| The hip is a "ball-and-socket" joint. The largest bone | | | | located, it can often be troublesome to locate the |
| in the body, the femur, is in the thigh and narrows to | | | | exact source of pain in these regions. |
| a "neck" that angles into the pelvis and ends in a | | | | Listen for the pain message and try to avoid |
| ball-shaped knob. This ball fits into a curved socket in | | | | activities that are painful or that aggravate pain. You |
| the pelvic bone (acetabulum). This arrangement | | | | will want to avoid pain medication as much as |
| provides a joint that can move freely in all directions. | | | | possible. Rest the joint from painful activities. Use a |
| The joint itself is located rather deep under some big | | | | cane or crutches if necessary. The cane is usually |
| muscles so that it is protected from dislocating - that | | | | best held in the hand opposite the painful hip since |
| is, from coming out of the socket. | | | | this allows greater relaxation in the large muscles |
| Two special problems arise because of this | | | | around the sore hip joint. Move the cane and the |
| anatomical arrangement. The narrow neck of the | | | | affected side simultaneously, then the good side. |
| femur can break rather easily, and this is usually what | | | | As the pain begins to resolve exercise should be |
| happens when an older person "breaks a hip" after a | | | | gradually introduced. First, use gentle motion |
| slight fall. Also, the "ball" part of the joint must get its | | | | exercises to free the hip and prevent stiffness. |
| blood supply from below, and the small artery that | | | | Stand with your good hip by a table and lean on the |
| supplies the head of the femur can become clogged, | | | | table with your hand. Let the bad hip swing to and |
| leading to death of the bone and a kind of arthritis | | | | fro and front and back. Lie on your back with your |
| called aseptic necrosis. | | | | body half off the bed and the bad hip hanging and let |
| The hip joint can also become infected. Very | | | | the leg stretch backward toward the floor. Standing, |
| occasionally it will be the site for an attack of gout. | | | | see how far apart you can straddle your legs and |
| The bursae that lie over the joint can be inflamed | | | | bend the upper body from side to side. With your |
| with bursitis. Rheumatoid arthritis can injure the joint. | | | | feet together, try to turn your feet apart like a duck |
| Conditions such as spondylitis can cause stiffness or | | | | so that the rotation ligaments are stretched. Repeat |
| loss of motion of the hip. | | | | these exercises gently two or three times a day. |
| A "flexion contracture" is a common consequence of | | | | Then introduce more active exercises to strengthen |
| hip problems. This means that motion of the hip joint | | | | the muscles around the hips. Lie on your back and |
| has been partly lost. The hip becomes partially fixed | | | | raise your legs one at a time. Bicycle or walk. When |
| in a slightly bent position. This causes the pelvis to tilt | | | | walking, start with short strides and gradually |
| forward when you walk or stand, so that when you | | | | lengthen them as you loosen up. Gradually increase |
| stand straight the back has to curve a little more | | | | your effort and distance, but not by more than 10% |
| than normal. This allows extra strain on the low back | | | | each day. Swimming stretches muscles and builds |
| area. | | | | good muscle tone. |
| For poorly understood reasons, pain in the hip is | | | | A good firm bed will help, and the best sleeping |
| often felt down the leg, often at or just above the | | | | position is on your back. Avoid pillows beneath the |
| knee. This is called "referred" pain. Non-referred hip | | | | knees or under the low back. Make sure you are |
| pain may be felt in the groin or the upper outer thigh. | | | | taking anti-inflammatory medication as prescribed, |
| Pain that starts in the low back is often felt in the | | | | especially if you have rheumatoid arthritis or |
| region of the hip. Since the hip joint is so deeply | | | | spondylitis. |