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Causes of Hip and Thigh Pain
Most often, pain in the hip and thigh is from injury to muscles, tendons, or bursas, usually from a fall, a blow, or overuse.
Groin Pull
A groin pull can be caused by a quick change in direction while you’re moving—often occurring in sports such as hockey, tennis, and basketball. A groin pull can result in pain, tenderness, and stiffness deep in the groin, making activity difficult.
Pulled Hamstring
A pulled hamstring is an injury to the group of muscles at the back of the thigh that attach at the pelvis and just behind the knee. Pulls or tears can occur from a sudden forceful move, such as sprinting to steal a base. Hamstring injuries most often occur in the center of the muscle, but the hamstring also can tear from the pelvic bone, just under the buttocks. Hamstring pulls and tears cause pain, limited motion, and sometimes bruising or a lot of swelling.
Bursitis
Bursitis in the hip usually involves the hip socket and causes tenderness, pain, and swelling on the outer part of the hip where some of the large buttock muscles attach. Bursitis in the hip can cause pain that spreads to the buttocks and down as far as the knee. Bursitis in the hip can be caused by activities such as speed-walking, aerobic dance, or carrying a baby on your hip. It also can be caused by conditions that alter the normal tilt of the pelvis, such as having one leg shorter than the other.
Charley Horse
Charley horse is a painful muscle injury caused by bruising of the thigh. The typical cramping of a charley horse can be accompanied by pain, swelling, stiffness, and skin discoloration. Use the RICE method right after any significant blow to the thigh. Continue icing for several days to help with pain and swelling. After a few days, start doing gentle stretching exercises. Heat may help, but don’t apply heat until at least 3 days after the injury.
Piriformis Syndrome
Piriformis syndrome is an irritation of the piriformis muscle, one of the smaller muscles lying under the large muscles of the buttocks. Irritation can occur if you sit or stand for long periods or repeat certain motions. When the piriformis muscle tightens and spasms, pressure may be placed on the sciatic nerve that serves the leg. The irritation, called piriformis syndrome, can cause pain, numbness, and tingling from the buttocks down the back of the leg to the foot.
The symptoms of this condition are often confused with those of disc disease in the spine. One way to tell if the problem is piriformis syndrome is to lie on your stomach with your knees together and bent, so your feet are in the air. Gently let your feet spread apart sideways. If you feel a pain in your buttocks as your feet move apart, your problem is probably piriformis syndrome.
Caring for Hip and Thigh Pain
For groin or hamstring pulls or tears:
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Use the RICE method and pain medications.
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Depending on the damage to the muscle tissue, you may need crutches for a few days.
For bursitis:
For a charley horse:
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Apply ice to the whole muscle, or as much of it as you can, right after the injury.
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Rest the area. Don’t try to move it in spite of the pain.
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Use the RICE method and use pain medications.
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See a doctor if not better in 7 to 10 days.
For piriformis syndrome:
Special Concerns for Children
Children can have the same hip and thigh problems as adults, but there are several problems unique to children that can affect the bones of the hip and thighs. Because children are still growing, these problems require medical attention to prevent long-term problems.
Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease is a breakdown of the ball of the femur, which is the long thigh bone that fits in the hip joint. Loss of blood supply to the hip causes part of the top of the bone to die and deteriorate.
Symptoms can include limping, pain in the groin area or inner thigh, and knee pain. Rest usually relieves the pain; activity makes it worse. The hip may be stiff, and the thigh may be weak.
Unless the hip is inflamed or the doctor recommends traction, a child with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease can play normally. The deterioration caused by the disease usually heals completely and does not recur. In some cases a child with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease may need to wear a cast or brace or require rest, traction, or even surgery to make sure the new bone on the femoral head grows properly.
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis
In slipped capital femoral epiphysis, the femoral head slips out of place. This condition usually occurs in children between the ages of 9 and 12, when puberty begins. The slip can happen over several months or suddenly, following a fall or other injury to the hip.
Symptoms can include limping, pain in the groin area or inner thigh, and knee pain. Rest usually relieves the pain; activity makes it worse. The hip may be stiff, and the thigh may be weak.
Treatment for slipped capital femoral epiphysis is surgery. It is usually very
effective, but is needed right away. Left untreated, the condition can lead to
arthritis in early adulthood.
Synovitis
Synovitis is the inflammation of any joint. The cause is unknown. In children, synovitis of the hip happens most often between the ages of 2 and 5. Children usually wake up with a limp, with or without pain. Your doctor may recommend that the child rest in bed. Symptoms usually last 3 to 14 days. You need to watch your child’s temperature. If a fever develops, your child needs to see a doctor.
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