
Burning hip pain causes a lot of discomfort to the person suffering from it as the person’s normal body movements get affected by it. This article highlights various aspects of this condition.
The hip joint connects the legs to the torso. Its structure is such that when it gets injured or is affected by some diseases, it can give rise to burning hip pain. Sometimes, problems of other part of the body may give severe pain in the hip region. For instance, back problems are often responsible for causing this kind of pain. In severe cases, it may get extended to the groin and the thigh area. It is often accompanied by symptoms, like stiffness, numbness, and swelling of the joint.
Causes
The causes are mostly related to the soft tissues of the hip area or the bones forming the hip joint. The most commonly found causes are as follows:
Bursitis
Bursae are a kind of fluid filled sacs located at the large joints of our body like the hip. They help to keep the spaces in between the tendons, muscles, and bones present in the joint in a lubricated state to ensure smooth movement of the joint. If these bursae get inflammation for some reason, then the condition is known as bursitis. It mostly occurs because of trauma to the local soft tissues or muscles strain. It can be felt after walking long distances, climbing stairs or hills, etc. One may also experience it when sitting for a long time on a hard surface.
Stress Fractures
This occurs due to exertion of pressure on the hip joint repeatedly. As a result, the hip bone may get fractured. The elderly are susceptible to this kind of fracture because of degeneration of the joints with age. This is not a very common problem among younger people but sometimes, runners may suffer from this kind of fracture.
Arthritis
Various forms of arthritis can be responsible for this kind of sensation. Osteoarthritis is one of them where the cartilage of the hip joint is worn out and the hip bones get rubbed against each other. This will result in severe pain at night after the hip joint is being used excessively. If the arthritic hip joint gets infected, then one can experience a similar sensation.
Avascular Necrosis
This is caused when the supply of blood to the hip bone joint may get disrupted. As a result, the affected bone tissue tends to become weak and may collapse partially or completely. For this reason, one may experience pain. Prolonged use of cortisone injection, sickle cell anemia, organ transplantation, etc., are some of the major reasons responsible for avascular necrosis.
Other Causes
The sciatic nerve extends from the back to the legs through the piriformis muscle in the buttock. If the sciatic nerve gets inflammation or irritation, then it can lead to burning pain at the back of the hip. Hip dysplasia is a developmental problem that can give distorted hip joints and inflammation of the tendons in the hip joint.
Treatment
The first thing that needs to be done is to take adequate amount of rest. Lying down on a firm surface helps in easing off the pressure from the hip region. Application of ice pack can have a soothing effect. If the pain persists for more than 2-3 days, then the doctor needs to be consulted. The exact underlying cause is identified with the help of physical examination of the patient and laboratory tests, like X-rays, MRI, or CT scan.
Pain killers are prescribed to relieve the pain, but if it is more severe, then cortisone injections are administered. After the pain subsides, physical therapy and hip stretching exercises helps in strengthening of the hip joint and ensure better recovery. In some severe cases, surgery may be required to release pressure from an affected nerve or to repair a damage caused by a fracture or severe form of arthritis.
Excessive weight gain and lack of exercise in the daily schedule put a lot of unwanted stress on the hip, which results in this condition. So, it can be prevented to a great extent by maintaining a healthy body weight and doing regular physical exercises that can make the muscles of the hip area flexible.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.