What Causes Hip Pain When Walking?

What Causes Hip Pain When Walking?

One of the main factors increasing the risk of health complications is sedentary living. Clinicians recommend committing to daily activities to maintain optimal wellness. Unfortunately, patients who experience hip pain Spartanburg when walking may find it challenging to stay active.

Collaborating with a trusted healthcare provider who will conduct necessary assessments to identify the cause of your hip pain and thus develop an appropriate approach to eliminate your symptoms is critical. The following causes of hip pain affect muscles, tendons, and joints:

  • Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage between bones breaks down, causing painful rubbing of bones against each other when you walk.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis: This auto-immune disease causes the body’s defense mechanism to destroy the tissues around the hip, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling.
  • Tendinitis: Tendons link skeletal muscle to bone. Inflammation in your tendons causes irritation, swelling, and pain in the hip. The main cause of tendinitis is injury and overused tendons.
  • Iliotibial band tightness: Facsia fibers running from the lateral hip to the top of the skin form the iliotibial band. An overused iliotibial band causes inflammation and pain.
  • Bursitis: The bursae are small fluid-filled scars that limit friction between the muscles, tendons, and bones. Inflammation of the bursae causes bursitis, a condition that presents pain near the hip joint.
  • Hip labral tear: The head of the femur remains in the acetabulum via a ring of cartilage called the labrum. Patients with symptomatic hip dysplasia can experience labral tears causing pain across the entire hip.
  • Hip flexor strain: Injury or strain in the hip flexor muscles that connect the femur to the lower back and hip causes cramping in the upper leg.

Sprain or strain: This condition occurs due to overused muscles and ligaments in the hips, causing sharp pain when walking.

  • Toxic synovitis: Children are the most vulnerable to this inflammatory condition which causes pain to spread across the hip area, especially when bearing weight.

The following are bone causes of hip pain:

  • Avascular necrosis (osteonecrosis): This condition limits blood flow to the hip, causing a dull ache.
  • Fracture (break): Sedentary living, low bone density, and long-term medication use increase your risk of hip fractures.
  • Osteoporosis: Patients with this condition have weak bones causing severe sudden pain that worsens with activity.
  • Joint effusion: Inflammatory diseases cause fluid buildup in the hip joint, causing swelling and sharp pain.
  • Dislocation: The femur can slip out of place in its socket, causing the hip joint to become loose and painful during movement.
  • Osteomyelitis: This inflammatory disease in the hip occurs due to microorganisms infecting the joint, leading to progressive bone loss—patients with osteomyelitis cause muscle spasms and deep pain.

These nerve problems near the hip joint cause pain when walking:

  • Pinched nerve: Patients with pinched nerves experience pain, numbness, tingling, and reduced movement. These symptoms worsen with pressure or friction.
  • Sciatica: This condition occurs due to irritation of the sciatic nerve.
  • Sacroiliitis: Inflammation where the sacral spine meets the pelvis bone causes pain that worsens when standing for long.

Contact United Physician Group to talk to a specialist about your symptoms and schedule an appointment to diagnose the cause of your hip pain. 

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