Follow this chart to gain insight into some common causes of hip pain.
Trusted medical advice from the
American Academy of Family Physicians.
American Academy of Family Physicians.
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Trusted medical advice from the
American Academy of Family Physicians.
American Academy of Family Physicians.
Hip Problems
Step 1
Selecting A Symptom
- Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Long-term
- Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Short-term
- Ankle Problems
- Breast Problems in Men
- Breast Problems in Women
- Chest Pain in Infants and Children
- Chest Pain, Acute
- Chest Pain, Chronic
- Cold and Flu
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Ear Problems
- Elimination Problems or Constipation
- Elimination Problems or Constipation in Infants and Children
- Eye Problems
- Facial Swelling
- Feeding Problems in Infants and Children
- Fever
- Fever in Infants and Children
- Foot Problems
- Genital Problems in Infants (Female)
- Genital Problems in Infants (Male)
- Genital Problems in Men
- Genital Problems in Women
- Hair Loss
- Hand/Wrist/Arm Problems
- Headaches
- Hearing Problems
- Hip Problems
- Knee Problems
- Leg Problems
- Lower Back Pain
- Menstrual Cycle Problems
- Mouth Problems
- Mouth Problems in Infants and Children
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Nausea and Vomiting in Infants and Children
- Neck Pain
- Neck Swelling
- Shortness of Breath
- Shortness of Breath in Infants and Children
- Shoulder Problems
- Skin Rashes & Other Skin Problems
- Throat Problems
- Tooth Problems
- Urination Problems
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.
