In the vast majority of cases, pain in the hip joint is associated with the degeneration of the cartilaginous synovial layer and the development of deforming osteoarthritis. But this is if we are talking about patients older than 45 years. But at a younger age, completely different pathological processes can be the reason for the appearance of such a clinical symptom. And very often they are directly related to the defeat of the lumbosacral spine and lumbago syndrome. Most of them 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 busiest. It takes into account the maximum wear and tear 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 cartilaginous synovial layer. Inside the joint capsule is synovial fluid. When compressed, the cartilage tissue releases synovial fluid, and when straightened, it is reabsorbed. Thus, simultaneous distribution of the damping load and protection of bone tissue from damage and cracks is carried out.
Synovial fluid is produced during the work of the muscles surrounding the joint. It enters the joint capsule by diffuse exchange. Maintaining sufficient levels and optimal viscosity of synovial fluid is key to the longevity and health of the hip joint.
Unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, traumatic effects, excess weight and other risk factors lead to the fact that the synovial fluid becomes smaller or loses its physiological properties. This starts the process of destruction of the cartilaginous synovial layer.
Bone tissues are destroyed and begin to be covered with deposits of calcium salts - osteophytes. The joint loses mobility. Ankylosis and contracture are formed. In the later stages of coxarthrosis, only hip arthroplasty surgery can help the patient. It 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 can be caused by traumatic damage to the ligaments and tendons. If a person has even small problems with the lumbosacral spine, then he does not have an even distribution of the cushioning load. As a result, there is a high mechanical load on ligaments and tendons. They are subject to periodic microscopic damage. Cicatricial deformations are formed in these places and gradually they begin to have a compressive effect on the surrounding nerve fibers. This causes pain.
In middle age, pain in the hip joint can also be associated with damage to the lumbosacral spine. But in this case, the probability of blood microcirculation disorders increases. The defeat of the radicular nerves and the lumbosacral nerve plexus leads to the fact that the tone of the muscular wall of blood circulation is disturbed. As a result, the tissues around the hip joint, like other parts of the lower limbs, do not receive enough nutrition. Ischemic processes begin.
There is a risk of aseptic necrosis of bone tissue during long-term combined loading on the hip joint against the background of an ischemic process. This is a very dangerous disease, which in case of delayed treatment can lead to disability in adolescents. A person loses his ability to work, requires surgery and long-term rehabilitation.
We recommend that you consult an orthopedic doctor in case of any discomfort in the hip joint. If necessary, he will appoint a consultation with a vertebrologist, a neurologist or an angiosurgeon.
Causes of severe pain in the hip joint
Some of the potential causes of severe hip pain have already 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 a traumatic effect - it is:
- A hip fracture is a serious injury that most often requires surgery to restore integrity;
- femoral or femoral fissure;
- Dislocation or subluxation with stretching of the joint capsule, accumulation of capillary blood and subsequent development of hemarthrosis;
- rupture of the joint capsule;
- Violation of the integrity of joint bags (burrus);
- Stretching and tearing of ligaments and tendon fibers, including the subsequent process of deformation scars.
Painful pain in the hip joint can be the result of dystrophic processes. They can affect both the external soft tissues and the cartilaginous synovial membranes inside the bone joints. Disruption of vascular wall tone against the background of lumbosacral osteochondrosis is the most common cause of hip joint tissue destruction. If we add to this the negative effect of the forced curvature of the spine due to muscle fiber tension syndrome, it becomes clear that the pathology of cartilaginous intervertebral discs can cause disability due to the destruction of the hip joint.
Note that pain and stiffness in the hip joint may be a sign of ankylosis. This disease can be post-traumatic or rheumatoid. In the first case, contracture develops first, then the amplitude of mobility decreases to complete immobility. Rheumatic lesions are ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polyarthritis, etc. Sh.
