What Are the Causes of Chronic Hip Pain?
Chronic hip pain can negatively impact quality of life and seriously impede physical functioning. There are a number of disorders and conditions that can cause chronic hip pain, some minor, some more serious.
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Hip Osteoarthritis
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Hip osteoarthritis, commonly called degenerative hip disease, is a chronic and progressive condition that results in the gradual breakdown and deterioration of the hip joint cartilage and, in advanced cases, atrophy and destruction of the hip bones. A major cause of chronic hip pain and disability, hip osteoarthritis can be managed (in milder forms) with activity restrictions and pain medications. In severe hip osteoarthritis cases, total hip replacement surgery is the preferred and most effective treatment for reconstructing a damaged, diseased hip joint.
Hip Bursitis
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A common disorder causing pain and irritation of the small, fluid-filled hip bursae that surround a hip joint, hip bursitis is a common cause of chronic hip pain. Inflammation and irritation of the hip bursae can restrict normal hip joint movement and cause moderate to severe hip pain levels. Hip bursitis can also irritate the muscles and soft tissues in close proximity to the affected bursae, thereby increasing the pain and discomfort of the condition.
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Hip Dysplasia
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An often times congenital condition that develops as the hip joint grows and matures through childhood and adolescence, hip dysplasia is a major cause of chronic hip pain. Hip dysplasia, especially severe cases, radically alters normal hip joint biomechanics and increases stress loading on the hip. Over time, this can not only irritate and inflame the muscles and soft tissues around the hip joint, which can cause chronic pain, but can also increase the incidence of hip osteoarthritis, which results in gradual hip joint deterioration, and another cause of chronic hip pain.
Hip Tendinitis
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The hip joint is surrounded by a tough, fibrous capsule that helps to stabilize the hip joint and prevent hip dislocation. Included in this hip capsule are numerous tendons that connect the hip muscles to the hip bones. Whether by injury, disease, or some type of developmental disorder, these tendons can become chronically inflamed and irritated, which can cause chronic pain and hip joint mobility restrictions. This condition, called hip tendinitis, is a common cause of painful hip joint flare-ups and chronic hip pain problems.
Leg Length Inequality
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In many cases, chronic hip pain can be caused, at least in part, by a leg length inequality, whereby one leg is longer than the other. Normally, the short leg is the leg that produces hip pain. Hip pain caused by a shortened leg is normally the result of pelvic misalignment, which results as the pelvis tilts in an effort to compensate for the shortened leg. This pelvic tilt can cause soft tissue imbalances and spasms to develop around the hip joint, which can cause chronic hip and leg pain, and in some cases, lower back pain. The insertion of a heel lift in the shoe of the shortened leg is often helpful in correcting this problem.
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