The experience of pain in the muscles or joints in the hip and pelvic region, a common condition coming from any number of factors, is considered “pain in the hip”. Many times this condition is closely associated with “lower back pain”. Causes of pain in the area of the hip joint may be intra-articular, extra-articular, or referred pain from neighboring structures, such as symphysis, spine, inguinal canal, or the sacroiliac joint. Here Amanda McCracken, Women's Healthmag.com, reflects on the hip pain uptick experienced by young fit women:

“Nicole Jefferson was in her late twenties but felt as if she had the hips of a senior citizen. It seemed as if something in her hip was constantly catching and snapping. Pain pinballed from her lower back to her groin to her hip. Short jogs—something that should have been a breeze for the former high school and collegiate runner—were excruciating. “I just wanted to sit through a movie or a long car ride without aching,” she says.

Given her athletic history, doctors suspected a sports hernia, an injury to the soft tissue in her groin. But surgery to address that problem only made her agony worse. Finally, five years ago, when she was 35, an MRI identified tears in her labrums, the gasket-like rings of cartilage around the hip sockets that cushion and stabilize the joint. Prior MRIs (using older machines) had failed to pick up the problem. Her doctor said there was so much inflammation in and around her hips, it was as if they were “on fire.” She had surgery to fix her labrums and joint, followed by physical therapy. Still, she has some pain while running.

Jefferson’s experience isn’t a one-off. In recent years there has been a dramatic rise in the number of young women developing hip pain tied to current or past activity. Rates of hip arthroscopy, the surgery Jefferson had, have skyrocketed, particularly among younger people, while hip replacements have increased 40 percent among 45- to 54-year-olds.

Image courtesy of: Alain Bachellier

What’s up with the soaring surgery rates?

In part, docs have gotten better at ID’ing hip problems that were previously diagnosed and treated as back injuries or groin strains. High on the list of overlooked conditions: labral tears and hip dysplasia, a genetic condition in which the hip socket is too shallow to fully cover the ball portion of the femur. (It’s the leading cause of hip arthritis in women under 50.)

But the rise is also the result of more women spending the past few decades participating in sports that, sadly, put their hips in harm’s way. Both recreational and competitive running became popular in the 1980s, following the debut of the women’s marathon in the 1984 Olympics.

A decade earlier, Title IX’s passing created a more even athletic playing field. That led to a spike in female participation in cross country, soccer, and track—high-impact sports that involve a lot of hinging. Make no mistake, this uptick in female sports involvement is awesome—but it’s also considered a factor in our hip woes.

Image courtesy of: albarinm

 

How to save your joints.

If basic biology, genetics, or earlier activity has left you with creaky hips, you don’t need to live with the pain or table your gym routine. Low-impact workouts like swimming can strengthen hips while preventing further wear and tear.”

Image courtesy of: hukuzatuna

If you would like to learn other solutions to help control your health … click here?

 

Read More … Article Source: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a22887424/hip-joint-pain/

Photo By Ludo29880