Hip Pain
You always been healthy, never missing a day’s work. So you weren’t going to let a little nagging pain and stiffness get in your way. Until that day when you couldn’t get out of the car.
At the top of your thigh-bone, a rounded ‘ball’ sits in a ‘socket’ called the acetabulum. Both ball and socket are lined with smooth cartilage, but this can be worn down beyond the body’s ability to repair. Eventually bone grates on bone. Severe pain, deformity and immobility may result.
Osteoarthritis is one of the common causes of hip pain and in severe cases can require surgical hip replacement. The elderly are most at risk, but younger people can develop it too. Pain may be felt in the groin, front of the thigh and even the knee.
Though walking worsens the pain, you may be surprised to learn that exercise is extremely important. This is because strengthening the muscles actually protect the joint and helps preserve mobility. In all cases of hip pain, correct diagnosis is vital. Sometimes what appears to be a hip problem may actually originate in the spine or elsewhere. Also, be aware that ANY case of severe hip pain or inability to move after an accident requires emergency care.
Hairline breaks in the neck of the femur bone (stress fractures), cartilage tears such as that of the labrum (lining of the hip socket), and injuries to the hamstring muscles and tendons at the back of the thigh can occur. Therefore, hip problems can be an occupational hazard for many athletes, especially runners and those undergoing military-style training regimes.
A fluid sac, or bursa, cushioning the joint may become inflamed too, causing pain in the hip. However, this is more common in older people. Many of these conditions can be helped by physical therapy, acupuncture and other non-surgical treatments. So if you’re hobbling from hip pain and you live near County Meath, don’t delay – contact Pain Remedial Clinic today!
