Hip pain can mean many different things to different people, so it’s important to be clear with your doctor when you say hip pain. Hip pain can generally be broken into 3 different areas. The front, side and back. Each of these regions means very different causes of pain and of course very different treatments for each ailment.
Let’s take a look at each region one at a time.
Anterior Hip
The anterior hip, often described as groin pain is usually caused by pain from the actual hip joint where the femur meets the pelvis. This can be broken down into usually either arthritis or labrum pathologies with the biggest difference being a feeling of instability or a clunk with labral tears or a more grinding aching sensation for arthritis. They are initially treated in a similar fashion with anti-inflammatories, exercise and weight loss, injections which must be done under some sort of guidance either ultrasound or fluoroscopy which is a special type of x-ray. Finally surgical repair of the labrum or replacement of the hip joint.
Lateral Hip
The lateral hip, or the outside is usually caused by muscle, tendon or bursa pain. The most common cause being bursitis of the greater trochanteric bursa. This tends to respond well to injections, alongside therapy, weight loss, exercise, and anti-inflammatories either oral or topical. Lifestyle modifications can also provide long term benefit, looking at proper supportive shoewear, running on even surfaces, and not leaning in to one hip for too long.
Posterior Hip
Finally, the posterior hip can be quite the tricky one as it can be hard to differentiate between pain coming from the spine, Sacroiliac (SI) joint, or the hip joint itself. Some big differences are in what causes the pain, what makes the pain better or worse. Does it hurt more at the end of a long drive, with sitting cross-legged, do you have shooting pain down the back of a leg, is there any numbness? Be sure to think about these factors when coming in to see your doctor. Depending on the cause these conditions tend to do well with anti-inflammatories, and possibly injections.
We look forward to seeing you at any of our offices to discuss your specific symptoms, examine you, make a diagnosis and come up with a plan that works for your lifestyle and personal needs.
Request an Appointment or call our office (954) 771-8177 for a consultation with Dr Bastoky.
Learn more about Natan Bastoky, DO.