| The hip is a ball-and-socket joint, surrounded by large | | | | lordosis. |
| muscles. The ball, the round head of the femur (thigh | | | | Bursitis in the hip usually involves the hip socket and |
| bone), is set deeply in the acetabulum, a deep socket | | | | causes tenderness, pain, and swelling on the outer |
| or cavity in the pelvis. The joint is very stable. The | | | | part of the hip where some of the large buttock |
| majority of long-term hip problems are associated | | | | muscles attach. Bursitis in the hip can cause pain that |
| with aging, disease (such as arthritis) and fractures. | | | | spreads to the buttocks and down as far as the |
| But pain in the hip and thigh also can be caused by | | | | knee. Bursitis in the hip can be caused by activities |
| injury to muscles, tendons or bursas, usually from a | | | | such as speed-walking, aerobic dance, or carrying a |
| fall, a blow or overuse. | | | | baby on your hip. It also can be caused by conditions |
| Hip pain in athletes involves a wide differential | | | | that alter the normal tilt of the pelvis, such as having |
| diagnosis. Adolescents and young adults are at | | | | one leg shorter than the other. |
| particular risk for various apophyseal and epiphyseal | | | | As the pain improves, gradually begin to exercise. It is |
| injuries due to lack of ossification of these | | | | best to work with a physical therapist to learn proper |
| cartilaginous growth plates. Older athletes are more | | | | exercises and how to advance your activity. |
| likely to present with tendinitis in these areas because | | | | Swimming may be a good option because it |
| their growth plates have closed. Several bursae in the | | | | stretches the muscles and builds good muscle tone |
| hip area are prone to inflammation. The trochanteric | | | | without straining your hip joint. However, swimming |
| bursa is the most commonly injured, and the lesion is | | | | does not build bone mass. When you are ready (a |
| easily identified by palpation of the area. | | | | physical therapist can help determine that), slowly and |
| Quadricep, hamstring, and Iliotibial band injuries can be | | | | carefully resume walking or another activity against |
| quite painful. However, there are several ways to | | | | the resistance of gravity. |
| help stablize muscular pulls. Compression braces can | | | | A hip fracture can change the quality of your life |
| help provide stabilization to the torn muscle fibers and | | | | significantly. Fewer than 50% of those with a hip |
| improve the ability to walk or help protect from | | | | fracture return to their former level of activity. In |
| futher injury. Ice packs and cold wraps help reduce | | | | addition, while recovering from a hip fracture, several |
| pain and inflammation, and pain relief gels can provide | | | | possible complications can be life-threatening. These |
| temporary relief of painful symptoms. Many athletes | | | | include pneumonia and a blood clot in the leg, which |
| use magnetic products to stimulate blood flow and | | | | can dislodge and travel to cause a clot in the lungs. |
| reduce pain. | | | | Both are due to immobility following a hip fracture |
| One of the biggest causes of hip and back pain is the | | | | and hip surgery. |
| psoas muscle. These problems include but are not | | | | A groin pull can be caused by a quick change in |
| limited to lower back pain, sciatica, disc problems, | | | | direction while you’re moving—often occurring |
| knee pain, pelvic tilting, digestive problems, infertility, | | | | in sports such as hockey, tennis, and basketball. A |
| and menstruation pain. You could also experience | | | | groin pull can result in pain, tenderness, and stiffness |
| scoliosis, a difference in the length of your legs, | | | | deep in the groin, making activity difficult. |
| kyphosis, sacroiliac pain and accentuated lumbar | | | | |