Hip pain when walking can stem from various underlying issues, ranging from everyday wear and tear to more serious conditions. Here's a breakdown of potential causes:
Common Causes of Hip Pain While Walking:
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Arthritis: This is a common culprit, especially osteoarthritis, where the cartilage in your hip joint breaks down over time. This leads to pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion, often worsening with activity like walking.
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Bursitis: Bursae are fluid-filled sacs that cushion your joints. Trochanteric bursitis, inflammation of the bursa on the outside of your hip, can cause sharp, burning pain that radiates down your leg when you walk or put pressure on the hip.
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Hip Labral Tear: The labrum is a ring of cartilage that helps stabilize the hip joint. Tears in the labrum can cause pain, clicking, catching, or a feeling of instability in the hip, especially during weight-bearing activities.
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Hip Impingement (Femoroacetabular Impingement - FAI): This occurs when the bones of the hip joint are abnormally shaped, causing them to rub against each other during movement. This can lead to pain, stiffness, and eventually, labral tears or arthritis.
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Muscle Strains and Tendonitis: Overuse or sudden injuries can strain the muscles and tendons surrounding the hip, leading to pain that worsens with walking.
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Iliotibial (IT) Band Syndrome: While IT band syndrome usually causes knee pain, it can also refer pain up to the hip. Tightness in the IT band can cause friction and irritation on the outside of the hip.
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Stress Fractures: These small cracks in the bone can occur from repetitive stress, especially in athletes. Stress fractures in the hip can cause pain that increases with activity, like walking.
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Dislocation: A hip dislocation is a serious injury that requires immediate medical attention. The intense pain will usually prevent walking.
Other Potential Causes:
While less common, other conditions can contribute to hip pain while walking, including:
- Referred Pain: Pain from other areas, such as the lower back or knee, can sometimes be felt in the hip.
- Infections: Although rare, infections in the hip joint can cause significant pain and inflammation.
- Tumors: In very rare cases, a tumor in or around the hip joint can cause pain.
What To Do If Your Hip Hurts When You Walk:
- Rest: Avoid activities that aggravate your pain.
- Ice: Apply ice packs to the affected area for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day.
- Over-the-counter pain relievers: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen can help reduce pain and inflammation.
- See a doctor: If your pain is severe, doesn't improve with home treatment, or is accompanied by other symptoms (such as fever, swelling, or numbness), see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. A physical examination and imaging tests (X-rays, MRI) may be necessary to determine the cause of your pain.
