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Rheumatoid Arthritis & Hip Pain

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develops when the body's immune system attacks a joint. This results in severe pain and inflammation in the targeted joint, which can include the hip joint.

  1. Anatomy of the Hip

    • Arthritis in the hip can develop from infection or changes in your blood supply. When this happens, the muscles and tendons no longer glide smoothly, lubrication lessens and pain occurs in the hip joint.

    Referred Pain

    • If you have arthritis in the hip, you may feel the pain in your thigh or knee instead of in your hip.

    What Provokes Pain

    • Pain may occur when you walk or stand because there is a specific problem with the hip joint or when you are moving around. The pain occurring from movement may be caused by infection, muscle injury or inflammation.

    Morning Pain

    • If your hip pain is worse in the morning but improves later in the day, this may be an indication that you have RA, osteoarthritis or lupus.

    Trochanteric Bursitis

    • If you have RA and are suffering from hip pain you may have another condition called trochanteric bursitis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This condition consists of the inflammation of the fluid-filled sac or the bursa that is near a joint and at the outside point of the greater trochanter or the hip. When the bursa becomes inflamed and irritated, it causes pain.

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