Most of us think of hip pain as a problem that occurs when we’re older, maybe beginning in our 50s or beyond. It’s true, hip pain does become more common as we get older. But hip pain in young adults is common too. And in fact, hip pain in teens is more common than you may you think.
In older men and women, a lot of hip pain is caused by arthritis. Years of stress and strain on the joint eventually causes the protective cartilage layer to break down. Friction inside the joint increases, and so do inflammation and pain. Low back problems and other wear-related issues are other common causes of hip pain in older adults. The causes of hip pain in young adults can vary. And that means the treatment for relieving pain can also vary.
Hip Pain in Young Adults & Teens
During the teen years, it’s easy to dismiss discomfort as “growing pains” in the hips. But the fact is, when hip pain develops in a teenager or a young adult, often an underlying hip deformity is to blame. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a condition that occurs when either the ball or socket portion of the joint is malformed.
Sometimes, both parts are malformed. The malformation means the ball and socket don’t fit together well. As the hip moves, friction between the ball and socket can wind up damaging the cartilage that lines and protects the joint. The resulting inflammation causes pain during the teen years and well into young adulthood. The added wear inside the joint also means it’s a lot more likely arthritis will develop in later years.
FAI is a common cause of hip pain in teenage athletes. In one study, hip shape abnormalities were present in 87 percent of young patients complaining of hip pain.
Although FAI can cause a lot of pain, it doesn’t always cause significant symptoms. In fact, in a study of 134 college football players, 95 percent had hip deformities associated with FAI, even though the players had no symptoms.
In addition to causing pain and increasing the risk of arthritis, FAI can also damage the hip labrum. The labrum is a tough ring of cartilage that helps hold the ball in place inside the socket. In FAI, the malformation increases pressure and friction on the labrum, weakening and sometimes tearing it. Labrum damage typically causes pain in the front of the hip. Other symptoms include thigh pain and the sensation of “clicking” or “sticking” inside the joint.
Hip dysplasia is another type of hip deformity that can cause hip pain in young adults, although it’s more commonly associated with pain in older patients. Like FAI, hip dysplasia involves a deformity that develops as the hip joint grows. In hip dysplasia, the hip socket is shallow, preventing a good “fit” with the round ball part of the joint. The shallow shape means the ball part presses against the rim of the socket. Over time, the added pressure degrades the cartilage on the rim, resulting in pain and, eventually, arthritis.
Recognizing the Signs of Hip Problems in Young Adults
Hip pain might be the most obvious sign of a hip problem, but it’s not the only one. And since hip deformities don’t always cause a lot of pain, it’s important to look for other symptoms.
Tenderness: If the hip feels tender when touched or pressed, it could be bursitis. Bursitis occurs when tiny sacs inside the joint become inflamed. Sometimes, bursitis occurs alongside a deformity, but strenuous activity can also cause bursitis.
“Snapping” sensations: “Snapping hip” most commonly occurs when a tendon gets “caught” on a bony prominence in the hip joint. As you move your hip, the tendon releases and “snaps.” Sometimes, you can hear a “pop” when the tendon snaps free. Snapping hip often occurs on its own, but in some cases, it’s associated with a more serious underlying problem.
Buttock pain: Sometimes, a strain or muscle tear in the buttock area can cause hip pain, as well as pain along the side of the thigh.
Shooting pain or numbness: A sharp, electricity-like pain is a sign of nerve involvement. If a nerve gets trapped or compressed, you can experience pain and numbness anywhere along the length of the nerve. Compression of nerves in the thigh and the lower back are the most common sources of nerve-related hip pain.
Early Treatment is Critical
A lot of people worry that hip pain means they’re going to need joint replacement surgery. But the good news is, most types of hip pain can be treated much more conservatively. Physical therapy, over-the-counter pain medicines, rest, and other nonsurgical treatments are often adequate in relieving hip pain. In other cases, a minimally-invasive procedure called arthroscopy might be used to “fix” an underlying problem.
