Three Common Sources of Hip Pain

Hip pain can present in many ways. In this blog we will discuss some of the common problems we see here at LSTC!

Osteoarthritis: wearing of the joint surfaces (cartilage) of the hip joint
- Mechanism of Injury:
  - Wear and Tear
  - Prior trauma
  - FAI: see below
- Symptoms:
  - Pain worse with prolonged positioning (e.g. sitting for a long period of time
  - Pain worse in the morning: typically resolves within 5-10 minutes of movement
  - Pain worse with cold weather
  - Decreased mobility
  - Difficulty walking
  - Groin, buttock, or knee pain
Femoracetabular Impingement (FAI): excess contact between the acetabulum (hip socket) and proximal femur (top of the hip bone) because of how the bones are shaped/sized
- Mechanism of Injury:
  - Cam-type impingement: the hip bone is too big near the top (at the femoral neck)
    - More common in biological men
  - Pincer-type impingement: the socket (acetabulum) is too big
    - More common in biological women
  - Repetitive stress: certain activities will place increased stress on bones. The way the body responds to increased stress is by laying down more bone in those areas. This extra bone can result in increased contact between the joint surfaces
- Symptoms:
  - Anterior hip/groin pain
  - Buttock pain
  - Catching, Giving-way sensations, popping, locking
  - Pain with sitting, squatting, stair navigation
  - Pain with acceleration in sports
  - Decreased available motion
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome: resultant of gluteal tendon damage or bursa (fluid filled sac) inflammation
- Mechanism of Injury:
  - Sedentary Nature
  - Improper athletic training: lack of gradual progression
  - Repetitive Activity
- Symptoms:
  - Lateral hip pain
  - Pain lying on the affected side
  - Pain with prolonged sitting and/or sitting with legs crossed
  - Pain with walking, stair navigation, standing, running

Why Physical Therapy, Why NOW?!

No pain, no gain is not “a thing”
Find out the cause of Your pain
- People don’t often fit into a single “bubble” of what is causing pain
Personalized Care
Increased Strength
Increased Mobility
Reduced/Absent Pain
Improved Body-Awareness
Education regarding your condition and how to manage it

A Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) will evaluate your individual body structure and function, determine which of these factors AND more could be contributing to your pain experience. While the pain or limitations you feel are at your hip, the evaluating doctor can determine where and what is causing your pain (even if it’s coming from another region, like your low back or pelvis). If the condition proves to require further medical testing, the evaluating therapist will be able to determine that and direct you accordingly.

References

Reynolds, Gretchen. “Person Running.” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 14 Dec. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/well/move/running-as-the-thinking-persons-sport.html.

St. Tereiza Physical Therapy and Rehab, St. Tereiza Physical Therapy and Rehab, 2020, sttereizaptandrehab.com/services/hip-replacement/.