Hip Pain: Causes, Common Conditions & Treatment Hip pain is a symptom of several conditions, including arthritis, injuries to the hip (fractures, labral tears, and dislocation), bursitis and childhood illnesses. Athletes who move their hips in all directions, like dancers and gymnasts, are more likely to injure their hips and have hip pain. It’s usually treated with rest and physical therapy. Hip pain can occur because of, injuries or problems with your hip socket. People of all ages can experience hip pain, but older people are more likely to develop it due to arthritis and bone fractures. Dancers, gymnasts and other athletes who move their hips in all directions are more likely to injure their hips, especially from overuse.
Depending on the cause, rest, anti-inflammatory medication and ice may help you feel better. More severe injuries may need surgical repair. Doctors often use minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery to repair torn tendons or the acetabular labrum. If the damage is severe, your doctor may recommend hip replacement surgery.
Many conditions and injuries throughout your life can cause hip pain. Some common hip pain causes can include: Arthritis: Several types of arthritis affect the hips, including,, and, Hip arthritis is common. It causes joint pain and swelling. Arthritis can affect people of all ages, but older people are more likely to have the condition.
Injuries: Overuse or trauma can damage your muscles, bones, tendons (tough fibers that attach muscles to bones) and ligaments (tissues that connect bones to other bones). Athletes who perform repetitive motions are particularly prone to overuse injuries. Older people are more likely to break a hip because bones become more fragile as we age.
Some of the kinds of hip injuries you can experience could include:
Dislocated hip. (damage to the cartilage in the hip socket). Hip strains., Snapping hip syndrome.
Bursitis: Bursae provide cushioning for our joints. These are sacs, filled with fluid that are located on inside of the hip. These bursa sacs can become irritated and swollen from injury, overuse or arthritis. When this happens, a painful condition called can develop.
Structural abnormalities : (DDH) can affect babies. When the hip socket is too shallow, the ball part of the ball-and-socket hip joint doesn’t stay in the socket. DDH runs in families. It can result from a breech delivery (when the baby’s feet come out first). Without treatment, DDH can cause pain later in life.
Childhood illness: (also known as Legg Calvé Perthes disease) is a rare hip condition that affects children between ages 6 and 10. Perthes disease causes temporary blood loss to the ball at the end of the femur (thighbone). As a result, the bony ball breaks down and changes shape.
Over time, it no longer fits snugly in the socket, causing hip joint pain. Treatment for hip pain typically depends on how much pain you’re in and what is causing your discomfort. Mild injuries to muscles, tendons or bursa sacs often improve with rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medications. You can often follow the RICE method—rest, ice, compression and elevation.
This form of treatment can be done at home and it can sometimes relieve some of your hip pain. If necessary, doctors can usually repair tendons and labrum tears with minimally invasive surgery. More serious hip conditions may require a total, Arthritis treatment may include medication and physical therapy.
Doctors can usually treat DDH and Perthes disease with special braces, casts and slings that keep the joint in place while the hip heals. Some children may need surgical repair. No matter what caused the pain, physical therapy exercises can strengthen your hip muscles and relieve discomfort. Persistent hip pain could be a sign of arthritis or a serious injury.
Call your doctor if you have pain that lingers for more than a couple of days. Visit your doctor right away if the pain is making it hard for you to walk or move. If you have hip pain after a fall or car accident, see your doctor immediately. If your child has hip pain, see your pediatrician to rule out DDH or Perthes disease.
Contents
Why are my hip bones paining?
Causes of Hip Pain – These are some of the conditions that commonly cause hip pain: Arthritis, Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are among the most common causes of hip pain, especially in older adults. Arthritis leads to inflammation of the hip joint and the breakdown of the cartilage that cushions your hip bones.
- The pain gradually gets worse.
- People with arthritis also feel stiffness and have reduced range of motion in the hip.
- Learn more about hip osteoarthritis,
- Hip fractures,
- With age, the bones can become weak and brittle.
- Weakened bones are more likely to break during a fall.
