Bone pains can be really hard to deal with because they can affect your normal life activities. Hip pain is no different either, especially when it occurs when you’re walking. Here are all of the possible causes of hip pain while you’re walking. For most of them, you will need the consult an orthopedic surgeon.

Causes Of Hip Pan When Walking

Labral Tears

The labrum is a ring of cartilage surrounding the hip socket. However, this cartilage also tends to tear and this can lead to a lot of pain because the cartilage is unable to cushion the movement of the hips when you walk and that can be a problem.

Often, it is diagnosed in people who play sports or do activities like ballet, playing basketball, or other sports that engage and flex the hips a lot. You will also hear a clicking or popping sound when you try to walk with a labral tear. Proper rest ensures the fusion of the labrum. However, surgery is also employed when things get out of hand.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a condition of the bones in which the joints can be in constant pain. In the hip bone, there is a very important joint called the ball and socket joint that facilitates walking and if that joint fall victim to arthritis, then it will be a pain to walk.

People who are over the age of 50 will experience arthritis and the best way to go about this is to either go for physical therapy, or hip replacement surgery if the damage is extensive.

Osteonecrosis

Osteonecrosis, or avascular necrosis, is a condition in which the part of the bone degenerates or dies, due to insufficient blood supply. This is a very serious condition, although it is quite rare.

Once the bone isn’t getting enough blood supply of nutrients, this can lead to a lot of problems. The bone will slowly start to weaken and you will experience a lot of pain. If there is any force applied to the bone, then it can break or shatter causing your hip to be in immense pain and there won’t be anything that you can do until you see a doctor, because you will be in constant discomfort.

Very common symptoms of Osteonecrosis include pain in the upper thigh, hips, buttocks, and even the legs. In worst cases, the hips can become numb and you can lose sensation in them. This is because nerves are also affected at this point, which is not a good sign at all.

Bursitis

Bursitis is a condition that causes the inflammation of the Bursae. They are cushiony, fluid-filled sacs that prevent rubbing of the bones with each other. However sometimes, an injury or force to these sacs can cause inflammation and this can lead to a lot of pain because the bones are essentially rubbing against each other, which might sound harmless, but the pain is excruciating.

It can also cause a lot of pain when you’re walking because pressure during walking makes the inflammation worse and you can feel it. Anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid injections, and physical therapy are some of the ways by which you can treat bursitis.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis is the inflammation of the tendons in the body. All over the body, there are muscular bands that hold the muscles with the bones and keep them intact. However, a lot of the time, these bands can get inflamed or there might be tearing in them that can lead to immense pain because the muscles are essentially slipping from the bones and that’s not normal at all.

Tendinitis can occur if you play a lot of sports and repeatedly do exercises that involve overuse of the hips. You will feel pain, especially when you lift your knees or legs and that’s the action that occurs when you walk, so it’s safe to say that walking will be a pain, literally.

This problem is either treated by regular rest or physical therapy. If the injury of the tendons is too much, then they need to be surgically fused and that can be a slightly invasive procedure as far as the hips are concerned.

Tendinitis is also common in other parts of the body like shoulders and elbows. You should visit a shoulder specialist Woodbridge for complete checkup.

Hip Fractures

Hip fractures are also very common to occur in either older people or people who tend to overuse their bodies a lot. This can lead to serious fissures and breaking of bones in the hip, pelvic, and upper thigh region. Hip fractures need a lot of time to heal and they can hinder the action of walking because you’re unable to walk or do anything for that matter. After all, you’re always in pain.

Hip fractures can turn serious very quickly, which is why you need to see a doctor immediately, preferably an orthopedic specialist, and get to the bottom of the problem. Sometimes, if the fracture is minor, it can be fixed over time with regular care. Otherwise, the bone needs to be fused with prosthetics and that requires surgery.

Snapping Hip Syndrome

Snapping hip syndrome is a disorder in which a distinct snapping or popping sound of the hip is heard and this is most audible when you’re walking. The main cause of snapping hip syndrome is the rubbing of the tendons of the pelvis with the bony parts of the hip. There isn’t normally pain in the hip. However, when there is a serious dislocation that is causing the snapping sound to occur, then it can lead to immense pain and that’s when walking becomes uncomfortable.

The most affected area in the snapping hip syndrome is the Iliotibial band, also known as the IT band. The band can get tightened or there might be structural deformities that can lead to a distinct snapping sound when you walk.

The only possible treatment for this disorder is to do light stretching and alleviate the band so that it is flexible and can move without snapping. Also, you can take pain medication if there is a lot of pain and discomfort, so much so that you can’t even seem to do normal life things.

Sciatica

Sciatica is the compression of the sciatic nerve and it causes pain that can radiate from the hips to the legs. The sciatic nerve runs along the lower hip and down each leg. There can be injuries that can lead to compression of the nerve and this can cause immense pain, especially when you’re walking because the nerve is disturbed when you’re moving your legs.

The causes of sciatica also include bone spurs or herniated discs in the spine. This can cause burning pain in your hip, back, and even the buttocks. There are several non-surgical treatments that you can go for.

You can resort to physical therapy, gentle stretching of the legs, and medication to alleviate the pain. Once the cause of compression is dealt with, you will feel less pain in the hips, especially when you walk. The pain can also worsen if you sit for longer periods.

Conclusion

Now that you know why hip pain occurs when you walk, you can get to the bottom of the problem and figure out a treatment mode that works best for you. See an orthopedic hip surgeon Woodbridge for diagnosis and treatment.