Where’s your pain?

Hip pain involves any pain in or around the hip joint. Hip-related pain is not always felt directly over the hip. Instead, you may feel it in the middle of your thigh. Similarly, pain you feel in the hip may actually reflect a problem in your back, rather than your hip itself.

Hip arthritis is the mechanical wear and tear of the hip joint resulting in joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, decreased range of movement and sometimes swelling.

Bursitis is a common cause for hip pain and is the inflammation of pocket of fluid found over the hip that is there to provide protection and cushioning to the joint. Normally, the bursa provides a slippery surface that has almost no friction. A problem arises when a bursa becomes inflamed.

Bursitis usually results from a repetitive movement or due to prolonged and excessive pressure and frequently results in tenderness of the outer hip, making it difficult for patients to lie on the involved side, as well as a dull, burning pain often worse with excessive walking or stair climbing.

Another cause of bursitis is a traumatic injury. Following trauma, such as a car accident or fall, a patient may develop bursitis. Usually a contusion causes swelling within the bursa. The bursa, which had functioned normally up until that point, now begins to develop inflammation, and bursitis results. Once the bursa is inflamed, normal movements and activities can become painful.

Systemic inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, may also lead to bursitis. These types of conditions can make patients susceptible to developing bursitis.