- Learn more about hip fracture symptoms,
Bursitis, Bursae are sacs of liquid found between tissues such as bone, muscles, and tendons. They ease the friction from these tissues rubbing together. When bursae get inflamed, they can cause pain. Inflammation of bursae is usually due to repetitive activities that overwork or irritate the hip joint.
Learn more about bursitis of the hip, Tendinitis, Tendons are the thick bands of tissue that attach bones to muscles. Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of the tendons. It’s usually caused by repetitive stress from overuse. Learn more about tendinitis symptoms, Muscle or tendon strain. Repeated activities can put strain on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the hips.
When they become inflamed due to overuse, they can cause pain and prevent the hip from working normally. Learn about the best stretches for tight hip muscles, Hip labral tear. This is a rip in the ring of cartilage (called the labrum) that follows the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint.
- Along with cushioning your hip joint, your labrum acts like a rubber seal or gasket to help hold the ball at the top of your thighbone securely within your hip socket.
- Athletes and people who perform repetitive twisting movements are at higher risk of developing this problem.
- Learn more about hip labral tears,
Cancers, Tumors that start in the bone or that spread to the bone can cause pain in the hips, as well as in other bones of the body. Learn more about bone tumors . Avascular necrosis (also called osteonecrosis). This condition happens when blood flow to the hip bone slows and the bone tissue dies.
Is hip bone pain serious?
Hip pain may be caused by problems in the bones or cartilage of your hip, including: Hip fractures – can cause sudden and acute hip pain. These injuries can be serious and lead to major problems. More common as people get older because falls are more likely and your bones become weaker.
Is walking good for hip pain?
OTHER WAYS TO RELIEVE HIP PAIN – Walking is one of the best ways to relieve hip pain. But, if you find that despite a daily walk you are still experiencing it, there are other options available to you as well. If you’ve had a hip injury, ongoing physical therapy can help you immensely.
Even if you’ve completed your initial course, therapy should continue if you still need it. People with arthritis can speak to their doctors about medications to help relieve pain and stiffness. These medications can be a big help to you, but don’t forget to keep walking, too. Alternative therapies may be helpful for you as well.
Holistic therapies like chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture are effective for many people with hip pain. To help keep your hip pain at bay on your own at home, your walking routine should be balanced with a stretching routine. There are good stretches for hip pain that you can learn and practice to keep your hips fluid, strong, loose, and flexible.
How long does hip bone pain last?
In many cases, new pain or a flare-up of long-standing hip problems should begin to settle within 6 weeks without the need to see a healthcare professional.
Where does hip pain start?
What Are the First Signs of Hip Problems? | The Bone & Joint Center Is a bad hip affecting your daily activities? can cause pain and are a common concern for many people, particularly as we get older and maintain an active lifestyle. The specific location of hip pain can help to pinpoint the underlying cause.
This can include problems in the tendons, muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissues surrounding the hip joint, or an issue in the lower back or spine. Hip pain can be felt in the outer hip, groin, or upper thigh. Hip problems are usually associated with age. However, without proper care, anyone can develop a worn joint – including the hip.
The following signs are frequent early symptoms of a hip problem:
Can sitting cause hip pain?
Why Are My Hips Stiff After Sitting? – Stiffness in your hips after sitting aren’t simply a reflection of getting old. Often, this stiffness is simply a reflection of your hips and legs being in the same posture for an extended period of time. “When you sit with your knees bent, your hamstrings are in a relaxed, shortened position, and your hip flexors are at the maximum shortened length,” said Kirsten Zambon, DPT, CLT-LANA, a physical therapist at Franciscan Health Lafayette East.
Can stress cause hip pain?
Managing pain from stress and anxiety – Everyone reading this has likely experienced one stressful situation already today. If left unchecked, these little daily stressors – our human affinity for anxiety, and harboring past emotional traumas – can cause deep hip pain and even lower back pain from stress.
How should I sleep to relieve hip pain?
