Do You Have Hip Pain?
If
so, you are not alone. Hip pain is common
with athletes and active people. Your pain may be caused by
many
different factors. Understanding why you are having pain, and what to
do about it is a key to your recovery.
Hip
Injury or Referred Pain?
One thing you have to remember about
the hip is that it is a common area for referred pain. Your hip pain
may not be caused by an injury to the hip, but rather from an injury in
another part of the body.
You get pain in your hip
because either it is referred from another area that is close by, or
because the muscles in your hip are trying to compensate for the other
injury and become overworked and irritated.
I see
this quite often in my patients. They will come in for evaluation of
hip pain, and their real problem is that they have problems in their
lower back or knee, and their hip is being overworked trying to fix the
problem.
Figuring out if your pain is because of a
hip injury, or referred is something that your physician or athletic
trainer can determine. Just one more reason to
make sure you seek medical attention if you are having pain.
Read
on to find out more about your hip pain, and what could be causing
it. It is your best chance for getting off the sidelines faster.
Pain
in the Front
Pain in the front of your hip in the muscles can
be caused by several different things.
The most
common is a strain of the hip flexor muscles. These muscles run along
the front of the hip and help you lift your leg as you run and jump.
Most
of the time a strain like this is caused by a sudden, explosive
movement, and you feel it right away.
Anterior pain
can also be caused by injury to other areas of the body, like the
lower back. Many times, the muscles in the front of the hip will try to
compensate for weakness or injury in another part of the body, and they
will become irritated and spasmed. This can lead to pain.
Pain
on the Side
Pain along the side of your hip may be from
bursitis, muscle strain, or referred from another part of the body.
Bursitis
is common in the hip, especially with runners. Often called snapping
hip or
trochanteric bursitis, this injury
is an inflammation of the
soft tissue on the side of the hip.
It can be
caused by muscle tightness, repetitive motion, or poor biomechanics.
Much
like the front of the hip, pain along the side can also be caused by
injuries to other parts of the body. Your hip can become painful if you
are compensating for some other problem. The most common injury that
will refer pain to the hip is lower back pain, but you can also have
pain in the hip with a knee or foot injury.
Pain
in the Back
Pain along the back of your hip can be caused by
muscle strain or tightness, or may be referred from another injury in
the body.
Piriformis syndrome is one cause
of pain in the back of the hip. Tightness of this muscle, or
restricted
motion at the hip can lead to irritation of the area.
Pain
in the back is also very common with low back pain or SI Joint
Dysfunction. The muscles all around the hip often try to compensate for
injury, and become overworked and irritated.
The
Sacroiliac Joint
One of the biggest culprits for referring pain
to the hip is the SI joint in the lower back. The SI joint is where
your pelvis meets your sacrum. This joint can often be a problem with
athletes, especially if they have core weakness or are overtraining.
Pain
that comes on gradually, or moves around from the front, back, and
side may be referred pain.
Summary
Hip
pain can be frustrating and limiting. Figuring out your hip pain is the
first step to recovery. It can be caused by muscle strain,
bursitis, weakness, muscle tightness, or referred from another injury.
If you are having hip pain, be sure to see your doctor for evaluation.
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