When the hip joint hurts, the doubts about what to do and how to treat the disease are the most exciting.The hip joint is one of the most important and loaded 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 where the pain in the hip joints occurs.This can happen at the following points:
- during dawn;
- during physical activity, when running;
- during normal walking;
- in a motionless state.
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.This gets to the point that the patient until the last minute thinks he has pain in his leg or knee and does not even suspect that the origin of the pain is in the hip.
The nature of hip joint pain can also vary.The following types of hip pain occur:
- sore;
- periodic acute;
- sudden 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 are as follows:
- sharp pain;
- edema;
- restriction of movement;
- visual deformation;
- inability to turn the foot outward.
An injury is a dislocation, fracture or bruise.
Coxarthrosis
This is arthrosis of the hip joint, a degenerative change in cartilage and bone tissue.Signs of Coxarthrosis are as follows:
- crisis;
- stiffness in movements;
- sharp painful and periodic pain;
- increased pain in bad weather and at night;
- deformation;
- swelling.
Most often, elderly people face this.
Trochanteric bursa bursitis
The trochanteric bursa or bursa contains synovial fluid and its inflammation is called bursitis.The source of the pain is usually felt in the buttocks.The pain intensifies if you lie on the damaged joint.Exacerbations occur at night.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
This 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 are as follows:
- high temperature;
- blisters, ulcers on mucous membranes and skin;
- muscle weakness;
- pain in joints and muscles.
There may be one symptom or all at once.But it usually starts with one and then the rest come together.
Arthritis
In general terms, it is an inflammation of the hip joint.The cause may be the partial or complete absence of the cartilage layer that absorbs shocks between the bones or an infection.Symptoms other than pain include:
- local increase in temperature of the painful area;
- edema;
- sharp pain when moving.
Arthritis can be primary or secondary infectious, resulting from injury or osteoarthritis.
Symphysitis of pregnant women
The pregnant woman's body prepares for childbirth, the bones gradually move apart in the symphysis region.The disease is only possible during pregnancy and more often in the 2nd or 3rd trimester.The symptoms are as follows:
- pain in the pubic bone;
- swelling in the affected area;
- severe pain when walking;
This often gives the woman sharp pain when moving and changing positions.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 very quickly and affects young people more as they move more actively.
Oncology
Unfortunately, something starts to hurt due to neoplasms already in the last stages.The initial stages are almost asymptomatic.But once the pain occurs, it cannot be relieved with ordinary painkillers.Risk factors for developing sarcoma or myeloma are trauma and prolonged inflammation.The pain may be accompanied by swelling and fever.
Fact!The pain may subside for a while and return with renewed vigor.The severity of hip joint pain 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 could be something else.
Diagnosis
With hip pain, the best thing to do is contact a general practitioner or 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;
- radiography;
- osteoscintigraphy in case of oncological suspicion;
- MRI exam.
After the diagnosis, the doctor will begin treating the pain in the hip joint himself or will refer you to a more specialized specialist if the specific case is not within his competence.
Several specialists treat conditions that cause hip pain:
- neurologist;
- orthopedist;
- allergist;
- oncologist.
When the causes are known, the answers to questions when choosing treatment are on the surface.
Treatment
When the hip joint hurts, several treatments may be necessary and this directly depends on the diagnosis.
In case 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 a plaster or knitting needles.After that, medications are prescribed that promote rapid regeneration and complete rest.
With symphysitis during pregnancy, replacement of calcium and vitamin D, the reserves of which are depleted by the growing fetus, usually helps.
Cancers are treated:
- radiotherapy;
- chemotherapy;
- bone marrow transplant.
In cases of degenerative changes in the joints, they most often begin with conservative methods.
Medication
The following types of medications are used to treat coxarthrosis:
- Anti-inflammatory.To alleviate inflammatory processes, in most cases it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the inflammation.But in addition, 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 painkillers, but for severe pain they may not help.Then stronger medications are prescribed.This is not done to cure a person, but so that he does not suffer severe pain and gains strength.
Basically, medications are used in combination.
Operation
In the advanced stages of coxarthrosis, when the layer between the bones is practically absent and the person can no longer walk, surgical intervention may be necessary.During which the following manipulations will be carried out:
- replacement of parts of the articular or cartilaginous layer;
- tumor removal;
- fusion of bones.
The following treatment methods are often used as a complement to drug treatment or during rehabilitation after surgery:
- Therapeutic exercise.Both its classic version and the author's class system.
- Physiotherapy.Mud baths, administration of medicines through electricity and laser exposure.
- Massage.With its help, blood circulation improves 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.
Classes
The author's exercise therapy method is gaining more and more popularity.Basically, it is the same physiotherapy, whose exercises are based on mobilizing the body's own resources, in addition to the physical ones, also on a psychological level.
Interesting!The author of the technique is convinced that the patient must believe that his bones do not hurt, as they cannot hurt - muscles hurt and can be restored with exercise.
All simulators used to train using this system were developed by the author himself.
Before treating joints with exercise, you need to know that the following points are contraindications for 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 used to treat conditions that cause hip pain:
- hirudotherapy;
- osteopathy;
- traditional methods;
- ozone therapy;
- acupuncture;
- Su-jok therapy.
It is possible that they helped many, but relying solely on these methods is dangerous, as time is often wasted, which is priceless in this matter.