Sometimes getting a good nights’ sleep when you have hip pain can feel next to impossible. Whether it is the position you sleep in or an underlining health issue, there may be a way to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. To find out how you can find relief for that hip pain that keeps you up all night, continue reading below! Overview Nighttime hip pain can wake you up during the night or make it nearly impossible to fall asleep in the first place.
- The pain can come from the position you sleep in, or it could be caused by something else.
- For example, you don’t move much during sleep, so your joints swell, which can lead to stiffness and pain.
- Read on to learn more about what may be causing your hip pain at night, as well as how you can manage this symptom and sleep better.
Common causes of hip pain at night Hip pain at night can be caused by several conditions. The most common ones are:
- Bursitis
- Osteoarthritis (OA)
- Tendonitis
- Sciatic-piriformis syndrome
It can also be caused by your sleeping position, your mattress or pillows, or pregnancy. It’s also possible to have another problem, such as lower back pain, that causes your hip to hurt. That’s called referred pain. Sleep Position If you regularly wake up at night from hip pain, the way you’re sleeping or your mattress could be to blame.
- A mattress that’s too soft or too hard could trigger pressure points, which may lead to a sore hip.
- Sleep posture can also cause pain.
- Try sleeping on your back or, if you’re a side sleeper, sleep on the side that doesn’t hurt and put a pillow between your knees to keep your hips aligned.
- Bursitis Around your hip bone and other joints are small sacs filled with fluid that cushion the joint when it moves.
These sacs are called bursae. Bursitis occurs when these sacs become inflamed. Symptoms may include:
- Pain on the outside of your hip and upper thigh
- Pain that starts as sharp pain, causing you to yelp when the area is touched, and later develops into an ache
- Pain when you get up after sitting for a long time, which may worsen when you take a long walk, climb a lot of stairs, or squat for awhile
- Pain that’s worse at night when you lie down or sleep on the affected hip
People with bursitis don’t have pain while standing. Hip Osteoarthritis and Other Types of Arthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of hip arthritis, but other types of arthritis can cause hip pain at night, too. These types may include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Septic arthritis
If you have hip arthritis, you may notice:
- Pain in your groin
- Pain also in your buttocks, thigh, or knee
- Pain made worse during rainy weather, in the morning, or after resting or sitting for a while
- Hip pain that keeps you from sleeping
- Pain when bending over, getting up from a chair, or taking a short walk
- Grinding sound with movement (called crepitus), or your hip locking or sticking
Hip Tendonitis Tendons attach muscles to bone, allowing for movement. Hip tendonitis is when the tendon in the hip is inflamed. If you have hip tendonitis, your symptoms may include:
- A dull, deep ache in your groin, especially when you climb stairs or stand up
- Pain in your buttocks if your hamstring tendon is also inflamed
Sciatic-piriformis Syndrome Sciatic pain is tingling and numbness that runs from the lower back to the buttocks, and sometimes down the leg and into the foot. If you have sciatic-piriformis syndrome, you may feel a burning sensation in your calf when you’re trying to sleep.
Or you may have throbbing pain in your foot that jolts you awake or keeps you up. Pregnancy Pregnancy puts extra pressure on your spine and hips, especially during your third trimester. Wear supportive shoes during the day and take stretch breaks if you’ve been sitting for extended periods of time. This can help reduce your risk for conditions such as sciatica, which may lead to referred pain.
At night, follow the previously made suggestions regarding side sleeping. You can also try rolling up a blanket and placing it behind your back so that you can lean into the blanket while still sleeping on your side. You can use a pillow instead of a blanket if you prefer.
- Change your sleeping position. Keep experimenting to find the most pain-reducing position.
- Place wedge-shaped pillows under your hip to provide cushioning. If you don’t have a wedge-shaped pillow, try folding a pillow or blanket to create a wedge shape.
- Sleep with a pillow between your knees to reduce stress across your hips.
- Put one or more pillows under your knees. This can ease pain from sciatic-piriformis syndrome.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) may help relieve your pain.
Talk to your doctor about the best NSAIDs for you and how often it’s safe to take them. Your doctor may also prescribe topical NSAIDs, such as diclofenac gel (Solaraze, Voltaren). Ice or heat may also help relieve pain. Ask your doctor which is best for you.
