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Types of Hip Problems

The human hip is a relatively strong ball-and-socket joint that connects the core of your body to your legs. Despite its strength, certain diseases, age and traumatic injury can all damage the hip joint and bone. Hip injuries are especially debilitating because so much of the body's movement intersects with the hip joint. Overcoming a hip problem depends greatly on the causes, health and age of the patient, which is why the issue often requires specialized assessment by an orthopedist.

  1. Hip Strains

    • Hip strains occur when the tendons or muscles surrounding the hip joint are stretched, overused or sustain a direct hit. The muscles or tendon fibers tear or strain, causing anything from mild discomfort to excruciating pain. Hip strains typically appear among athletes and manual laborers who push their bodies beyond its natural limits. Ice and rest can help heal a strained muscle, but resuming your normal activity too early can lead to additional injuries of the hip.

    Hip Bursitis

    • The bursa is a small jelly-like sac that cushions joints throughout the body preventing grinding friction between bone and joint. Bursitis is the irritation or inflammation of these fluid sacs, causing acute pain followed by a general aching throughout the hip joint. Those most susceptible to bursitis include individuals of middle and older age who regularly engage in repetitive motions such as stair climbing or running. An unbalanced stress on one hip, such as always laying on one side, or having legs of different lengths can also exacerbate the inflammation, as can rheumatoid arthritis. Due to the many different causes of bursitis, you should discuss recovery options with your local physician.

    Hip Dislocation

    • Hip dislocation occurs when force, such as a car accident or falling, pushes your femur out of the connecting position with the hip joint. A dislocated hip appears unaligned and disfigured, in addition to causing intense pain and possible nerve damage. If there are no other health conditions, a surgeon can often administer anesthesia and manipulate the joint back into place before prescribing rehabilitation therapy. For older patients, the accident responsible for dislocating the hip often results in other injuries such fractures or broken bones.

    Hip Bone Fracturing

    • Hip bones fracture or break from trauma or age-related weakness. Even a minor fracture can be very painful anytime you try moving your hip or shifting your stance. Depending on the severity of the fracture or break, your doctor may recommend lots of rest, physical therapy or even surgery to physically reattach the pieces of bone together with screws. Hip bone breaks and fractures appear most often among the elderly or those suffering from osteoporosis. Other vulnerable individuals include anyone who engages in intense contact sports such as rugby or football.

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