provide an opportunity to relax the muscles of the legs, to avoid pain. Among these medicines stand out "Milgamma" and "Sirdalud."
Drugs that improve blood microcirculation in bone tissue will help the blood supply process, increase blood flow. This, for example, means "Trental", injections of nicotinic acid.
In special cases, when the pain becomes unbearable, hormones are prescribed, for example, the drug "Prednisalon" (in small doses), which, in addition to increasing blood flow, provide relief from the inflammation process.
Physiotherapy
To relieve pain, but outside the stage of exacerbation, the patient is prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures. It can be massage, laser, electromyostimulation. Water procedures, baths with resin, and hydrogen sulfide are also useful. To increase the amplitude of movements, swimming is prescribed in the pool.
Features of Hip Traction
Traction is a method that reduces the load on the cartilage of the joint by drawing. On the one hand, this is a useful procedure in which the joint is gradually stretched, the correct load distribution is carried out. On the other hand, this method can only be performed by an experienced doctor - a manual therapist. Recently, a tranquion apparatus has also been used - a device for stretching bones, increasing the distance between them.
Prevention
In order to prevent pain in the hip joint when walking, in order to prevent arthrosis and other inflammatory processes, simple rules should be followed:
- Get rid of excess weight. The higher the weight, the greater the load on the joints, which entails destructive processes.
- Try to move as much as possible. Activity is a guarantee that there will be no stagnation in the joints.
- Follow the regimen of the day and the rules of medical nutrition, take vitamins regularly, provide food with enough trace elements.
- Go in for physical education and sports.
By following these recommendations, it is possible to protect the joints from destructive processes that can lead to pain, destruction and disability.