🦴 Hip Pain: What Your Body Might Be Trying to Tell You.

7. Hip Fracture

Older adults, especially those with osteoporosis, may experience a hip fracture after a fall.

Symptoms include:

• Severe pain.
• Inability to bear weight.
• Shortened or outward-turned leg.

A suspected hip fracture requires immediate medical care.

8. Inflammatory Conditions

Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis can affect the hip joint.

Unlike wear-and-tear arthritis, inflammatory arthritis may also cause:

• Swelling.
• Warmth.
• Fatigue.
• Pain in multiple joints.

9. Referred Pain

Pain felt in the hip sometimes actually originates elsewhere.

Problems involving the:

• Lower back.
• Pelvis.
• Groin.
• Abdomen.

may all produce discomfort that seems to come from the hip.

This is why a proper medical evaluation is important when pain persists.

10. Less Common Causes

Although much less frequent, hip pain may occasionally be related to:

• Bone infections.
• Reduced blood supply to part of the hip bone.
• Certain tumors.
• Other serious medical conditions.

These causes are uncommon but highlight the importance of medical assessment when symptoms are severe or unexplained.

When Should You See a Healthcare Professional?

Consider seeking medical evaluation if hip pain:

• Lasts more than several days without improvement.
• Makes walking difficult.
• Worsens despite rest.
• Returns repeatedly.
• Occurs with fever, redness, or significant swelling.
• Follows a fall or serious injury.

Seek urgent medical attention if you cannot bear weight on the leg, notice a visibly deformed hip, or experience severe pain after trauma.