Pain in the hip and other major joints is a major cause of discomfort. Uncovering the causes of the pain can be a journey through the health and activity history of the patient. According to MedlinePlus and The Pain Clinic, hip and joint pain can be caused by a number of natural factors as well as major disorders and serious illnesses. Understanding the causes can help mitigate the pain.
Overuse
A prime natural factor for joint pain is overuse, notes Family Health UK. Straining the muscle, especially around major joints like the hip, can lead to pain. MedlinePlus adds that overuse injuries like sprains and overuse-caused inflammations like tendonitis contribute to the causes of joint pain in general and joint pain in the hip.
Arthritis
One leading cause of hip and joint pain, according to MedlinePlus, is arthritis. This can include either rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis or some other strain, notes The Pain Clinic. Osteoarthritis is more common in patients over the age of 45, reports The Pain Clinic, while the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes that there can actually be three strains of inflammatory arthritis in the hip: rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
The AAOS points out that in addition to affecting the hip, these kinds of inflammatory arthritis symptoms can affect multiple joints throughout the body. Pain can be on one side or the other or both.
Bursitis
MedlinePlus reports that bursitis can cause hip and joint pain, with acute or chronic incidence. Causes of bursitis that can contribute to overall pain levels include overuse, trauma, gout or infection. MedlinePlus notes that pain will be experienced until the inflammation of the bursa diminishes.
Infectious Diseases
Joint and hip pain can be caused by a number of infectious diseases, according to Family Health UK. MedlinePlus lists the flu, mumps, measles, chickenpox, German measles, rheumatic fever and Lyme disease as well as hepatitis, parvovirus and Epstein-Barr syndrome as potential triggers of hip and joint pain.
Tumors
In rare cases, the cause of hip and joint pain may be a tumor, notes Family Health UK. It reports that cancerous masses can interfere with regular joint movement and produce pain that affects the joint.
