10 REASONS YOU HAVE ... HIP PAIN
1 YOU’VE GOT A ‘SILLY’ WALK
Walking posture – called gait – can be affected by many things, from having weak ankles, and fallen arches (‘flat feet’) to slightly uneven leg lengths. Misalignment like this can eventually lead to knee and hip pain. Take a look at your shoes: are the heels worn down more on the inside or outside? You could have gait problems. Shaped, supportive insoles called orthotics may help.
2 IT’S SNAPPING HIP SYNDROME
Also referred to as coxa saltans, iliopsoas tendonitis or dancer’s hip. This is a condition that causes a snapping sensation or audible popping in the hip when it moves normally, either during walking, getting up from a chair or swinging the leg. The snapping sensation occurs when a muscle or tendon (the strong tissue that connects muscle to bone) moves over a bony protrusion in the hip. Although snapping hip is usually painless and harmless, the sensation can be annoying.
3 YOU’RE SITTING UNCOMFORTABLY
Most of us now spend nine hours a day sitting down, at work, in the car, or in front of the TV, and hip pain due to poor sitting posture is an often overlooked problem. If the boss won’t sanction a treadmill desk (yes, they exist!), don’t worry. Experts simply advise against crossing your legs, and make sure your chair allows your knees to be slightly below hip level with your feet flat on the floor. Additionally, take regular breaks to walk about.
4 WEAR AND TEAR
Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones to wear down over time. It also causes mild inflammation of the tissues in and around the hip joint and bony growths (osteophytes) that develop around the edge of the hip joint. There’s no treatment bar a joint replacement, but not being overweight will reduce the pain.
5 BLAME THE BUMP
Hip pain is a common complaint for pregnant women during the third trimester, when the body releases a hormone called relaxin which relaxes and softens all the joints, preparing for labour. However, relaxin also increases susceptibility to injury, coupled with the pressure on the hips of carrying a growing baby. This can result in hip pain and discomfort for some women.
6 IT’S ALL THAT HEAVY LIFTING
Straining to lift heavy objects can cause an inguinal hernia, which occurs when part of the bowel squeezes through a weak spot in the lower abdomen into the groin. Although often just presenting an a painless lump in the groin (mostly in men), it can trigger pelvic discomfort. A simple operation is the only way to fix it.
7 A JOINT INFECTION
Septic arthritis is inflammation of a joint caused by a bacterial infection, most commonly staphylococcal or streptococcal, which may have entered a wound and travelled through your bloodstream to the affected joint. The bacteria can also have infected the joint directly following an injury or during surgery. Any joint can be affected but the condition is most common in the hips and knees.
8 YOUR BONES ARE AN ODD SHAPE
Hip pain can also be caused by the bones of the hip rubbing together because they’re abnormally shaped. It’s a condition called femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Sporty people work the hip joint more vigorously so may experience pain sooner than those who are less active. People with FAI usually have pain in the groin area but sometimes it’s also towards the outside of the hip.
9 YOU’VE GOT BURSITIS
Bursitis is an inflammation of the small fluid-filled sacs (called bursae) that protect muscles and tendons near the joints. It’s usually caused by repetitive activities that overwork or irritate the hip joint and is treated with rest or, in more severe cases, steroid injections. In cases where there is also infection, medication may be needed.
10 IT’S A TORN JOINT
Athletes who play sports such as ice hockey, football, golf and ballet are at higher risk of developing a hip labral tear, which is an injury to the ring of cartilage around the outside rim of the socket of the hip joint. The labrum acts like a rubber seal or gasket to help hold the ball at the top of the thigh bone securely within the hip socket. Some people get a torn labrum from falls or car accidents.