In most cases, pain in the hip joint is associated with degeneration of the cartilage synovial layer and the development of deformed osteoarthritis. But this is if we are talking about patients who are over 45 years old. But at a younger age, a completely different pathological process can be the cause of the appearance of such clinical symptoms. And often they are directly related to lumbosacral spine defeat and lumbago syndrome. Most are complications of long -term osteochondrosis without proper treatment.
Pain in the hip joint is a signal that the position of the femoral head in the articular acetabulum is disturbed. This joint is one of the most loaded. It takes into account the maximum depreciation load during walking and running, and when a person stands and sits.
The head of the femur, like the acetabulum of the ilium, is lined with a cartilage synovial layer. Inside the joint capsule is synovial fluid. When compressed, cartilage tissue secretes synovial fluid, and when straightened, it reabsorbs. Therefore, the simultaneous distribution of depreciation load and protection of bone tissue from damage and fracture is carried out.
Synovial fluid is produced during the work of the muscles surrounding the joint. It penetrates into the joint capsule through diffuse exchange. Maintaining adequate levels and optimal viscosity of synovial fluid is key to longevity and hip joint health.
Unfortunately, an inactive lifestyle, malnutrition, traumatic effects, overweight and other risk factors lead to the fact that synovial fluid becomes small or loses its physiological properties. This initiates the process of destruction of the cartilaginous synovial layer.
Bone tissue is destroyed and begins to be covered with deposits of calcium salts - osteophytes. The joint loses its movement. Ankylosis and contracture are formed. In the final stages of coxarthrosis, only surgical resection for hip arthroplasty can help the patient. This is the most dangerous disease that can cause disability in adulthood. In the early stages, it can be successfully treated with manual therapy methods.
At a young age, pain in the hip joint when walking may be due to traumatic lesions on the ligaments and tendons. If a person has minor problems with the lumbosacral spine, then he or she does not have an even distribution of depreciation load. As a result, there is a high mechanical load on the ligaments and tendons. They are subject to periodic microscopic injuries. In these places, cicatricial defects form and gradually they begin to have a compressive effect on adjacent nerve fibers. This gives rise to the appearance of pain.
In middle age, pain in the hip joint can also be associated with damage to the lumbosacral spine. But in this case, the likelihood of violation of blood microcirculation increases. The defeat of the radicular nerve and the lumbosacral nerve plexus leads to the fact that the tone of the muscle wall of blood flow is disturbed. As a result, the tissues around the hip joint, like other parts of the lower leg, do not receive adequate nutrition. The ischemic process begins.
With prolonged combined load on the hip joint with a background of ischemic processes, there is a risk of developing aseptic necrosis of bone tissue. This is a very dangerous disease, which, in the case of delayed treatment, can lead to disability in adulthood. A person loses his or her ability to work, requires surgery and long -term rehabilitation.
We strongly recommend that in case of any discomfort in the hip joint, contact an orthopedic doctor in a timely manner. He or she will, if necessary, appoint a consultation with a vertebrologist, neurologist or angiosurgeon.
Causes severe pain and stiffness in the hip joint
Several possible causes of severe hip pain have been mentioned above. However, this is not a complete list of factors that negatively affect the condition of the hip joint.
Severe pain in the hip joint can appear as a result of traumatic effects - these are:
- hip fractures are serious injuries that most often require surgical intervention to restore integrity;
- fissure of the ilium of the hip or femur;
- dislocation or subluxation with stretching of the joint capsule, accumulation of capillary blood and the subsequent process of development of hemarthrosis;
- ruptured joint capsule;
- violation of the integrity of the articular bag (burs);
- stretching and rupture of ligament and tendon fibers, including with subsequent deformation scarring processes.
Painful pain in the hip joint may be caused by a dystrophic process. They can affect both the outer soft tissue and the cartilaginous synovial membrane inside the bone articulation. Violation of the tone of the vascular wall against the background of lumbosacral osteochondrosis is the most common cause of destruction of hip joint tissue. If we add the negative effects of forced curvature of the spine due to muscle fiber tension syndrome, it becomes clear that the pathology of the cartilaginous intervertebral disc can lead to deformity due to destruction of the hip joint.