If your pain is caused by swelling, ice may be more beneficial as it can help reduce the inflammation. Heat can help relieve arthritis pain, stiffness, or muscle spasms. Avoid applying the ice directly to your skin. Instead, wrap an ice pack in a towel, and then place it over your hip. You can apply heat with a heat wrap, heating pad, or hot water bottle.
Long-term Relief If you regularly experience hip pain at night, you may need solutions for longer-term relief. You may want to consider changing your mattress. A mattress that’s too firm may be especially painful for people who have hip bursitis. You can also try putting a foam pad on top of your mattress to help distribute your weight.
- Seeing a physical therapist, getting regular massages, or both
- Removing fluid from the bursa
- Arthroscopic surgery to remove the bursa
- Steroid or cortisone injections into your bursa or hip joint
- Hyaluronic acid injections to lubricate your hip joint
- Arthritis medicines, including disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics
- Arthroscopy, which is surgery to remove loose pieces of cartilage or bone spurs around the hip
- Hip resurfacing to remove and replace damaged bone in the hip socket
- Arthroplasty, also known as total hip replacement surgery
To Help Prevent Nighttime Hip Pain When hip pain keeps you awake, you can try these things throughout the day and before bedtime: Low-impact exercise Low-impact exercise, such as swimming, water exercise, or walking, may help reduce your pain and improve sleep.
- Stand up and hold on to something for balance if you need to.
- Cross your legs, and reach to touch your toes.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Cross your legs the other way and repeat.
- You can also try these exercises to help relieve hip bursitis pain or these exercises to strengthen your hip flexor.
Sleep Hygiene Practicing good sleep hygiene can help you fall and stay asleep. Here are some helpful tips:
- Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
- Have a relaxation routine before bedtime.
- Consider taking a warm bath one to two hours before bedtime to release your body’s natural pain fighters, called endorphins. A warm bath also relaxes muscles around the sciatic nerve. Don’t make the water too hot, though, because it’ll raise your temperature and make it hard to fall asleep.
- Make your room dark and quiet, and keep the temperature cool to avoid waking up from being too hot.
- Avoid using electronics close to bedtime, including televisions, computers, and smartphones.
- Avoid consuming caffeine 5 or less hours from your bedtime. Learn more about how long it takes for the effects of caffeine to wear off.
- You should also avoid using alcohol to help you fall asleep. It may make you drowsy, but you’ll likely wake after just a few hours of restless sleep.
Also, beware of using OTC sleep aids. Over time, you’ll need higher doses to go to sleep, and this habit can be hard to break. When You Should See a Doctor If your hip pain is regularly keeping you from sleep or waking you up at night, see your doctor.
They may check for tenderness and swelling around your hip. They’ll also assess the range of motion of your hip for signs of arthritis and tendonitis. Reduced motion is a sign of arthritis. They may also take blood or fluid samples, or order X-rays to rule out various conditions. Go to an urgent care facility or to an emergency room (ER) if your hip pain is caused from an injury.
Also, seek immediate care if you have any of these symptoms:
- A joint that looks deformed
- Inability to move your leg or hip
- Inability to put weight on the leg with the sore hip
- Intense pain or sudden swelling in your hip
- Fever, chills, redness, or other signs of infection
Outlook Not getting enough sleep can make your pain worse, so it’s important to work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan. Making some adjustments to your lifestyle, such as adding in gentle exercise and improving your sleep hygiene, can take you a long way toward preventing long, painful nights.
Can hip pain just go away?
The hips don’t lie—so if yours are in pain, you should pay attention. Hip pain is a common issue that affects of the population today. If you’re experiencing hip pain, it’s crucial to act on it rather than ignoring it. The hip is a series of perpendicular axes that allows for flexing, extending as well as internal and external rotation.
- Along with providing movement, your hip bears weight and forces.
- So just what should you be concerned about when dealing with hip pain? If you’re experiencing any of the issues below, you should contact a specialist.
