In the vast majority of cases, pain in the hip joint is associated with degeneration of the synovial cartilaginous layer and the development of deforming arthrosis. But this is if we are talking about patients over 45 years old. But at a younger age, completely different pathological processes can cause the appearance of such a clinical symptom. And very often they are directly related to the defeat of the lumbosacral spine and lumbago syndrome. Most of them are complications of long-term osteochondrosis without proper treatment.
Pain in the hip joint is a signal that the position of the femoral head in the articular acetabulum is disturbed. This joint is one of the most loaded. It takes into account the maximum damping load both during walking and running, and when a person is standing and sitting.
The head of the femur, like the acetabulum of the ilium, is lined with a cartilaginous synovial layer. Inside the joint capsule is the synovial fluid. When compressed, cartilage tissue secretes synovial fluid, and when straightened, it absorbs back. Thus, the simultaneous distribution of the damping load and the protection of the bone tissue from damage and cracks are achieved.
Synovial fluid is produced during the work of the muscles surrounding the joint. It enters the joint capsule by diffuse exchange. Maintaining a sufficient level and optimal viscosity of synovial fluid is key to the longevity and health of the hip joint.
Unfortunately, the sedentary lifestyle, malnutrition, traumatic effects, excess weight and other risk factors lead to the fact that the synovial fluid becomes small or loses its physiological properties. This begins the process of destruction of the cartilaginous synovial layer.
Bone tissues are destroyed and begin to be covered with deposits of calcium salts - osteophytes. The joint loses its mobility. Ankylosis and contracture are formed. In the later stages of coxarthrosis, only hip replacement surgery can help the patient. This is the most dangerous disease that can lead to disability in adulthood. In the early stages, it can be successfully treated with manual therapy methods.
At a young age, pain in the hip joint when walking may be due to traumatic injury to the ligamentous and tendon apparatus. If a person has even minor problems with the lumbosacral spine, he does not have an even distribution of the damping load. As a result, there is a high mechanical load on the ligaments and tendons. They are subject to periodic microscopic lesions. In these places, scarring deformities form and gradually begin to exert a squeezing effect on adjacent nerve fibers. This provokes the appearance of pain.
In middle age, pain in the hip joint can also be associated with damage to the lumbosacral spine. But in this case, the likelihood of a violation of blood microcirculation increases. The defeat of the root nerves and the lumbosacral nerve plexus leads to the fact that the tone of the muscular wall of blood circulation is disturbed. As a result, the tissues around the hip joint, like other parts of the lower extremities, do not receive sufficient nutrition. Ischemic processes begin.
With a prolonged combined load on the hip joint against the background of an ischemic process, there is a risk of developing aseptic necrosis of bone tissue. This is a very dangerous disease, which, if treated late, can lead to disability in adulthood. A person loses his ability to work, needs surgery and long-term rehabilitation.
We strongly recommend that in case of discomfort in the hip joint, you contact an orthopedist as soon as possible. He will appoint, if necessary, a consultation with a vertebrologist, neurologist or angiosurgeon.
Causes of severe pain and stiffness in the hip joint
Some of the potential causes of severe hip pain have already been mentioned above. However, this is not a complete list of factors that negatively affect the condition of the hip joint.
Severe pain in the hip joint may appear as a result of a traumatic effect - that is:
- hip fracture is a serious injury that most often requires surgery to restore integrity;
- fissure of the ilium of the hip or femur;
- dislocation or subluxation with stretching of the joint capsule, accumulation of capillary blood and the subsequent process of development of hemarthrosis;
- rupture of the joint capsule;
- violation of the integrity of the articular bags (strawberries);
- stretching and ruptures of ligament and tendon fibers, including with the subsequent process of scar deformation.
Aching pain in the hip joint can be the result of dystrophic processes. They can affect both the external soft tissues and the cartilaginous synovial membranes inside the joint of the bones. Violation of the tone of the vascular wall against the background of lumbosacral osteochondrosis is the most common cause of tissue destruction in the hip joints. If we add to this the negative impact of the forced curvature of the spine due to the muscle fiber tension syndrome, it becomes clear that the pathology of the cartilaginous intervertebral discs can lead to disability due to the destruction of the jointof the hip.
