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Arthritis Or Bursitis – What’s Causing My Hip Pain?

Your hip is packed with muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. Pain in the hip can occur if anything goes wrong with any of them. Same as low back pain, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact source of hip pain treatment. It’s not necessary every time that your pain is caused by osteoarthritis. Sometimes, we mistake hip bursitis for hip arthritis. But what’s the difference between the two? Let’s find out.

What is hip bursitis?

Bursa is a thin sack filled with fluid, outside the hip’s joint treatment to protect it. If the hip’s bursa becomes inflamed the condition is known as hip bursitis. The cause behind hip bursitis can be an injury or some other underlying issue like a compressed nerve in the spine. Most of the time hip bursitis is the cause behind your hip pain. This happens mainly because some of the symptoms of hip osteoarthritis and hip bursitis are common among each other.

What is Hip Osteoarthritis?

Arthritis indicates joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis represents joint inflammation accompanied by weak bones. It happens when injury and inflammation of the hip joint treatment results in breaking of cartilage tissues. This kind of joint degeneration happens in old people.

Comparison of Symptoms of Bursitis and Osteoarthritis

By comparing the symptoms of hip osteoarthritis and hip bursitis, we can differentiate between them:

Symptoms of Hip Bursitis

  • Pain arises from the lower hip on the outside area.
  • Initially the pain can be sharp and slowly turn into a dull ache
  • The pain in hip can spread to the lower back, thigh, buttock or groin
  • The pain worsens after extended periods of inactivity such as sitting or sleeping or recurring activity such as climbing stairs or jogging.
  • Putting pressure on the affected hip can increase tenderness and pain.

Symptoms of Hip Osteoarthritis

  • Pain arises inside the hip joint, that’s why it can be felt in the thigh, groin, buttock and the hip.
  • Pain starts slowly and worsens gradually with the passage of time.
  • The hip becomes inflexible and stiff
  • Creaking or grating sensations can be felt
  • The deformity and stiffness of the hip can lead to a secondary pain in the knee

Hip Pain Treatment

Hip bursitis is usually treatable with nonsurgical methods such as icing, NSAIDs, and physical therapy. In case these remedies don’t provide relief, the doctor may suggest a corticosteroid injection, or to drain the bursa sack, or surgery in rare instances. Treating the underlying cause behind hip bursitis is also important.

Hip Osteoarthritis treatment aims at making it easy for the patient to move about and relieve their pain. For this purpose, resting, using a cane while walking, losing weight, exercising and taking pain medication are the non-surgical options. Hip replacement surgery is also a common resort to help treat hip osteoarthritis. Regenerative medicine also has nonsurgical solutions for this condition.

If you feel pain in hip and it doesn’t get better with rest, do not neglect it. Visit a pain management specialist to get your condition diagnosed and start your treatment early. An early diagnosis can help treat the condition non-surgically before the damage is irreparable. Reach out to Pain Management Institute on (815)464-7212 or (708)922-1902. We are here to help patients from Frankfort, Mokena , New Lenox , Orland park, Tinley park, Chicago heights, Olympia field , Kankakee, Bourbonnais, Monee, Manhattan , Joliet, Flossmoor, Homewood , Oak lawn, Calumet city, Burr Ridge and Hinsdale.