- The first step to healing your hips is getting informed, and learning to separate fact from fiction.
To help you determine the best course of action for you, we’ve dispelled some common myths about hip pain and its potential treatments.1. Myth: Young people don’t have hip pain Fact: Hip pain can affect people of all ages. It’s common in young patients who have had childhood diseases like Perthes disease or dysplasia, while some 20- and 30-year-old deal athletes with overuse injuries.
- Patients, between the ages of 30 and 50 often experience wear and tear at the hip joint.
- Patients ages 50 and older commonly deal with “bad hips” and have pain in the worn joints.
- Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two of the most common causes of hip pain among older adults.
- But in young adults, hip pain usually stems from a traumatic injury such as a car accident, or from an overuse injury sustained while participating in sports or other demanding physical activities.
There has also been a spike in recent years in the number of young women developing hip pain related to current or past activity. This is due in part to women’s increased participation in high-impact sports over the past few decades. Hip replacement has long been used as a treatment for elderly patients who have run out of other options.
- But according to a 2015 report from the Center for Disease Control, the number of total hip replacements tripled for people ages 55 to 64 from 2000 to 2010, while the procedures increased 205 percent—from 138,000 to nearly 311,000—for those in the 45-54 age group.
- If non-operative treatments don’t help, surgeons say even people in their 20s and 30s are having procedures more often.
Thanks to new advances in hip replacement surgery, patients can expect a shorter recovery period, less pain, and fewer complications after the procedure. Plus, innovations in materials have nearly eliminated the possibility of hip replacements wearing out.2.
Myth: It’ll go away Fact: Hip pain can come on suddenly or gradually present itself over time. While hip pain can sometimes improve on its own, it’s always a good idea to see a medical professional for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. If you don’t address the pain, it could lead to stress on other parts of your body, affecting your stability, or even causing you to develop a limp.
Many people tell themselves that their hip pain is temporary and try to ease it by resting, self-medicating, getting physical therapy or massages, or quitting their favorite activities altogether. These methods can provide temporary relief, but might not address the underlying cause.
- These approaches are only truly effective if they’re part of a multi-modal strategy in conjunction with medical treatment.
- Zachery D.
- Post, M.D.
- An orthopedic surgeon with Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, who specializes in hip and knee arthroplasty and reconstruction notes that some causes of hip pain, like osteoarthritis, only worsen with time.
Osteoarthritis, also known as “wear and tear” arthritis, affects nearly 30 million Americans, mostly over the age of 50, and often impacts the hips. New research shows that osteoarthritis is not the inevitable outcome of a long and active life, but rather the result of a combination of factors, many of which can be modified or prevented.
While some risk factors for osteoarthritis, like advanced age, can’t be changed, experts recommend taking preventative measures like maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar, and wearing protective gear while playing sports to delay its onset. “The bad news about osteoarthritis is that the gradual wearing away of healthy cartilage only gets worse with time and there is no cure,” Dr.
Post says. “The good news about osteoarthritis is that at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, a variety of hip treatments are available to help patients maintain a high quality of life in spite of degenerative joint disease.” If your hip pain persists, or if you notice swelling, redness, or warmth around the joint, don’t delay in calling your doctor.3.
Myth: Hip pain is only felt in the hips Fact: Hip pain is not always easy to identify. Depending on the cause of your pain, you may feel discomfort in your thigh, groin, buttocks, or inside or outside of the hip joint. It’s common for hip joint pain to be difficult to pinpoint. The hip joint is connected to many different nerves and tissues that work in conjunction with the hip.
It’s a common misconception that the hip joint is in the side – it actually sits more in the groin then on the side. Because of its location, hip pain can feel like a pulled muscle in the groin. Nerves run from the back down through to the hip, so it can feel like back pain.
So if you’re experiencing pain in the body, whether it be your groin or your back, it’s important to see a specialist. Whether you’ve already received a diagnosis or you’re just beginning your research, understanding the myths and realities about hip pain is essential to determining the best treatment plan for you.