Note that pain and stiffness in the hip joint may be signs of ankylosis formation. The disease can be post -traumatic or rheumatoid. In the first case, the contracture expands first, then the amplitude of mobility is reduced to complete immobility. Rheumatic lesions are articular forms of ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polyarthritis, etc.
A possible cause of pain in the hip joint is a disease of the musculoskeletal system. They develop under the influence of the following risk factors:
- overweight and obesity (every kilogram of extra weight puts a huge burden on all joints and spine, causing accelerated destruction);
- maintaining an inactive lifestyle with insufficient physical activity and inactive work - the process of blood supply to the hip joint tissue is disrupted, the efficiency of synovial fluid is reduced and the process of disintegration of cartilaginous protective tissue begins;
- smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages - alters biochemical processes, causes sharp spasms of capillary blood flow;
- heavy physical work and extreme weight lifting without prior training;
- incorrect foot installation in the form of flat feet or club feet;
- wrong shoe choices for daily wear and physical education;
- violation of ergonomic rules when arranging your bedding and workplace.
All of these risk factors must be excluded. An experienced physician during the initial collection of anamnestic data will try to identify all the alleged causes and negative influencing factors. Then he or she will give the patient individual recommendations, compliance with which will eliminate the risk of recurrence of the identified disease in the future. So make sure you follow all your doctor’s recommendations.
Which doctor should I call for pain in the hip joint?
The answer to the question of which doctor treats hip pain depends on the condition in which such clinical symptoms appear. For example, if you fall, slip or are involved in an accident, you must contact a traumatologist first. This doctor will exclude the possibility of violation of tissue integrity. If necessary, will provide all necessary assistance.
Then, for full recovery, it is recommended to contact a chiropractor. He will develop a course of therapeutic training that will fully restore the working capacity of the skeletal muscles of the body after forced immobilization. This will prevent the risk of developing deformed osteoarthritis and other serious degenerative pathologies in the future.
If pain in the hip joint bothers you all the time - which doctor should you consult? We highly recommend that you find a manual therapy clinic near where you live. There are usually doctors who have extensive experience in working with such patients.
Unfortunately, in most urban clinics, it is either impossible to get an appointment with an orthopedic specialist, or this specialist deals exclusively with symptomatic treatment for the identified pathology. That. approach patient problem solving exclusively formally.
With long -term pain, it is very important to exclude the possibility of destruction of the lumbosacral spine. Therefore, in addition to consulting an orthopedic specialist, you may also need to see a vertebrologist or neurologist. As a rule, doctors of this profile successfully practice in specialized manual therapy clinics.
Treating hip pain
Treatment for hip pain can only be started after an accurate diagnosis is made. These are clinical symptoms of various pathologies. And a proper course of therapy should take into account their causes.
For example, if the destruction of the cartilage layer in the joint is provoked by muscle weakness against the background of insufficient preservation due to the destruction of the intervertebral disc in the lumbosacral spine, then the course of treatment can be approximately as follows:
- first, with the help of manual traction of the spinal column, it makes sense to restore the normal position of the vertebral body and relieve compressive pressure from the cartilaginous tissue and radicular nerves;
- then, with the help of massage, the doctor can eliminate the syndrome of excessive tension of muscle fibers and increase the elasticity of all soft tissues, speeding up the process of their blood supply;
- osteopathic influence triggers the process of disruption of microcirculation of blood, lymphatic and intercellular fluid, which has a positive effect on tissue trophism, elimination of infiltrative edema of soft tissues surrounding the joints;
- physiotherapy speeds up metabolic processes, eliminates decay products, increases the synthesis of new cells, etc. ;
- laser exposure stimulates the reparative process;
- reflexology has a stimulating effect due to the fact that it affects biologically active points on the human body;
- therapeutic gymnastics in combination with kinesiotherapy develops the muscular skeleton of the human body, initiates the process of trophism of disturbed cartilage tissue in the joints and in the area of the affected cartilaginous intervertebral disc.
The course of treatment for hip pain is always developed individually. Do not rush to take medication without a doctor's prescription. Most of them may not be useful at all in your case. The second part of pharmacological agents can significantly accelerate the process of tissue damage in the hip joint.
If you have an unpleasant sensation in this area of bone articulation, then do not let them tolerate. Make an appointment with a specialist who will be available. Ask for an X-ray of the joint, as needed, an MRI examination. For treatment, find a manual therapy clinic in your area.