Hip pain is a common problem caused by various factors such as inflammation of muscles or tendons around the joint, repetitive use, injuries, and issues originating from the hip joint itself, including hip osteoarthritis, a condition where the cartilage in the joint gradually wears down, causing movement to become less smooth, accompanied by pain, stiffness, or restricted motion. Many people think hip pain is just due to aging or fatigue, but persistent pain—especially hip pain when walking, deep groin pain, stiffness, or limping—may be signs that require evaluation by an orthopedic specialist. Early diagnosis helps ensure more targeted care.
Hip osteoarthritis is a condition where the cartilage that cushions and reduces friction in the hip joint gradually deteriorates. When the joint surface becomes uneven, movement starts to hurt, feel stuck, or stiff, and sometimes the hip may feel like it catches or locks. Some cases develop excess bone growth, further limiting joint mobility.
The hip joint bears the body's weight daily, directly affecting walking, sitting, climbing stairs, and daily activities. If hip osteoarthritis begins and is left untreated, symptoms usually worsen gradually over time.
The causes of hip pain vary. The pain’s location and characteristics help indicate the cause, such as direct hip joint problems, issues with muscles or tendons around the hip, or referred pain from the back and nerves. Common causes include
1) Hip osteoarthritis, a major cause of hip pain when walking, stiffness, difficult movement, and deep groin pain, especially in middle-aged or older individuals or those with accumulated risk factors.
2) Inflammation of muscles, tendons, or bursae around the hip, which often causes pain on the outside of the hip or pain when lying on the affected side, rather than deep pain within the hip joint itself.
3) Injury or repetitive strain, such as heavy lifting, intense exercise, prolonged walking, running, or trauma, leading to sudden or chronic pain.
4) Problems from the back or nerves, where some experience hip pain radiating down the leg that may not originate from the hip joint but relate to nerve issues from the lower back, such as nerve root compression or sciatica-like symptoms.
If several of the following symptoms appear together, one should be cautious about hip osteoarthritis, as these are common patterns among affected patients.
Although hip osteoarthritis becomes more common with age, age alone is not the cause. Risk factors include older age, excess body weight, history of hip injury, family history of osteoarthritis, and congenital hip joint deformities. Simply put, continuous heavy load on the hip over time or structural imbalances in the joint from birth can hasten cartilage wear.
Immediate hospital visit is needed for severe pain after a fall or accident, inability to bear weight, or numbness following injury.
Treatment depends on the cause and severity. Generally, doctors start with non-surgical methods such as behavior modification to reduce hip stress, physical therapy, appropriate exercise, weight control, and pain medications as prescribed. These measures can relieve pain and maintain joint mobility in many cases.
For patients with worsening symptoms that interfere with walking, sitting, sleeping, or daily activities, and who do not improve with non-surgical treatment, doctors may consider hip replacement surgery. This procedure can reduce pain, improve movement, and restore quality of life closer to normal.
Therefore, if you experience chronic hip pain, stiffness, difficulty walking, or symptoms affecting daily life, you should consult an orthopedic specialist for appropriate evaluation and treatment planning, ranging from non-surgical care to hip replacement surgery if necessary.
Hip pain does not always indicate hip osteoarthritis. However, if symptoms include groin pain, hip pain during walking, stiffness, locking, radiating pain down the leg, or chronic pain on one side, hip joint abnormalities should be considered—especially in older individuals, those overweight, or with previous hip injuries.
Early consultation with a specialist helps differentiate whether the issue is truly from the hip joint or referred from muscles, tendons, or the lower back, enabling more precise treatment planning. If hip pain is chronic, worsens when walking, limits movement, or disrupts daily life, an orthopedic evaluation is crucial to find the true cause and devise targeted treatment.
Information provided by the Muscle, Bone, and Joint Center, Phyathai Sriracha Hospital