For more information, Rothman Orthopaedics’ Hip Pain Series is an extensive resource of detailed explanations, expert insight, and potential treatment options to help you live your most active life.
Is left hip pain serious?
Should You Visit a Doctor? – Not all types of hip pain necessitate a doctor’s visit. If your pain isn’t severe, you can try some at-home treatment options before scheduling an appointment. Here are some examples of at-home treatments that may help you feel better:
Ice packs – Applying ice packs to your hip at 20-minute intervals may help to reduce inflammation and pain. Warm compresses – Warm compresses can help to loosen the muscles around the hip and relieve pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers – Ibuprofen, for example, is an over-the-counter medication that can reduce swelling and relieve pain. Resting the hip – While you wait for the injury to heal, avoid putting pressure on it or overworking it.
If at-home treatment measures do not relieve your hip pain within a week, it’s time to see a doctor. You should also seek medical attention right away if you are experiencing severe pain, are unable to bear weight on your hip, or notice a sudden change in the appearance of your hip.
Where is hip pain most common?
‘Pain that involves the hip joint is usually in the groin, right where your leg meets your body,’ Dr. Stuchin says. ‘The hip joint is in the groin and you can feel it as low as your knee, in the front of your leg down the thigh.’
What are the types of hip pain?
6 Types of Hip Pain And Their Symptoms | Tristate Arthritis & Rheumatology Our hips serve many purposes. They support our weight, allow us to sit, walk, and run. It is perhaps one of the most essential joints in our bodies. When we experience hip pain, it is a problem. There are a multitude of underlying conditions that might be associated with your hip pain, including osteoarthritis, bursitis, labral tears, hip impingement, ankylosing spondylitis, as well as soft tissue and muscle injuries.
What are the effects of hip pain?
Hip pain Your hip is a very stable and strong joint. It’s known as a ball-and-socket joint. This is because the top of the thigh bone is shaped like a ball. This ‘ball’ sits inside a hollow socket in your pelvis. Ball-and-socket joints give the most movement of all the different types of joints in the body.
The hip joint is held together by a covering of muscles which are secured to the bones by strong cords called tendons. These muscles and tendons form a capsule around the joint and support its movements. They help move the joint, supporting your leg and upper body movement. Inside the capsule is the synovium, which lubricates the joint with synovial fluid and keeps the cartilage healthy.
The cartilage sits between the bones of your hip joint to stop them rubbing together and reduces any impact when you walk or move your hip. With all this support, it is unusual for the hip to become dislocated, even after a high-impact injury. Most of the time you can treat your hip pain yourself with simple self-help treatments.
- you’ve had a fall or injured your hip
- the pain is getting worse
- you’re having difficulty with daily activities, for example walking, going up stairs or leaning forwards when sitting
- you feel feverish or unwell, or you’ve been losing weight.
Most of the time there is a very simple explanation for hip pain, for example if you’ve overdone it while exercising. In this case your pain is usually caused by strained or inflamed soft tissues, such as tendons, and it often clears up within a few days. If your hip pain hasn’t improved after two weeks you should see your doctor. It’s a good idea to make some notes about your condition before you go, so you can be sure to discuss everything that’s bothering you. Your doctor will ask about your pain and what movements make it feel worse.
They’ll ask how your symptoms started, how they affect your daily activities and whether you’re in pain at night. Pain when you bend your hip going up or down the stairs or when you put on your socks is often a sign of a hip problem. They’ll examine your hip to find out how well it moves, and this will usually give them enough information to plan your treatment.
But you may need other tests to diagnose some conditions.
Is walking good for bone on bone hip pain?
Aerobic Exercises – These exercises are geared toward improving your overall fitness and helping to manage your weight—which means less strain on your hip joint. It’s quite tricky to figure out how much aerobic exercise is appropriate before crossing into overdoing it.
