What Causes Hip Pain While Walking?

Hip pain is a condition that impacts both mobility and quality of life.

It is expected to become more prevalent as the population becomes increasingly older. But what is the cause of this condition? How can it be relieved? Are there ways to prevent it? In this article, we will go over the answers to these questions and more.

What are the causes of hip pain?

Hip pain while walking can affect adults of all ages and physical activity levels. It can be caused by different conditions, both acute and chronic. The most common ones include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis: When the immune system doesn’t work like it should and attacks the joints. It can affect both hips and cause pain, stiffness, and swelling.
• Bursitis: Swelling of the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction between the muscles, bones, and tendons around the joints. It can cause sensitivity and pain with movement.
• Sciatica: Pain caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. This is not only a condition but also a symptom, so you should see a doctor to find out what is causing it. The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the body, running from the buttocks to the feet.
• Dislocation: When the femur pops out of its place in the hip socket. It can cause intense pain, and the hip joint can feel loose and unstable.
• Hip flexor strain: This can happen when the hip flexor muscles, which connect the femur to the low back and hip, are injured or tight. This usually manifests as cramping or pain in the upper leg and a pulling sensation in the thighs and groin.
• Sprains or strains: These usually happen when the hip and leg muscles and ligaments are overexerted. You may feel a sharp pain that worsens with activity.
• Fractures: Partial or complete fractures can occur at the top of the femur, near the hip joint. They are usually caused by an impact or fall.
  
• Pinched nerve: A nerve that gets pinched (trapped) by bones, tendons, or ligaments in the hip region, causing pressure or friction that irritates the nerve signals. It can trigger sharp pain in the thigh, buttock, groin, and hip, as well as reduced mobility, numbness, and tingling.
  
• Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage between the bones breaks down, eventually causing them to rub against each other. It can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced movement.
• Osteoporosis: This condition is characterized by weak and fragile bones. It can cause sudden, intense pain in the hip that worsens with movement.
• Tendinitis: When the tendons are inflamed, causing swelling, irritation, or pain.
• Tight iliotibial (IT) band: The IT band is made up of connective tissue fibers that run from the outer hip to the upper shin. This condition can cause swelling and pain.
  

How to reduce hip pain while walking

To relieve hip pain while walking, you will need to address what is causing it. While some cases of hip pain can improve without treatment, others may require professional assistance.

Some of the main options to reduce this type of pain include:

• Resting and avoiding activities that make the pain worse, giving your hip time to recover.
• Doing physical therapy.
• Doing massage therapy.
• Taking over-the-counter or prescription medications, such as pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs.
  
• Using crutches or a cane to relieve the load on your hip.
• Managing or losing weight to reduce pressure on your hip.
• Sleeping on the side of the body that doesn’t hurt and placing a pillow between your legs.
  
• Trying not to stay standing for long periods.
  
• Wearing comfortable shoes.

Can hip pain be prevented?

In some cases, hip pain while walking is related to a chronic disease, such as arthritis or osteoporosis. But in other cases, some small changes can make a difference, such as:

• Correcting poor posture while standing, sitting, or walking.
• Managing body weight.
• Warming up before and stretching after exercise.

Remember, you should see a doctor if you experience hip pain for more than two days; you have an injury or fall; or the pain is intense, worsens over time, or prevents you from doing daily tasks. The sooner you address the problem, the greater the likelihood it does not get worse and cause serious consequences.

Sources: National Library of Medicine; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Mayo Clinic; Arthritis Foundation; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.