Hip pain: causes, types, diagnosis and treatment

Quite often, neuropathologists and traumatologists receive patients who complain of hip pain. If pain occasionally occurs for a short time, and then disappears, then most likely you should not worry. But with systematic pains that torment for a long time, you need to beware and visit a specialist to find out the cause and take the necessary measures to eliminate it. It is dangerous to ignore such pain, as this can be a symptom of a serious illness. Next, we consider the causes of hip pain, types, diagnosis and treatment of pathology.

Diseases - Causes of Leg Pain

For many reasons, many pathologies affecting the musculoskeletal system begin to develop with age. This is due to both age-related changes in the body and injuries, surgical interventions and pathologies. Among them, most often diagnosed:

1. Arthrosis. It is formed as a result of wear of the hip joints. As a result, the bones begin to rub against each other, causing pain in the thigh. It can be given to different parts of the leg. Often, pain intensifies when weather conditions change. Arthrosis develops in almost 95% of the population after 50 years. But there are cases when the disease affects the joints of young people.

2. Arthritis. With this disease, several joints are affected at once, which causes pain in the leg from the hip.

3. Piriformis syndrome. Such a diagnosis is made in almost half of patients who come to see a neurologist or traumatologist. Most often, only pain in the left thigh or right is noted. Patients note that pain spreads along the back of the leg from the hip and lower to the foot.

4. Pinched sciatic nerve. This is another cause of hip pain.

5. Rheumatism. A pathology characterized by inflammatory processes in the connective tissue, and this cannot but affect the condition of the joints. Leg pain becomes chronic and it is difficult to cope with it without treating the underlying disease.

6. The inflammatory process in the hip joint. It can affect the muscle tissue, connective, which will certainly provoke pain in the thigh.

7. Hernia of the spine in the lumbar. Pathology will certainly make itself felt with pain and not only, patients complain of impaired mobility. As a rule, pain in the legs spreads from the hip to the foot.

8. Osteochondrosis. With the development of degenerative changes in the sacrum or lower back, pain becomes an almost constant companion of a person. The pain can give to the buttock, passes along the back of the thigh.

9. Damage to the musculo-ligamentous apparatus as a result of trauma. Pain in the thigh muscles may also bother.

Pain can become not only a symptom of various pathologies, but also be a consequence of natural processes taking place against the background of:

• Presence of a birth defect in the legs.
• Disturbed metabolic processes.

There are still traumatic pains that are associated with:

1. Fracture of the femoral neck. Injury is often diagnosed in the elderly. Unsuccessful fall - and the diagnosis is provided. Immediately after injury, the patient may feel pain in the leg from the hip to the knee. Only after an x-ray can the doctor determine the severity of the fracture. Depending on the damage, the femur may remain intact, and part of the pelvis breaks or the femur displaces and exits the acetabulum.
2. Closed injuries. For example, sprains or muscles can cause pain in the femur.
3. Pain can cause injury due to overload. If daily actions cause a lot of tension in the hip joint, then there is a risk of developing an inflammatory process in the muscles and tendons, which will give an unpleasant symptom in the form of pain. As a result of overload, inflammation of the synovial bag can occur, which also manifests itself in pain.

Any pain, regardless of the cause of the appearance, should not be endured; it is necessary to find out the cause and eliminate it.

Dangerous pathologies manifested by leg pain

These diseases do not threaten the life of the patient, although they are quite unpleasant. But there is a group of diseases that not only manifest themselves in pain, but also threaten with serious consequences for the health, and sometimes the patient’s life. These include:

• Malignant formations. Tumors are rarely formed directly in the joints; with cancer, metastases affect the bones.
• Bone tuberculosis and osteomyelitis. These infectious pathologies are most often accompanied not only by pain in the thigh, but also by other symptoms: lameness, fever. Such manifestations can occur against infections of the genitourinary organs, pelvic abscess.
• Vascular stenosis. It is manifested by pain from the hip to the knee. There is an increase in pain during any physical exertion.

These diseases are dangerous to health and life, and therefore require immediate treatment.

Why does the child hurt?

