Causes of Hip Pain & How to Prevent it

The hip is a ball and socket synovial joint that connects the upper body with the legs through the acetabulum of the pelvis, where the head of the femur fits in the cup size of the acetabulum which helps provide stability to the hip. In the same way, in comparison to other joints, the function of the hip is less required to generate movement, but to provide steadiness and bear the weight of the trunk, finally allowing other joints to oversee the body movement.

Healthy hips are flexible and strong which can be greatly beneficial for athletes to perform better. On the other hand, sore hips are a sign that something is not going well. There are different causes of hip pain, most of these are related to swollen tissue due to overuse or aging.

Hip pain is not only evidenced by soreness in the hip, the pain and inflammation may expand to other body parts like the knees and the glutes. Additionally, the pain is more intense after exercising and it can limit movement to the point of not allowing to carry out day-to-day activities as normal such as walking.

Even if it is not its primary function, the hip is still a dynamic joint with a great range of motion, in the middle of the ball and the socket there is cartilage acting as a shield and reducing the friction applied in this area by using the hips in activities such as running, jumping, and walking. One of the most common causes of hip pain is when this cartilage is overused due to pushing the hips by doing too many repeated movements or by constantly bearing heavyweights. This condition is known as osteoarthritis. 

Other common causes of hip pain include regular arthritis; bursitis, which is caused by friction between the muscles, the tendons, and the bones; tendinitis, which refers to the inflammation to the tendons usually also caused by stressing and applying pressure to the tendons through repeated movements.

How to Prevent Hip Pain

Knowing how the pain is triggered, the most recommended ways to prevent it include:

• Keeping the body weight within a healthy range according to the patient’s age. 
• Having a regular exercising routine. Resistance and flexibility exercises can be highly beneficial to strengthening the hip muscles. 
• Running, walking, and swimming are activities that can help improve the performance of the joints in general. In all of these, it is important to pay attention to any kind of discomfort in the hips, so we can identify the triggers and reduce friction in the activities or decide when it is necessary to rest.

Remember, all these activities should be practiced safely always considering the limits of the hip and not pushing it too far. 

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119