Self Care Articles

Is this your symptom?

• Pain in the hip
• Includes minor muscle strains from too much standing, walking or sports (overuse)
• If pain is caused by an injury, see Hip Injury care guide

Causes of Hip Pain

• Muscle Overuse (strained muscles). Hip pain is often from hard muscle work or sports. Examples are too much walking or running. This type of pain can last from hours up to 7 days.
• Trapped Nerves. The nerves in the back can become trapped or squeezed where they pass through narrow spaces as they leave the spine. Sciatica is from pressure on a nerve in the back. It causes tingling, weakness or pain in the leg which may go into the hip (and down to the toes). If symptoms do not go away with rest or treatment, surgery may be needed to release the nerve.
• Viral Illness. Mild muscle aches in both legs also occur with many viral illnesses, such as flu.
• Shingles. The zoster virus can cause leg pain making the skin very sensitive or painful before a rash (shingles rash) appears.
• Septic Arthritis (serious). This is a bacterial infection of a joint space. Main symptoms are fever and severe pain when you move the joint. It may not be possible to move the joint at all. This needs care right away.
• Bursitis. Many joints are covered by fluid-filled sacs called bursas. They help the joint move smoothly. These bursa can get inflamed or infected, causing pain and swelling. The area may look red and feel warm to touch. See your doctor right away if you have these symptoms.
• Tendinitis. Inflammation of tendons where they attach to the bone, caused by overuse. This causes tenderness in the area and pain when the limb is moved or used. Often needs a long period of rest from the activity that caused it. Physical therapy (PT) and/or a steroid shot may be needed to reduce the pain.
• Joint Inflammation. Examples are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and gout. The hip is often affected by osteoarthritis, from wear and tear on the joint. Inflammation like gout may affect just one joint. Others affect multiple joints at the same time. Early treatment may help prevent long-term damage to the joints involved.
• More serious causes of hip pain:
  • Bone cancer or bone infection (osteomyelitis). Fractures can happen during normal activity without there being an injury. Do not ignore ongoing leg pain.
  • Referred pain. Pain is sometimes felt in the hip when there is not actually a problem with the hip itself. This is called referred pain. It may arise from the back or could be from a problem in the knee.

Pain Scale

• Mild: you feel some pain, but it does not keep you from any normal activities. Work, activities and sleep are not changed.
• Moderate: the pain keeps you from doing some normal activities. It may wake you up from sleep.
• Severe: the pain is very bad. It keeps you from doing all normal activities.