No matter what causes hip pain in young adults, scheduling an evaluation with Dr. Van Thiel is critical. Left untreated, hip pain can lead to arthritis in later life. On the other hand, early treatment may prevent disability and avoid the need for joint replacement. If you or your child are experiencing hip pain, contact the office and schedule your evaluation today.
Wengi wetu huona maumivu ya kiuno kama tatizo linalotokea wakati tunapokuwa wazee, labda kuanzia miaka yetu ya 50 au zaidi. Ni kweli, maumivu ya kiuno huwa ya kawaida zaidi kadiri tunavyokua. Lakini maumivu ya kiuno katika watu wazima wachanga ni ya kawaida pia. Kwa kweli, maumivu ya kiuno katika vijana ni ya kawaida kuliko unavyofikiri. Katika wanaume na wanawake wazee, maumivu mengi ya kiuno husababishwa na ugonjwa wa viungo. Miaka mingi ya mkazo na mkazo kwenye kiungo hatimaye husababisha tabaka la kibofu cha kinga kuvunjika. Mvutano ndani ya kiungo huongezeka, na hivyo ndivyo uvimbe na maumivu. Matatizo ya mgongo wa chini na matatizo mengine yanayohusiana na kuvaa ni visababishi vingine vya kawaida vya maumivu ya kiuno kwa watu wazima wazee. Sababu za maumivu ya kiuno kwa watu wazima vijana zaweza kutofautiana. Hii inamaanisha kwamba matibabu ya kupunguza maumivu yanaweza kuwa tofauti. Maumivu ya kiuno katika Watu Wazima Vijana na Vijana Wakati wa miaka ya ujana, ni rahisi kuondoa usumbufu kama "maumivu ya kukua" katika viuno. Lakini ukweli ni kwamba, wakati maumivu ya kiuno yanapoanza kwa kijana au mtu mzima mchanga, mara nyingi kasoro ya kiuno ya msingi ndiyo inayosababisha maumivu hayo. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) ni hali ambayo hutokea wakati ama mpira au sehemu ya socket ya pamoja ni malformed. Nyakati nyingine, sehemu zote mbili huwa na kasoro. Kasoro hiyo inamaanisha kwamba mpira na soketi hazifanani vizuri. Wakati wa kuhamisha kiuno, msuguano kati ya mpira na socket unaweza kuharibu cartilage ambayo inaweka na kulinda kiungo. Uvimbe unaotokezwa na hilo husababisha maumivu wakati wa ujana na hadi utotoni. Uharibifu ulioongezwa ndani ya kiungo pia unamaanisha ni uwezekano mkubwa zaidi kwamba ugonjwa wa viungo utazuka katika miaka ya baadaye. FAI ni sababu ya kawaida ya maumivu ya kiuno kwa wanariadha matineja. Katika utafiti mmoja, asilimia 87 ya wagonjwa wachanga waliolalamika juu ya maumivu ya kiuno walikuwa na kasoro za umbo la kiuno. Ingawa FAI inaweza kusababisha maumivu mengi, si mara zote husababisha dalili muhimu. Katika utafiti uliofanywa na wachezaji 134 wa mpira wa miguu wa chuo kikuu, asilimia 95 walikuwa na kasoro za kiuno zinazohusiana na FAI, ingawa wachezaji hao hawakuwa na dalili zozote. Pamoja na kuharibu na kuharibu, ugonjwa wa FAU unaweza kuharibu pia labrum ya kiuno. Labrum ni pete ngumu ya cartilage ambayo husaidia kushikilia mpira mahali pake ndani ya soketi. Katika FAI, kasoro hiyo huongeza shinikizo na msuguano kwenye labrum, ikiidhoofisha na nyakati nyingine kuivunja. Uharibifu wa labrum kwa kawaida husababisha maumivu mbele ya kiuno. Dalili nyingine zinatia ndani maumivu ya viuno