Hip pain in adults

Symptoms of hip pain

Symptoms of hip joint pain will depend on the cause. Here are some examples of symptoms you can get with hip pain.

Sprain

If you have pulled (sprained) a muscle or tendon around your hip when exercising or have been overdoing things, you may feel some pain from inflammation. A strain can range from being mild to severe.

• A mild strain will feel tender and painful, but your hip will feel that it has normal strength.
• A moderate strain will feel more painful and tender. You may have some mild swelling and feel that your hip is weaker. You might also have a bruise.
• A severe strain can feel even more painful and you probably won’t be able to walk. You’ll have some swelling, a bruise, and find it difficult to put weight on your leg.

A mild sprain will often get better within a few days but it’s likely to be a few weeks for a moderate or severe strain.

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome

If you have greater trochanteric pain syndrome, you’ll have swelling over the bony bit at the top of your thigh bone. You’ll also feel pain in the side of your hip. You may feel pain in your thigh and bottom (buttocks) too, and this can be continuous or come and go. Sometimes the pain can spread down the side of your thigh but it doesn’t usually go below your knee. The pain will often feel worse with activity, for example when you walk or lie in bed on that side of your body.

The pain from greater trochanteric pain syndrome will usually come on gradually and may get worse over time.

Osteoarthritis

If you have osteoarthritis in your hip joint, you may feel a deep pain in your groin and at the front or in the side of your thigh. The pain from osteoarthritis in your hip can spread to your bottom, knee and ankle.

The pain will feel worse when you exercise, and when you climb stairs. It will feel better when you rest. But if your osteoarthritis is severe, you may feel pain even when you’re at rest. It might also affect your sleep.

Your hip may feel stiff in the morning for a short time (less than half an hour) or after you’ve been resting. Osteoarthritis can affect how well you move and restrict your activities because you may find it hard to rotate your leg. You might find it difficult to put shoes and socks on, for example.

Rheumatoid arthritis

If you have rheumatoid arthritis in your hip, you’ll feel pain, heat and stiffness in the joint. You’re likely to have pain in other joints too. The pain will usually feel worse when you rest and haven’t moved for a while. You may also have some swelling around your hip joint.

Your hip is likely to feel stiff in the morning – this usually lasts over an hour. For most people, rheumatoid arthritis gets slowly worse with time. Rheumatoid arthritis can run in the family.

Psoriatic arthritis

If you have psoriatic arthritis, it can cause pain, swelling and stiffness in and around your hip joint, and likely other joints too. Your hip will probably feel stiff in the morning, and this stiffness will last for more than half an hour. You might have symptoms that affect your skin too. For example, you may have itchy, irritated, burning skin that’s painful and may bleed and scale.

Ankylosing spondylitis

If you have ankylosing spondylitis, it will usually affect your spine, and you’ll have pain and stiffness in your lower back and bottom. But while it mainly affects your neck and back, it can also cause pain and stiffness in other joints, including your hips. Your symptoms may so bad that they wake you up at night. You’re likely to find you’re your symptoms get better when you move and exercise, but don’t get any better if you rest.

Ankylosing spondylitis may be inherited and it might be linked to a group of other symptoms such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and enthesitis (tendon problems).

Hip fracture

If you break (fracture) your hip, you’ll usually have a painful hip, as well as pain in your upper thigh and groin. You won’t be able to walk. Your bones might look out of place too – your leg may look shorter and be turned outwards.

Treatment of hip pain

The treatment you have for hip pain will depend on what’s causing the pain. Your GP may treat you, or refer you to a specialist who may do some investigations and arrange your treatment. Here are some possible treatments for hip pain.

Medicines (painkillers and steroid injections)

If you have tried self-help measures but still have pain, your GP or specialist doctor may prescribe painkillers or offer you a steroid injection.

Always read the information leaflet that comes with your medicine and if you above any questions, ask a pharmacist for advice.

Physiotherapy

Your GP may refer you to see a physiotherapist if you have hip pain. You can also book a private appointment yourself.

The exact therapy you have will depend on what’s causing your hip pain. Your physiotherapist will usually give you some exercises to help strengthen the muscles in your thigh and around your hip, and to ease any stiffness. They’ll also give you exercises that will improve the range of movement you have with your hip. And your physiotherapist will give you some advice on how to improve your posture.

Occupational therapy

If your hip pain is affecting you at work, your GP or employer can help you get some occupational health support. An occupational health therapist can help you to change the way you do things to adapt to your hip problem. They may recommend equipment or adaptations to put less strain on your hip at home, work, or while you’re driving. You can also see an occupational therapist privately.

Surgery

Sometimes you will need surgery for hip pain. If you have a fracture, for example, a surgeon will stabilise the bone and hold it in place. They might need to replace part of your hip joint too.

If you have hip pain caused by arthritis, you may eventually need to have your hip replaced in an operation. You’ll need to have physiotherapy after hip surgery while you recover.