Hip pain and childhood pain may be noted. Parents should not leave the symptom unattended, they need urgent medical advice. As a rule, among the causes of this condition, the following are noted:

• Synovitis. This pathology is an inflammation of the inside of the hip joint. This is often observed against a background of infectious diseases. Serious treatment is not required, but you will have to visit an orthopedist to remove excess fluid from the joint cavity.
• Arthritis. The disease sometimes develops already in childhood. In addition to pain, there is an increased temperature, there may be rashes on the body.
• Injury resulting in a dislocation of the hip joint. Symptoms include pain in the leg from the hip to the knee from the injured side, impaired movement. In such a situation, the child must be urgently taken to the emergency room, where an X-ray will be taken to rule out a fracture, and the doctor will adjust the bone to its place.
• Hip dysplasia. Such a diagnosis can be made even to babies. The disease consists in the improper formation of articular bones and the violation of the correspondence of articular surfaces. The load is distributed unevenly when the child is walking, the articular surfaces are gradually deformed, the joint gap narrows, which leads to the appearance of pain.
• In adolescence, leg pain can develop due to epiphysiolysis of the femoral head. Hormonal imbalance in this period of life, when there is a lot of growth hormone, and there are still not enough sexual reproductive organs, leads to a decrease in bone strength and a shift of the hip down. Pain usually occurs during physical exertion. Can give in the lower back, in the knee, in the groin. After rest, everything normalizes.

Unfortunately, serious pathologies can already develop in children, so any pain should not be ignored.

Leg pain in pregnant women

Pain in the legs in the thigh can bother expectant mothers, there are several reasons for this:

• Hormonal changes. The amount of progesterone increases, so the muscles and ligaments relax. This is normal from a physiological point of view, but can provoke pain after a long walk.
• Weight gain. As a rule, a woman in a position gains weight significantly, which leads to increased pressure on the muscles and ligaments.
• Increased pressure on the vessels. The fetus grows and puts more and more pressure on the vessels, internal organs. There may be stagnation of blood in the veins of the thigh, which will cause unpleasant pain.
• An enlarged uterus can squeeze nerve endings, and the load on the spine also increases. For this reason, many women in position experience frequent pain in the thigh or back.

But usually, if pathologies are associated only with an important period in a woman’s life, then after the birth of a baby, all pain disappears. If this does not happen, then you have to look for a reason.

Varieties of pain

With the appearance of pain in the thigh, the nature of the sensations can change. Given the intensity of the symptom, there are:

• Sharp pain. It often occurs suddenly after an injury, while a person clearly feels the exact place of pain.
• Aching. Localization is more extensive and usually the intensity increases as the underlying pathology progresses, which caused this symptom. A feature of such pain is a complex diagnosis.
• Chronic It worries a person for a long time and indicates the presence of an extensive inflammatory process.
• Somatic. It occurs with damage to ligaments, joints. The pain can be dull or acute, it can be difficult to determine the exact location of localization.
• Neuralgic. It is felt with damage to nerve endings. Pain is felt in the thigh, but no pathologies were found in this part of the body.
• Cutaneous. It is distinguished by its short-term nature and disappears as soon as the traumatic factor ceases its effect.

Any pain can be accompanied by additional manifestations, including: a feeling of numbness in the leg, goosebumps, tingling.

Distinctive characteristics of pain depending on localization

Pain sensations not only have a different origin, but also differ in their localization. Most often, patients consult a doctor when pain occurs:

• From hip to knee. An unpleasant symptom is observed not only in the thigh, but also in the inguinal zone, can affect the lower back.
• Pain from hip to foot. Strengthens during movements, often characterized by acute manifestation and can give to the lower back. It creates a feeling that the nerve was pinched, which caused such a symptom.
• Pain during rest. Some patients note that, for example, pain in the right thigh appears, if you lie on your right side. In this case, numbness, goosebumps are felt, but mobility is not impaired.

Diagnostic procedures will help determine the cause of the pain, only after that the doctor will be able to prescribe therapy.

Diagnosis of pain

Diagnosis for each patient is a purely individual process, which takes into account the location and nature of pain, the presence of chronic pathologies, the patient's age and related symptoms. The most effective diagnostic methods are:

• MRI It is prescribed to patients with pain in the legs, especially if it gives to the lower back or there are suspicions of pathology of the spine. During the study, pay attention to the lumbar region and the condition of the joints.

