Treating Hip Pain: What You Need to Know

Medications, chiropractic care, and acupuncture are among the most effective treatments for hip pain. 

FREMONT, CA: The hip joint can withhold repeated motion and normal wear and tear. As the body's largest ball-and-socket joint, its design allows for smooth movement.

When individuals utilize their hip, for example, to go for a run, a cartilage cushion aids to avoid friction when the hip bone rotates in its socket. Despite being durable, the hip joint is not unbreakable. The cartilage can wear down or become injured over time and with use. Hip muscles and tendons can be overworked. Hip bones might break from a fall or other accident. Any of the following conditions can cause hip pain. If the hips are sore, here's what's causing pain and how to relieve it.

Prominent causes of hip discomfort

Osteoarthritis: It is one of the most prevalent causes of hip discomfort, particularly in elderly adults. With osteoarthritis, an injury or normal wear and tear affects the cartilage that cushions the hip bones, leading to pain and stiffness. One may also have a limited range of motion in their hip.

Bursitis: Bursae are liquid-filled sacs located between bones, muscles, and tendons. They reduce friction caused by tissues rubbing together. When bursae become inflamed, they can cause pain, which is caused by repetitive activities that stress or irritate the hip joint.

Hip fractures: As individuals age, their bones can become weaker and brittle, making them more prone to breaking during falls. This type of injury, as well as repetitive stress, can both induce a hip fracture. Stress fractures occur when pressure is frequently applied to the bone, such as during sports, and these are rather prevalent among athletes.

Cancer: Tumors that originate or spread to the bone can generate pain in the hips and other bones throughout the body.

Hip pain can be treated in the following ways

Medications: If the hip pain is generated by a muscle strain, osteoarthritis, or tendinitis, individuals may typically treat it with over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen. Prescription anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate and sulfasalazine and immune-targeting biologics are all used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese treatment that involves inserting small needles into the skin. Although clinical data on acupuncture for hip pain is limited, it may help reduce hip pain and inflammation. Sometimes, it is used in conjunction with other treatments.