na hisia ya "kuchoma" au "kuambatana" ndani ya kiungo. Hip dysplasia ni aina nyingine ya deformity ya kiuno ambayo inaweza kusababisha maumivu ya kiuno katika watu wazima vijana, ingawa ni kawaida kuhusishwa na maumivu katika wagonjwa wazee. Kama vile FAI, dysplasia ya kiuno inahusisha kasoro ambayo huendelea kadiri kiungo cha kiuno kinavyokua. Katika dysplasia ya kiuno, socket ya kiuno ni ya chini, kuzuia "kufaa" vizuri na sehemu ya mpira wa mviringo wa pamoja. Umbo la chini linamaanisha sehemu ya mpira inasisitiza dhidi ya ukingo wa soketi. Baada ya muda, shinikizo hilo huharibu mfupa ulio kwenye ukingo, na kusababisha maumivu na hatimaye ugonjwa wa viungo. Kutambua Ishara za Matatizo ya Mshipa Katika Watu Wazima Vijana Maumivu ya mshipa yanaweza kuwa ishara dhahiri zaidi ya tatizo la mshipa, lakini si ile pekee. Na kwa kuwa kasoro za viuno si mara zote husababisha maumivu mengi, ni muhimu kutafuta dalili nyingine. Ugonjwa wa kiuno: Ikiwa kiuno kinahisi kuwa kibaya unapoguswa au kushinikizwa, huenda ikawa ugonjwa wa kiuno. Bursitis hutokea wakati mifuko midogo ndani ya kiungo inapokuwa na uvimbe. Nyakati nyingine, ugonjwa wa bursitis hutokea pamoja na kasoro, lakini utendaji mwingi waweza pia kusababisha ugonjwa wa bursitis. <unk>Snapping<unk> hisia: <unk>Snapping hip<unk> kawaida hutokea wakati tendon anapata <unk>catched<unk> juu ya prominence mfupa katika hip pamoja. Unapozungusha kiuno chako, tendon hiyo hufunguka na <unk>kupiga.<unk> Nyakati nyingine, unaweza kusikia <unk>pop<unk> wakati tendon hiyo inapopiga. Mara nyingi kuvunjika kwa kiuno hutokea peke yake, lakini katika visa fulani, kunahusiana na tatizo zito zaidi. Wakati mwingine, mkazo au mvunjiko wa misuli katika eneo la buttock inaweza kusababisha maumivu ya kiuno, pamoja na maumivu kando ya paja. Maumivu ya risasi au kutoweza kusikia: Maumivu makali kama ya umeme ni ishara ya kuathiriwa kwa neva. Ikiwa neva imefungwa au kufinya, unaweza kupata maumivu na kutokuwa na hisia mahali popote kwenye urefu wa neva. Mshtuko wa neva katika paja na sehemu ya chini ya mgongo ndio chanzo cha kawaida cha maumivu ya kiuno yanayohusiana na neva. Matibabu ya mapema ni muhimu Watu wengi wana wasiwasi kwamba maumivu ya kiuno yanamaanisha watahitaji upasuaji wa kubadilisha viungo. Lakini habari njema ni kwamba aina nyingi za maumivu ya kiuno yanaweza kutibiwa kwa njia ya kihafidhina. Matibabu ya kimwili, dawa za kupunguza maumivu zisizopatikana kwa dawa, kupumzika, na matibabu mengine yasiyo ya upasuaji mara nyingi hutosha kupunguza maumivu ya kiuno. Katika visa vingine, utaratibu wa uvamizi mdogo unaoitwa arthroscopy waweza kutumiwa "arekebisha" tatizo la msingi. Kwa sababu ya maumivu ya kiuno, ni muhimu kupanga ratiba ya uchunguzi na daktari. Usipotiwa matibabu, maumivu ya kiuno yanaweza kusababisha ugonjwa wa viungo mwilini baadaye maishani. Kwa upande mwingine, matibabu ya mapema yaweza kuzuia ulemavu na kuepuka uhitaji wa kubadilisha viungo. Ikiwa wewe au mtoto wako unahisi maumivu ya kiuno, wasiliana na ofisi na kupanga ratiba ya tathmini yako leo.