A large number of muscles, tendons and ligaments support the hip and provide strength and stability. Muscle tendons attached to the thigh and pelvis control hip movement. Small fluid-filled sacs, called bursae are located between bones and tendons to decrease friction and allow for smooth movement.
Hip pain can present inside the hip joint, as well as in your buttock, lower back, thigh, groin or knee. You may experience weakness or limited range of motion.
Location of the pain can often be an indicator of the cause. Often if the problem is with the hip itself you will feel pain inside your hip or your groin. If the pain is outside your hip, on the upper thigh or outer buttock, the cause will usually be problems with muscles, ligaments or tendons around the hip joint.
Sometimes pain can refer to your hips from other parts of your body.
What causes hip pain?
Common causes of hip pain include:
- Injury: Injuries to the hip are usually due to overuse, repetitive movements, tightness or imbalance in the muscles that places high stress on a muscle group or tendon. If the gluteal muscles and iliotibial (IT) band are too tight, they pull at the thighbone where they attach, causing pain on the side.
- Overuse, repetitive movements can commonly affect and irritate the IT band, which is a long band of connective tissue that runs from the knee to the hip. It merges with the gluteal muscles to stabilize the leg.
- Injuries can include hip strain, when one of the muscles or tendons supporting the hip joint is stretched beyond its limit or torn. It can happen during everyday activities, but most often during exercise and due to overuse and repetitive movements.
- Inflammation of the tendons that connect the gluteal muscles in your buttocks to the hip bone can also occur, often from overuse.
Treatment for hip pain
Many hip strains will improve with simple home treatment. Mild strains can be treated with the RICE protocol.
- Rest- Avoid activities that put weight on the hip for the first few days after the injury.
- Ice- Apply ice immediately after the injury to keep the swelling down. Use cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Don’t apply directly on the skin.
- Compression- To prevent additional swelling, lightly wrap the area in a soft bandage or wear compression shorts.
- Elevation- As often as possible, rest with your leg raised up higher than your heart.
- Anti-inflammatory medications or creams may aid in reducing swelling and relieve pain.
- Strengthening of the muscles at the hip and stretching. A doctor or physiotherapist will be able to advise on suitable ones for your specific hip condition.
- Massage to ease tight tissues.
- Avoid habits that can tighten muscles and add to pain at the side of the hip, such as crossing your legs or sitting too long.
Can hip pain be prevented?
One of the best ways to reduce pain is to exercise to condition your muscles. Low impact activities are best to protect the hips.
- Warm up before any exercise to give your body time to adjust to the demands of exercise. It increases your range of motion and reduces stiffness.
- Take time to cool down after exercise by stretching, holding each stretch to give your muscle time to respond and lengthen.
- Take the time to let your muscle heal before you return to sports.
Where to seek help
You can seek advice from your GP, especially if there has been no improvement with home treatments. They can diagnose by discussing the pain with you, examining you, checking your movements and may perform other examinations.
They may be able to tailor an exercise program specific to the cause of hip pain or refer you to a physiotherapist or other specialist for further advice and treatment if needed.
Blackmores Health Hub provides a range of relevant articles and their online naturopath service can assist with products your healthcare service providers may recommend to assist with your condition.