• Dopplerography of blood vessels. The study is conducted to assess the state of the vessels of the legs. Be sure to prescribe for varicose veins, thrombophlebitis.
• Ultrasound of the joints. This method allows you to determine arthrosis, arthritis, infectious lesions.
• Electromyography. This procedure is to study tendon reflexes, musculo-ligamentous apparatus.
• Laboratory tests.

According to the results of all studies, experts make a conclusion about the causes of pain in the thigh, and treatment is usually prescribed as a complex.

The main methods of pain therapy

Getting rid of leg pain involves a lengthy treatment process. It is aimed not only at removing an unpleasant symptom, but also at eliminating its cause. Therapy is as follows:

1. Drug treatment.
2. Physiotherapeutic procedures.
3. Physiotherapy.
4. Folk methods.

The appointment of procedures and medicines should only be done by a doctor.

Drug therapy

When pain occurs, the first thing it is important to save the patient from pain and relieve the inflammatory process. For this, a course of the following groups of drugs is prescribed:

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs. Are popular Diclofenac, Indomethacin. If the pain is long and acute, then steroid injections come to the rescue.
2. Muscle relaxants. Drugs from this group relieve muscle spasm, improve blood circulation and reduce tissue swelling.
3. Chondroprotectors are prescribed for a long course to improve nutrition and blood supply in pathological areas. They are often used for joint diseases.
4. Diuretics relieve excess puffiness, as a result of which nerve roots can be pinched.
5. Taking multivitamin preparations. The necessary vitamins and minerals reduce the severity of the inflammatory process, improve the general condition of the body.

All funds are prescribed in a complex, as a rule, the therapy is long and requires compliance with the dosage and medication schedule.

Physiotherapy and physiotherapy against pain

After the acute attack of pain has been removed with the help of modern analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy treatment can be started. A visit to the treatment room will benefit, speed up the recovery process and significantly improve the patient's condition. The doctor most often prescribes the following procedures:

• Electrophoresis With its help, the maximum concentration of the drug is created in the pathological area, which accelerates recovery.
• Laser therapy has an analgesic effect, has anti-inflammatory and absorbable effects.
• Magnetotherapy using a magnetic field improves blood flow, reduces the intensity of inflammation.
• Massage. Must be conducted courses of at least 10 procedures.

Along with physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises are also prescribed. The complex selected by a specialist will improve blood circulation, strengthen muscles, and increase mobility.

Physical therapy is carried out under the supervision of a physician. The recommendations are as follows:

1. There should be no pain during exercise.
2. At home, exercises can be performed in a bath with warm water, which helps to relax.
3. For many pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, swimming is an excellent prophylactic.

To get rid of pain, you will also have to reconsider the diet. The menu should include healthy foods with a high content of important trace elements and vitamins.

Traditional medicine helps get rid of pain

When pain occurs for the first time and if they do not differ in intensity, you can try to get rid of them with the help of recipes of traditional healers:

Among the effective, according to some patients who have tried such therapy on their own, we can recommend:

1. Fresh lard. It is necessary to attach a strip of fat to the sore spot and fix it with a bandage. Leave for several hours, during this time the thickness of the product will decrease, then a new piece must be applied. The procedure is carried out until the pain ceases to bother.
2. Pepper compress is also used for pain in the thigh. For cooking you need: onion juice in an amount of 100 ml, 20 ml of plantain juice, internal fat, two pods of hot pepper. Grind pepper in a blender or in a meat grinder and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Before applying to a sore spot, the mixture needs to be slightly warmed up. It is necessary to rub a sore thigh and wrap it with a warm cloth.
3. Mustard-based ointment. It is prepared as follows: 150 grams of salt, a glass of mustard and a little kerosene. Prepare a composition that resembles sour cream in density. Rub into sore joints at night.

The joint use of various treatment methods will give the desired results, but have to be patient. Pathologies of the musculoskeletal system require long-term therapy. But it is better to leave thoughts of self-medication right away, only a competent specialist after a thorough examination can choose an effective course of therapy. Self-medication is especially dangerous if the cause of the pain is cancer or other serious pathology.