Hip pain is a common complaint that can be caused by a wide variety of problems. The precise location of your hip pain can provide valuable clues about the underlying cause.
Problems within the hip joint itself tend to result in pain on the inside of your hip or your groin. Hip pain on the outside of your hip, upper thigh or outer buttock is usually caused by problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues that surround your hip joint.
Hip pain can sometimes be caused by diseases and conditions in other areas of your body, such as your lower back. This type of pain is called referred pain.
Inflammation of one or both SI joints is called sacroiliac joint dysfunction, or sacroiliitis. With this condition you may experience a sharp, stabbing pain that radiates from your hips and pelvis, up to the lower back, and down to the thighs. Sometimes it may feel numb or tingly, or as if your legs are about to buckle.
SCauses of SI joint pain include:
Osteoarthritis, also known as “wear and tear” arthritis is a degenerative disease in which the surface cartilage of a joint wears away eventually leaving just bone beneath it exposed. Healthy cartilage acts as padding in the joint and under normal conditions is perfectly smooth. When the cartilage deteriorates, it becomes rough and causes the pain people associate with having arthritis.
Bursitis is a painful condition that affects the small, fluid-filled sacs — called bursae — that cushion the bones, tendons and muscles near your joints. Bursitis occurs when bursae become inflamed.
The most common causes of bursitis are repetitive motions or positions that put pressure on the bursae around a joint. Other causes include injury or trauma to the affected area, inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and infection.