Note that pain and stiffness in the hip joint can be signs of developing ankylosis. This disease can be post-traumatic or rheumatoid. In the first case, the contracture first develops, then the amplitude of mobility is reduced to complete immobility. Rheumatic lesions are the articular form of ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polyarthritis, etc.
Potential causes of pain in the hip joint are diseases of the musculoskeletal system. They develop under the influence of the following risk factors:
- overweight and obesity (each additional kilogram of weight exerts a huge load on all joints and the spine, causes their accelerated destruction);
- maintain a sedentary lifestyle with insufficient physical activity and sedentary work - the process of blood supply to the tissues of the hip joint is disturbed, the efficiency of synovial fluid decreases, and the process of disintegration of protective cartilage tissuesbegin;
- smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages - changes biochemical processes, causes a sharp spasm of capillary blood circulation;
- heavy physical labor and lifting extreme weights without prior training;
- incorrect installation of the foot in the form of flat feet or club foot;
- the wrong choice of shoes for everyday life and physical education;
- violation of the rules of ergonomics when arranging your sleeping and working place.
All of these risk factors should be ruled out. An experienced doctor during the initial collection of anamnesis data will try to identify all the causes and suspected negative influencing factors. Then he will give the patient individual recommendations, compliance with which will eliminate the risk of recurrence of the identified disease in the future. Therefore, be sure to follow all your doctor's recommendations.
Which doctor should I contact for pain in the hip joint?
The answer to the question of which doctor treats hip pain largely depends on the circumstances under which such a clinical symptom arose. For example, if you fell, slipped or were involved in an accident, you should first contact a traumatologist. This doctor will exclude the possibility of a violation of the integrity of the tissues. If necessary, will provide all necessary assistance.
Then, for a complete rehabilitation, it is recommended to contact a chiropractor. He will develop a course of therapeutic exercises that will fully restore the working capacity of the muscular frame of the body after forced immobilization. This will prevent the risk of developing deforming arthrosis and other serious degenerative pathologies in the future.
If the pain in the hip joint bothers you all the time, which doctor should you consult? We strongly recommend that you find a manual therapy clinic near where you live. Usually there are doctors with extensive experience in working with these patients.
Unfortunately, in most city clinics it is either impossible to get an appointment with an orthopedist, or this specialist deals exclusively with the symptomatic treatment of the identified pathology. Those. approaches the solution of the patient's problem exclusively formally.
With long-term pain, it is very important to exclude the possibility of destruction of the lumbosacral spine. Therefore, in addition to seeing an orthopedist, you may also need to see a vertebrologist or neurologist. As a rule, doctors of this profile successfully practice in clinics specializing in manual therapy.
Treat hip pain
Treatment for hip pain can only be started after an accurate diagnosis. This is a clinical symptom of various pathologies. And the right treatment must take into account their causes.
For example, if the destruction of the cartilage layer inside the joint is caused by muscle weakness against a background of insufficient innervation due to the destruction of the intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral spine, the course of treatmentcan be approximately the following:
- firstly, with the help of manual traction of the spine, it makes sense to restore the normal position of the vertebral bodies and eliminate the compressive pressure of the cartilaginous tissues and root nerves;
- then, with the help of massage, the doctor can eliminate the syndrome of excessive muscle fiber tension and improve the elasticity of all soft tissues, speed up the process of their blood supply;
- osteopathic influence triggers the disturbed process of blood microcirculation, lymphatic and intercellular fluid, which has a positive effect on tissue trophism, the elimination of infiltrating edema of the soft tissues surrounding the joint;
- physiotherapy accelerates metabolic processes, eliminates decay products, improves the synthesis of new cells, etc. ;
- laser exposure stimulates repair processes;
- reflexology has a stimulating effect due to the fact that it affects the biologically active points of the human body;
- therapeutic gymnastics in combination with physiotherapy develops the muscular framework of the human body, triggers the processes of disruption of the trophism of cartilaginous tissues inside the joints and in the area of the affected cartilaginous intervertebral discs.
The treatment for hip pain is always developed individually. Do not rush to take drugs without a doctor's prescription. Most of them may be completely useless in your case. The second part of pharmacological agents can significantly accelerate the process of tissue breakdown inside the hip joints.
If you have unpleasant sensations at this joint of the bones, do not tolerate them in any case. Make an appointment with the specialist who will be available. Ask for an X-ray of the joint, if necessary, an MRI examination. For treatment, look for a manual therapy clinic in your area.