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Understanding the Different Causes of Hip Pain

Understanding the Different Causes of Hip Pain

You rely on your hips. These ball-and-socket joints give your legs a broad range of motion, helping you move not just forward, but wherever you want to go. At least, they do when they’re healthy.

But a wide variety of issues can interfere with your hips, causing you pain and limiting your mobility. That becomes increasingly true as you get older. It’s estimated that nearly one in four people over the age of 60 will experience hip pain. 

While hip pain may be common, it’s also very treatable. Here at Integrated Pain Solutions in Stamford, Connecticut, Dr. Halina Snowball and our team believe that effective, long-lasting hip pain treatment addresses the root cause of your discomfort. When you come into our office, Dr. Snowball takes the time to understand what’s causing your hip pain, so she can develop the right plan for alleviating it. 

That means figuring out if one of the top culprits is to blame for your discomfort, so let’s take a look. 

Common causes of hip pain

Here are some of the leading causes of hip pain: 

Arthritis

Arthritis causes inflammation in your joints. Osteoarthritis, one of the most common types of arthritis and a leading cause of hip pain, develops when your cartilage wears down over the years. Cartilage provides the cushioning in your joints, allowing them to move smoothly. But wear-and-tear can take its toll, causing hip pain. 

Bursitis

Within your joints, you have bursae. These fluid-filled sacs help your joints glide freely as they move. But the bursae can get inflamed, putting pressure on your joints and causing hip pain. 

Tendinitis and other tendon problems

Your tendons attach your bone and muscles together, making your body work. Because they have to do a lot for you, they can get irritated as a result of overuse, resulting in inflammation. 

Labral tear

You have a ring of cartilage lining your hip joint called the labrum. This cartilage cushions the ball-and-socket joint and helps to keep your thigh bone rooted in the socket. Overuse or injury can tear your labrum, causing discomfort in your hip. 

Injury

You can fracture or break the bones in your hip. These injuries can occur during a car accident or sports activity, but they can also happen because of a simple slip-and-fall, especially if you’re older. 

Diagnosing and address hip pain

Finding effective treatment for your hip pain usually comes from understanding what’s causing it in the first place. Dr. Snowball works with you to diagnose your hip pain so she can apply treatment to the root cause, where it will be most effective.

Then, she tailors treatment to bring you the best results. Your personalized hip pain treatment plan might include:

Clearly, when it comes to alleviating hip pain, you have options. To figure out what’s causing your pain and find solutions for it, call our office at 203-293-0549 or request an appointment online today.

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