When the hip joint hurts, the most exciting questions are about what to do and how to treat the disease.The hip joint is one of the most important and most stressed joints in the entire musculoskeletal system.Loss of mobility due to pain can partially or completely deprive a person of the ability to move.The answer to the question of how to treat pain is simple: identify and eliminate its cause.
Possible causes of hip pain
First of all, you need to pay attention to when pain in the hip joints occurs.This can happen at the following points:
- during rising in the morning;
- during physical activity, when running;
- during normal walking;
- in a state without movement.
It's worth listening to your body and trying to discern the systemic nature of the pain.
Important!In diseases of the hip joint, due to the structural features of the nerve bundles, pain can radiate to the leg.It reaches such a point that the patient thinks until the last minute that his leg or knee hurts and does not even suspect that the source of the pain is in the hip.
The nature of pain in the hip joint can also vary.The following types of hip pain occur:
- painful;
- acute periodic;
- suddenly sharp.
It is necessary to accurately determine the main causes of pain in the hip joint.
Trauma
Most often it is preceded by a fall or a sharp jump from a height.Signs of injury include:
- sharp pain;
- edema;
- restriction of movement;
- visual distortion;
- inability to rotate the foot outward.
An injury is a dislocation, fracture or bruise.
Coxarthrosis
This is osteoarthritis of the hip joint, a degenerative change in its cartilage and bone tissue.The signs of coxarthrosis are as follows:
- to crunch;
- stiffness in movements;
- periodic aching and sharp pain;
- increased pain in bad weather and at night;
- deformation;
- swelling.
Most often, older people face it.
Bursitis of the trochanteric bursa
The trochanteric bursa or trochanteric bursa contains synovial fluid and its inflammation is called bursitis.The source of the pain is often felt in the buttocks.The pain intensifies if you lie on the damaged joint.Exacerbations occur at night.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
It is an autoimmune disease.Your own cells are attacked by the immune system, causing inflammation in your muscles and joints.The symptoms of lupus erythematosus include:
- high temperature;
- blisters, ulcers on the mucous membranes and skin;
- muscle weakness;
- pain in joints and muscles.
There may be just one symptom or all at once.But usually it starts with one and then the others join.
Arthritis
In general terms, it is an inflammation of the hip joint.The cause may be either a partial or total absence of the shock-absorbing cartilaginous layer between the bones, or an infection.Symptoms other than pain include:
- local increase in temperature of the sore spot;
- edema;
- sharp pain when moving.
Arthritis can be primary or secondary infectious, resulting from injury or osteoarthritis.
Symphysitis of pregnant women
The body of a pregnant woman prepares for childbirth, the bones gradually move apart at the symphysis.The disease is only possible during pregnancy and most often in the 2nd or 3rd trimester.The symptoms are:
- pain in the pubic bone;
- swelling in the affected area;
- severe pain when walking;
This often causes sharp pain in the woman when she moves and changes position.At rest, no pain is felt.
Aseptic necrosis
Necrosis is the death of tissue due to insufficient blood supply.In most cases, it affects the neck or head of the hip joint.This can happen for several reasons:
- compression due to injury;
- loss of message due to injury;
- blood clots;
- diseases that thicken the blood.
The disease progresses quite quickly and affects young people more, because they move more actively.
Oncology
Unfortunately, something begins to hurt due to neoplasms already in the late stages.The early stages are almost asymptomatic.But once pain occurs, it cannot be relieved with regular painkillers.Risk factors for developing sarcoma or myeloma are trauma and prolonged inflammation.The pain may be accompanied by swelling and fever.
Do!The pain may subside for a while and return with renewed vigor.The intensity of pain in the hip joints will be directly proportional to the size of the tumor.
In most cases, pain in the right or left hip joint is caused by one of these reasons, but in rare cases it may be something else.
Diagnosis
In case of hip pain, it is best to contact either a general practitioner or a rheumatologist.The specialist will examine and palpate the joint and select a diagnostic method.Diagnostic methods can be as follows:
- blood test for the presence of inflammation and infection;
- Ultrasound of the hip joint;
- tomography;
- x-ray;
- osteoscintigraphy in case of suspected oncology;
- magnetic resonance examination.
After making a diagnosis, the doctor will begin to treat hip pain himself or refer you to a more specialized specialist if the specific case does not fall within his competence.
Several specialists treat diseases that cause hip pain:
- neurologist;
- orthopedist;
- allergist;
- oncologist.
When the causes are known, the answers to the questions related to the choice of treatment come to the surface.
Treatment
When the hip joint hurts, various treatments may be required, and it directly depends on the diagnosis.
In the event of injury, the patient must immobilize the limb and wait for further instructions from the attending physician.If a fracture or dislocation is detected, if necessary, the damaged area is reduced and fixed with plaster or knitting needles.After which medications are prescribed to promote rapid regeneration and complete rest.
In cases of symphysitis during pregnancy, replenishment of calcium and vitamin D, the reserves of which are depleted by the growth of the fetus, is often helpful.
Cancers are treated:
- radiotherapy;
- chemotherapy;
- bone marrow transplant.
In the case of degenerative changes in the joints, we most often start with conservative methods.
Medicine
The following types of medications are used to treat hip osteoarthritis:
- Anti-inflammatory.To relieve inflammatory processes, in most cases it is necessary to eliminate the cause of inflammation.But in addition to this, local ointments are used.
- Hormonal anti-inflammatory.
- Chondoprotectors.They are designed to accelerate the regeneration of interarticular fluid and hyaline cartilage.
- Painkillers.Anti-inflammatory ointments almost always contain pain relievers, but with severe pain they may not help.More powerful medications are then prescribed.This is not done to cure a person, but so that he does not suffer from severe pain and does not gain strength.
Basically, drugs are used in combination.
Functioning
In advanced stages of hip osteoarthritis, when the layer between the bones is virtually absent and the person can no longer walk, surgery may be necessary.During which the following manipulations will be carried out:
- replacement of parts of the articular or cartilaginous layer;
- removal of tumors;
- fusion of bones.
The following treatment methods are often used as an addition to drug treatment or during rehabilitation after surgery:
- Therapeutic exercise.Both its classic version and the author's class system.
- Physiotherapy.Mud baths, electrical drug delivery and laser exposure.
- Massage.With its help, blood circulation is improved and lymph is dispersed.But massage can cause inflammation.
All physical effects are aimed at improving blood circulation, after which healing will be faster.But at first, it may seem like your health is only getting worse.
Course
The author's method of exercise therapy is gaining popularity.Basically, it is the same physical therapy, whose exercises are based on the mobilization of the body's own resources, in addition to physical resources, also at the psychological level.
Interesting!The author of the technique is convinced that the patient must believe that his bones do not hurt, because they cannot hurt - the muscles hurt and they can be restored through exercise.
All simulators used for training using this system were developed by the author himself.
Before treating joints with exercises, you should know that the following points are contraindications to degenerative changes in the pelvis:
- sharp pain;
- oncology;
- pre-infarction and post-infarction status;
- high temperature;
- postoperative rehabilitation;
- inflammatory processes;
- significant excess weight.
There are several other unproven techniques that are used to treat conditions causing hip pain:
- hirudotherapy;
- osteopathy;
- traditional methods;
- ozone therapy;
- acupuncture;
- Su-jok therapy.
It is possible that they helped many people, but relying solely on such methods is dangerous, because time is often wasted, which is priceless in such a matter.