Walking: Bone and joint specialists suggest that walking is one of the best forms of exercise for hip arthritis. Walking boosts blood flow to your cartilage, giving it the nutrients necessary to provide cushion to the ends of your joints. Start out with 20 to 30 minutes at a time, three to five times a week, then gradually increase the time and frequency to build up your endurance. : Water exercises such as swimming and water walking are beneficial because the water provides natural resistance to your movement. Water exercises help you build muscle by allowing your body to push against that resistance. The water also makes you buoyant and takes the pressure off the hip joints.
How should I sleep with hip bone pain?
Sometimes getting a good nights’ sleep when you have hip pain can feel next to impossible. Whether it is the position you sleep in or an underlining health issue, there may be a way to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. To find out how you can find relief for that hip pain that keeps you up all night, continue reading below! Overview Nighttime hip pain can wake you up during the night or make it nearly impossible to fall asleep in the first place.
- The pain can come from the position you sleep in, or it could be caused by something else.
- For example, you don’t move much during sleep, so your joints swell, which can lead to stiffness and pain.
- Read on to learn more about what may be causing your hip pain at night, as well as how you can manage this symptom and sleep better.
Common causes of hip pain at night Hip pain at night can be caused by several conditions. The most common ones are:
- Bursitis
- Osteoarthritis (OA)
- Tendonitis
- Sciatic-piriformis syndrome
It can also be caused by your sleeping position, your mattress or pillows, or pregnancy. It’s also possible to have another problem, such as lower back pain, that causes your hip to hurt. That’s called referred pain. Sleep Position If you regularly wake up at night from hip pain, the way you’re sleeping or your mattress could be to blame.
- A mattress that’s too soft or too hard could trigger pressure points, which may lead to a sore hip.
- Sleep posture can also cause pain.
- Try sleeping on your back or, if you’re a side sleeper, sleep on the side that doesn’t hurt and put a pillow between your knees to keep your hips aligned.
- Bursitis Around your hip bone and other joints are small sacs filled with fluid that cushion the joint when it moves.
These sacs are called bursae. Bursitis occurs when these sacs become inflamed. Symptoms may include:
- Pain on the outside of your hip and upper thigh
- Pain that starts as sharp pain, causing you to yelp when the area is touched, and later develops into an ache
- Pain when you get up after sitting for a long time, which may worsen when you take a long walk, climb a lot of stairs, or squat for awhile
- Pain that’s worse at night when you lie down or sleep on the affected hip
People with bursitis don’t have pain while standing. Hip Osteoarthritis and Other Types of Arthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of hip arthritis, but other types of arthritis can cause hip pain at night, too. These types may include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Septic arthritis
If you have hip arthritis, you may notice:
- Pain in your groin
- Pain also in your buttocks, thigh, or knee
- Pain made worse during rainy weather, in the morning, or after resting or sitting for a while
- Hip pain that keeps you from sleeping
- Pain when bending over, getting up from a chair, or taking a short walk
- Grinding sound with movement (called crepitus), or your hip locking or sticking
Hip Tendonitis Tendons attach muscles to bone, allowing for movement. Hip tendonitis is when the tendon in the hip is inflamed. If you have hip tendonitis, your symptoms may include:
- A dull, deep ache in your groin, especially when you climb stairs or stand up
- Pain in your buttocks if your hamstring tendon is also inflamed
Sciatic-piriformis Syndrome Sciatic pain is tingling and numbness that runs from the lower back to the buttocks, and sometimes down the leg and into the foot. If you have sciatic-piriformis syndrome, you may feel a burning sensation in your calf when you’re trying to sleep.
Or you may have throbbing pain in your foot that jolts you awake or keeps you up. Pregnancy Pregnancy puts extra pressure on your spine and hips, especially during your third trimester. Wear supportive shoes during the day and take stretch breaks if you’ve been sitting for extended periods of time. This can help reduce your risk for conditions such as sciatica, which may lead to referred pain.
At night, follow the previously made suggestions regarding side sleeping. You can also try rolling up a blanket and placing it behind your back so that you can lean into the blanket while still sleeping on your side. You can use a pillow instead of a blanket if you prefer.
- Change your sleeping position. Keep experimenting to find the most pain-reducing position.
