Your hips can hurt for a variety of reasons, including bone diseases caused by calcium deficiencies. Calcium supplements can help keep bones healthy and strong, and slow down the progress of certain bone diseases. Even though calcium can help some bone conditions, it does not cure them.
Hip Pain
If you're suffering from hip pain, you could have one or more bone conditions or diseases. Osteoporosis, bursitis and osteoarthritis are common culprits as people age. Osteonecrosis, in which the bone dies as a result of poor blood supply, is a serious condition that can cause hip pain as well. These types of bone conditions cause your bones to become weak and porous, which can especially impact your hips. Your hips carry a great amount of body weight. When those bones become weak and brittle, your body weight can cause a lot of pain no matter if you're sitting or standing.
Calcium Supplements
Your health care provider may recommend calcium supplements to prevent or slow the progression of certain bone conditions. Your bones rely heavily on calcium, along with vitamin D to stay strong and remain healthy. When your bones do not get enough of these key nutrients, they can become weak. If your bones are weak, you may be more prone to developing some bone conditions and diseases. Taking a calcium supplement can help bones retain their health and possibly improve their density.
Other Treatments
Your health care provider may perform tests to determine how much bone density you've lost and what's causing the loss of bone density. If you suffer from bursitis, you may need antibiotics to relieve the inflammation. Treating the underlying problem can help resolve pain issues. If it's osteonecrosis that you're suffering from, your doctor will determine an appropriate solution to restore blood flow to the affected bone to alleviate pain. While calcium can help, you must ensure that you're taking the correct dosage. If you're taking a calcium supplement and relying on just the supplement to provide your calcium needs, you may not get enough calcium to help resolve the issue.
Pain Management
Depending upon which bone condition or disease you suffer from, you may need to manage your pain. Your health care provider may recommend warm compresses, massage, over-the-counter pain relievers or prescription strength pain relievers. Even though the pain relievers may help you cope with the pain, it's still important to find and address the cause of the pain. You may need to see a specialist, such as a rheumatologist, to help determine an appropriate treatment plan.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Calcium Supplements: When Should They Be Taken?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; Sept. 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Calcium Supplements: Do Men Need Them Too?; Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.; Dec. 2010
- MedlinePlus: Women Taking Calcium Supplements May Risk Heart Health, Researchers Say
- MedlinePlus: Osteonecrosis; July 2009
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Osteoporosis; July 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Bursitis; Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD; Dec. 2009
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