Hip & Groin Pain

What is Hip and Groin Pain?

Hip pain, one of the common symptoms that patients complain of, may not always be felt precisely over the hip joint.

Pain may be felt in and around the hip joint and the cause for pain is multifactorial. The exact position of your hip pain suggests the probable cause or underlying condition causing pain

Pain felt inside the hip joint or your groin area is more likely to be because of the problems within the hip joint.

Likewise, the pain felt on the outer side of your hip, upper thigh or buttocks may be a result of the problems of the muscles, ligaments, tendons and soft tissues surrounding the hip joint.

However, certain disease conditions affecting other parts of your body such as lower back or knees also cause hip pain.

Causes of Hip and Groin Pain

The main cause of sudden pain in the hip is an injury resulting in fracture of the hip bone. Hip fractures are common in elderly individuals because the bones wear out as age advances.

Other causes of hip pain may be:

Osteoarthritis
Bursitis
Infection
Low Back Pain
Osteonecrosis Of The Hip
Sprains or Strains
Tendinitis Resulting From Repetitive Use

Diagnosis of Hip and Groin Pain

Patients who suspect they have sustained a hip injury or are suffering from hip or groin pain should seek medical consultation. The diagnosis for the hip often includes:

Physical examination

A doctor may evaluate the affected part of the hip to determine the presence of swelling, a limited range of motion, abrasions, bruising, or other common signs of a hip injury. Throughout the process, your doctor is likely to inquire as to how the injury was sustained, the level of pain the athlete is in, and what symptoms have been identified.

Obtain a Full Medical History

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history, any sports participation and activities that aggravate your condition.

Prior injury can elevate an athlete’s risk of sustaining an injury to the hip or groin. With this in mind, your doctor will likely evaluate the patient’s medical history in order to determine if a former condition has increased the likelihood of a given injury being present.

Medical Imaging

Once your doctor has completed the physical examination of the hip medical imaging such as an X-ray or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can help to form a final diagnosis.

A comprehensive evaluation of the hip allows your doctor to eliminate various possibilities, arrive at a diagnosis, and recommend a treatment plan.

Treatments for Hip and Groin Pain

Treatment of Hip and Groin Pain can begin immediately after the injury is sustained. Common first-response treatments for Hip and Groin Pain may include:

Pain medication - nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) can relieve some pain or discomfort associated with the Hip and Groin Pain (ibuprofen or naproxen)
R.I.C.E. To reduce the pain and swelling surrounding the injured area.
Rest: Rest the affected area as more damage could result from putting pressure on the injury.
Ice: Ice should be applied over a towel to the affected area for 15-20 minutes every two to three hours during the day. Never place ice directly over the skin.
Compression: Wrapping with an elastic bandage or an elasticated tubular bandage can help to minimize the swelling and provide support to the injured area.
Elevation: Elevating the injured area above heart level will also help with swelling and pain

Pausing athletic activity until the symptoms of the Hip and Groin have faded.

Recommended Treatments for Hip and Groin Pain

Following a medical evaluation, your doctor will be able to recommend a course of treatment. Common treatments for Hip and Groin Pain include:

Exercise training. A physician or physical therapist may recommend exercise training and bracing to strengthen the patellar tendon and reduce the symptoms of Hip and Groin Pain. This process commonly involves having an athlete engage in a series of Hip and Groin strengthening exercises.
Orthotics: Special shoe inserts may be prescribed for those with flat feet that may help relieve the pain.
Injection Therapies: In more advanced cases of patellar tendinopathy, it is common for physicians to recommend injection therapies. In these treatments, an athlete is given an injection (typically corticosteroids) to reduce inflammation and accelerate the healing of the patellar tendon.
Platelet-rich Plasma Therapy: This practice, also known as PRP, involves injecting the site of the injury with the patient's own platelet-rich plasma in an effort to accelerate healing.
Dry needling: In dry needling, a needle without a syringe is inserted into the affected area and moved, with the guidance of an arthroscopic camera, in an effort to break up or destroy degenerative structures within the Hip and Groin that may be contributing to injury.
Hyperthermia Thermotherapy: This process involves using both a heating source and a cooling source to raise the temperature of internally damaged tissues (in this case the patellar tendon) while allowing the surface level tissues to stay cool.
Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatment: This procedure, also known as ECSW, involves sending electrical impulses into the muscle tissue surrounding the patella to deliver force to damaged tissues. The force from the electric waves can help to do away with damaged or torn soft tissues.

A patient may need to undergo other treatments to ensure the ongoing health of the hip and groin.

Additional Treatments for Hip and Groin Pain

In some cases, you may need surgery that includes:

Arthroscopy: A small camera and several surgical tools are inserted into the hip joint and used to remove small fragments or damaged tissue.
Hip Surgery: This method would b required if non-surgical solutions were either not successful or in the case of Arthritic Hips a Hip Replacement surgery was recommended

Prevention of Hip and Groin Pain

If you are overweight, you may need to control your weight to avoid overstressing your hips
Gradually increase the intensity of your workout
If you have flat feet or other foot problems use shoe inserts
Avoid physical activities that may worsen the pain,
Stretching the quadriceps and hamstring muscles,
performing warm-up exercises for 5 minutes before the actual exercise regimen improve the condition
Wear proper fitting good quality running shoes with good shock absorption

However, the exact cause for the pain needs to be addressed. If you have an injury or severe hip pain and swelling, call our practice.