- Place wedge-shaped pillows under your hip to provide cushioning. If you don’t have a wedge-shaped pillow, try folding a pillow or blanket to create a wedge shape.
- Sleep with a pillow between your knees to reduce stress across your hips.
- Put one or more pillows under your knees. This can ease pain from sciatic-piriformis syndrome.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) may help relieve your pain.
Talk to your doctor about the best NSAIDs for you and how often it’s safe to take them. Your doctor may also prescribe topical NSAIDs, such as diclofenac gel (Solaraze, Voltaren). Ice or heat may also help relieve pain. Ask your doctor which is best for you.
If your pain is caused by swelling, ice may be more beneficial as it can help reduce the inflammation. Heat can help relieve arthritis pain, stiffness, or muscle spasms. Avoid applying the ice directly to your skin. Instead, wrap an ice pack in a towel, and then place it over your hip. You can apply heat with a heat wrap, heating pad, or hot water bottle.
Long-term Relief If you regularly experience hip pain at night, you may need solutions for longer-term relief. You may want to consider changing your mattress. A mattress that’s too firm may be especially painful for people who have hip bursitis. You can also try putting a foam pad on top of your mattress to help distribute your weight.
- Seeing a physical therapist, getting regular massages, or both
- Removing fluid from the bursa
- Arthroscopic surgery to remove the bursa
- Steroid or cortisone injections into your bursa or hip joint
- Hyaluronic acid injections to lubricate your hip joint
- Arthritis medicines, including disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics
- Arthroscopy, which is surgery to remove loose pieces of cartilage or bone spurs around the hip
- Hip resurfacing to remove and replace damaged bone in the hip socket
- Arthroplasty, also known as total hip replacement surgery
To Help Prevent Nighttime Hip Pain When hip pain keeps you awake, you can try these things throughout the day and before bedtime: Low-impact exercise Low-impact exercise, such as swimming, water exercise, or walking, may help reduce your pain and improve sleep.
- Stand up and hold on to something for balance if you need to.
- Cross your legs, and reach to touch your toes.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Cross your legs the other way and repeat.
- You can also try these exercises to help relieve hip bursitis pain or these exercises to strengthen your hip flexor.
Sleep Hygiene Practicing good sleep hygiene can help you fall and stay asleep. Here are some helpful tips:
- Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
- Have a relaxation routine before bedtime.
- Consider taking a warm bath one to two hours before bedtime to release your body’s natural pain fighters, called endorphins. A warm bath also relaxes muscles around the sciatic nerve. Don’t make the water too hot, though, because it’ll raise your temperature and make it hard to fall asleep.
- Make your room dark and quiet, and keep the temperature cool to avoid waking up from being too hot.
- Avoid using electronics close to bedtime, including televisions, computers, and smartphones.
- Avoid consuming caffeine 5 or less hours from your bedtime. Learn more about how long it takes for the effects of caffeine to wear off.
- You should also avoid using alcohol to help you fall asleep. It may make you drowsy, but you’ll likely wake after just a few hours of restless sleep.
Also, beware of using OTC sleep aids. Over time, you’ll need higher doses to go to sleep, and this habit can be hard to break. When You Should See a Doctor If your hip pain is regularly keeping you from sleep or waking you up at night, see your doctor.
They may check for tenderness and swelling around your hip. They’ll also assess the range of motion of your hip for signs of arthritis and tendonitis. Reduced motion is a sign of arthritis. They may also take blood or fluid samples, or order X-rays to rule out various conditions. Go to an urgent care facility or to an emergency room (ER) if your hip pain is caused from an injury.
Also, seek immediate care if you have any of these symptoms:
- A joint that looks deformed
- Inability to move your leg or hip
- Inability to put weight on the leg with the sore hip
- Intense pain or sudden swelling in your hip
- Fever, chills, redness, or other signs of infection
Outlook Not getting enough sleep can make your pain worse, so it’s important to work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan. Making some adjustments to your lifestyle, such as adding in gentle exercise and improving your sleep hygiene, can take you a long way toward preventing long, painful nights.