Arthritis is a general term used to describe over one hundred conditions. The symptoms you experience and the treatment you receive will be determined by the type of arthritis that you have. If you are having trouble with your hip the first step is to have your symptoms properly diagnosed. Then you and your doctor can figure out the best course of treatment. While you will need X-rays, MRIs and other diagnostic tests to get a definitive diagnosis of arthritis, you may want to watch for certain symptoms that can identify this condition.
Identification
There are two main forms of arthritis that can cause symptoms in the hips. One is osteoarthritis and the other is rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the joints begins to wear away. This allows the bones in the hip joint to rub together. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis the lining of the hip joint becomes inflamed. It is an autoimmune disease, or one in which the body attacks itself. As the disease progresses the hip joint can become misaligned. In most cases of rheumatoid arthritis both sides are affected so you will also notice symptoms in your right hip as well.
General Symptoms
When you have arthritis in your left hip you may experience symptoms such as pain and stiffness. You may have limited mobility on your left side. The pain may be achy or sharp. Your symptoms can come on suddenly when you move a certain way, or in some cases it can become progressively worse as you move around. As the joint becomes damaged, pieces of bone may break off and irritate the joint. You may develop a limp as you try to keep weight off of your left leg.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
With osteoarthritis, the stiffness in your left hip may tend to be worse after periods of inactivity. In contrast, the pain may become worse after prolonged activity. If your hip osteoarthritis goes untreated you may end up with limited range of motion, more severe pain and the development of bone spurs in the joint. You may eventually have trouble walking and doing everyday activities such as bending, standing from a seated position or climbing stairs.
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
If you have rheumatoid arthritis you may experience periods of flare ups followed by periods where the condition is in remission. There may be times when your hip really bothers you and times when it feels better. Like osteoarthritis, this form of arthritis causes hip pain. However, a difference is that along with the pain you may notice that the hip is tender to the touch, warm, swollen and red. With rheumatoid arthritis you may also experience fatigue, weight loss and fever.
Other Forms of Arthritis
Conditions such as bursitis and tendinitis also fall under the category of arthritis and can cause symptoms in the left hip. Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons, usually due to overuse. Hip bursitis occurs when the bursa, or fluid-filled sacs, in the hip joint become inflamed. The symptoms of these two conditions are similar to osteoarthritis, such as pain, stiffness and loss of range of motion. It may also be painful to lie on the affected side. Depending on which tendon is involved, certain movements will be more painful than others.