Musculoskeletal diseases are potential causes of hip joint pain. They develop under the influence of the following risk factors:
- overweight and obesity (each extra kilogram of weight puts a huge load on all joints and the spine, provoking their accelerated destruction);
- Maintaining a sedentary lifestyle with insufficient physical activity and sedentary work - the process of blood supply to the tissues of the hip joint is disturbed, the efficiency of the synovial fluid decreases and the process of cartilage protective tissues begins to break down;
- smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages - changes biochemical processes, causes a sharp spasm of capillary blood flow;
- Heavy physical work and extreme weight lifting without prior training;
- incorrect installation of the foot in the form of flat feet or eyelids;
- wrong choice of shoes for daily wear and physical education;
- Violation of the rules of ergonomics when arranging the sleeping and working place.
All these risk factors should be excluded. An experienced doctor during the initial collection of anamnesis data will try to identify all probable causes and factors of negative influence. Then he will give the patient individual recommendations, following which will eliminate the risk of recurrence of the identified disease in the future. Therefore, be sure to follow all the doctor's recommendations.
Which doctor should I consult for hip joint pain?
The answer to the question of which doctor treats thigh pain largely depends on the circumstances under which such a clinical symptom appeared. For example, if you fall, slip or have an accident, you should first consult a trauma specialist. This doctor excludes the possibility of breaking the integrity of the tissues. If necessary, will provide all necessary assistance.
Then, for complete rehabilitation, it is recommended to contact a chiropractor. He will develop a course of therapeutic exercises that will fully restore the working capacity of the body's muscular framework after forced immobilization. This will prevent the risk of developing deformed osteoarthritis and other serious degenerative pathologies in the future.
If you suffer from hip pain all the time - which doctor should you consult? We recommend that you find a manual therapy clinic near where you live. There are usually doctors who have a lot of experience working with such patients.
Unfortunately, in most city clinics, it is either impossible to make an appointment with an orthopedist, or this specialist deals only with the symptomatic treatment of the detected pathology. those. approaches the solution of the patient's problem exclusively formally.
The possibility of destruction of the lumbosacral spine is very important during long-term pain. Therefore, in addition to consulting an orthopedist, you may need to visit a vertebrologist or a neurologist. As a rule, doctors of this profile successfully practice in specialized manual therapy clinics.
Thigh pain treatment
Treatment of hip pain can only begin after an accurate diagnosis has been made. This is a clinical symptom of various pathologies. And the correct course of therapy should take into account their causes.
For example, if the destruction of the cartilage layer inside the joint is provoked by muscle weakness, against the background of insufficient innervation, due to the destruction of the intervertebral discs of the 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 bodies and eliminate compression pressure from cartilage tissues and radicular nerves;
- Then, with the help of massage, the doctor can eliminate the syndrome of excessive tension of muscle fibers and improve the elasticity of all soft tissues, speed up the process of their blood supply;
- Osteopathic effects lead to the process of blood microcirculation, lymphatic and intercellular fluid disturbance, which has a positive effect on tissue trophism, elimination of infiltrative edema of the soft tissues surrounding the joint;
- Physiotherapy accelerates metabolic processes, removes decomposition products, enhances the synthesis of new cells, etc. Sh.
- Laser exposure stimulates reparative processes;
- Reflexology has a stimulating effect because it affects biologically active points on the human body;
- Therapeutic gymnastics together with kinesiotherapy develops the muscular framework of the human body, the processes of disturbed cartilage tissue trophic processes begin inside the joints and in the area of the affected cartilage intervertebral discs.
The course of hip pain treatment always develops individually. Do not rush to take medicines without a doctor's prescription. Most of them may be completely useless in your case. The second part of the pharmacological agents can significantly accelerate the process of tissue breakdown in the hip joints.
If you have unpleasant sensations in the area of this articulation of the bones, then in no case do not tolerate them. Make an appointment with a specialist who will be available. Ask for an X-ray of the joint, as necessary, an MRI examination. Find a chiropractic clinic in your area for treatment.