How to Recognize Hip Pain

Hip pain can turn daily tasks, such as walking up a stairway or getting into your car, into an ordeal. Hip pain can affect people of all ages. It's usually caused by injuries to the hip muscles or joints, or by conditions such as bursitis, osteoarthritis or tendinitis. These injuries or conditions limit the range of motion of your hip, which is a ball-and-socket joint. This makes walking, bending and climbing very difficult. Hip pain can be recognized, diagnosed and treated, although treatments can be complicated.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. If you fell or suddenly felt your hip gave way and it hurts to lift, straighten or stand on your leg, and the toes on the same side as your injured hip appear to turn out, then the deformity and pain might be from a hip fracture.

2. If you have swelling, redness, stiffness or pain in your other joints, then your hip pain could be caused by arthritis.

3. If you feel pain that comes from your lower back and travels into your leg or buttocks, it might be sciatica (pinched nerve). If the pain rapidly moves down your knee or to your foot, it might be caused by a ruptured disk.

4. If a child experiences pain in the groin, knees or hips, this could be related to numerous disorders including a slipped capital femoral epiphysis. This hip problem is most common in children.

Tips & Warnings

• You must consult your doctor if you have hip pain. Only a licensed physician can properly diagnose hip problems.

References

• "DeGowin's Diagnostic Examination," Donald Brown, Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical 2004
• "Medical Diagnosis and Treatment," Stephen J. McPhee, MD, Publisher: McGraw-Hill 2006
• "Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice," Susan Standring, Publisher: Churchill Livingstone 2004

Resources

• MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Hip pain

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