Chronic hip pain can be debilitating for some people. Your hips are designed for fluid movement in walking, running, and other movements of the lower body. When you have chronic hip pain, it makes all of those movements more difficult and painful. It is important to address chronic pain to discover its cause and treat the problem at hand. Here are three common reasons for chronic hip pain that you should talk to your doctor about.
Arthritis
One of the most common reasons for chronic hip pain is arthritis. There are many different types of arthritis, but the most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis causes a weakening of joints and is most often caused by a combination of age, overuse of the joint, and/or a lack of calcium. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks the cartilage of the joints as though it were a foreign body. With any type of arthritis, the cartilage of the joint deteriorates, causing pain and mobility issues. There are several available treatments for arthritis of the hip, depending on the type of arthritis diagnosed.
Bursitis
Every joint in the body contains bursae, which are sacks of fluid that ease friction from tissues such as bone and tendons from rubbing together. These bursae can become inflamed, causing pain, discomfort, and difficulty moving freely. Bursitis is usually the result of overworking or overusing a joint in a repetitive manner.
Tendonitis
The hip joint is held together by tendons. These tendons attach the bones and muscles of the hip together so that the joint can move as a cohesive unit. Tendons can become stretched or inflamed through repetitive use of the joint, overworking of the joint, or injury. Most cases of tendonitis can be healed by resting the joint, but some cases of tendonitis may require additional treatment.
If you have one of these or other reasons for chronic hip pain, or if you aren’t sure what is causing your pain, contact us today for more information or to schedule your appointment.