Hip or Groin Pain
Hip pain can be caused by several factors, including traumatic injuries, overuse or repetitive motion, or underlying conditions like arthritis.
Muscular Injury
A common cause of hip pain in adults is muscular weakness, strains, or overuse, especially in the hip flexor, groin, and lower abdominal muscles.
Hip flexor strains usually cause pain in the front of the hip and thigh, sometimes up into the lower abdominal region. These happen when you overstretch or tear the muscles responsible for lifting your leg and bending the waist. Cyclists, runners, and soccer players often suffer these injuries.
Groin strains cause pain in the inside (medial) portion of the thigh and can be mild to severe. These occur when you overstretch or tear the muscles on the inside of the thigh, called adductors
Lower abdominal strains are sometimes mistaken for hip flexor strains because the pain can be in the same location.
What Can You Do if You Have Hip Pain?
Treatment for all types of hip pain is similar.
The RICE Method
| R | Rest the injured area. |
| I | Ice the injury for 20 minutes at a time. Do not apply the ice directly to the skin. |
| C | Compress the injured area with a wrap. Do not pull the wrap tightly, as this can cut off circulation. |
| E | Elevate the injured area above the heart |
Other Methods
- Anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen or naproxen
- Gentle muscle stretching
These injuries can be prevented by warming up before exercise and cooling down after exercise. For cyclists, make sure the bike seat is at an appropriate height to help reduce these muscular injuries.
Sciatica
Sciatica is pain in the lower back that radiates down through the buttocks, hip, and lower extremities. Several underlying factors cause sciatic nerve pain, including muscle tightness, disc herniation, arthritis of the spine, or spinal stenosis. A sports medicine specialist can determine if your pain comes from the sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve pain can happen with activity or at rest, and can sometimes cause numbness and paresthesia (pins and needles sensation).
Treatment for sciatic nerve pain typically depends on the underlying cause but can include anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, and ice.
Arthritis
Arthritis in the hip is most common in people 50+ years of age, but it can occur in young people as well.
Arthritis occurs when the cartilage in the hip wears down over time. People with arthritis may complain of joint stiffness, cracking, swelling, tenderness, and sometimes deformities in the joint.
Arthritis is diagnosed after an X-ray shows degeneration of the cartilage in the hip joint. Treatment can include physical therapy, weight loss, ice, heat, medications, or joint replacement.