What causes hip pain?
The hip is the body’s largest joint, designed to withstand repeated motion, sudden impact and general wear and tear. The ball-and-socket make-up of the hip joint fits together in a way that allows fluid movement, maintained by a layer of cartilage that keeps the bones from coming into direct contact with each other.
Despite its durability, the hip is not indestructible, and hip pain is fairly common. Some of the more prevalent causes of hip pain include:
• Aging/overuse — Cartilage eventually becomes weak or damaged in places; muscles and tendons can suffer from overuse as well
• Bone fracture — Usually from a fall and more common in older patients
• Referred pain — Pain, diseases, or conditions in other areas of the body, like the lower back and knees, can cause problems in the hips
In general, pain experienced on the inside of the hip and groin is caused by a problem within the hip joint itself. Pain experienced on the outside of the hip, upper thigh or buttock is caused by muscle, ligament, tendon or other soft tissue conditions.
Solutions for chronic hip pain
Hip pain is avoidable. The Houston and Pasadena doctors at Advocate Pain Management are specialists in chronic hip pain, and take an individualized approach to diagnosing and treating not only the symptoms but also the cause of chronic hip pain. Our doctors will use every resource available to reduce or eliminate pain and avoid surgery. They will help craft a diagnosis and individualized treatment plan that includes physical therapy, medication and non-surgical interventional pain procedures. One of our non-surgical options is a hip joint injection, for more information please click the link below.
