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Hip Problems

Follow this chart to gain insight into some common causes of hip pain.

Step 2

Answering Questions

  • Did you fall or suddenly feel your hip give way?

  • Do the toes on your leg on the side of your injured hip seem to turn out, and does it hurt to straighten, lift, or stand on your leg?

  • Do you have stiffness, swelling, redness, or pain in any other joints?

  • Have you felt a “click” in your hip or occasional pain with activity?

  • Do you have pain in the back of your hip that starts in your lower back and travels into your buttocks or into your leg?

  • Is the person a child with pain in the knees, hips, or groin?

  • Do you have pain in your hip that is also on the outside (lateral) part of your knee?

Step 3

Possible Causes

  • Diagnosis

    Your pain and deformity may be from a HIP FRACTURE.


    Self Care

    URGENT
    Go to the closest emergency room or call an ambulance.


  • Diagnosis

    Your hip pain may be from ARTHRITIS.


    Self Care

    Try an anti-inflammatory medicine. If you don’t feel better, see your doctor.


  • Diagnosis

    You may have a CONGENITAL HIP PROBLEM, a deformity of the hip joint that began before birth. You may also have TROCHANTERIC BURSITIS, an inflammation of the outside (lateral) part of your hip.


    Self Care

    See your doctor.


  • Diagnosis

    Your symptoms may be from SCIATICA, a pinched nerve. If the pain shoots down your leg near your knee or to your foot, this could also be from a RUPTURED or HERNIATED DISC in your low back.


    Self Care

    Heat, anti-inflammatory medicine, and rest may help. See your doctor if the pain continues or if it travels down your leg. Contact your doctor immediately if you develop difficulty controlling urination or bowel movements, have fever, have a history of cancer, or experience unintentional weight loss.


  • Diagnosis

    This could be related to a number of disorders, including a SLIPPED CAPITAL FEMORAL EPIPHYSIS (often associated with teenagers who are overweight or obese).


    Self Care

    See your doctor.


  • Diagnosis

    You may have ILIOTIBIAL BAND SYNDROME. This is more common in runners and cyclists (straight-ahead activities).


    Self Care

    Stretching and applying ice can help. See your doctor if the pain and discomfort worsens or does not improve with rest.


  • Self Care

    For more information, please talk with your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away.


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