The hip is a ball and socket joint that connects the thigh bone (femur) with the pelvis. Your hip plays a crucial role in shock absorption and promoting mobility and stability. Your legs can move in different planes of motion because your hip has bones, cartilage, ligaments, and muscles. However, because of the delicate nature of your hip socket and its function, it is often susceptible to different conditions that may cause hip pain Spartanburg. Generally, you become at high risk of hip pain if you are much older because of the natural wear and tear of the ligaments, bones, and cartilage in your hip socket.
According to a National Center for Health Statistics study, back pain is the most prevalent form of pain, nearly affecting 2 out of 5 adults in the country. Still, hip pain may affect you regardless of your age.
When you sit for extended periods, you may often see that you trigger or aggravate your hip pain. Sitting for a lot of hours per week for five months or longer may decrease the strength of your hips. That is possible because the hip flexors and adjacent muscles and ligaments are forced into a shortened position and thus become too tight. Also, poor posture during sitting can cause hip pain.
Consequently, below are conditions that may trigger or worsen your hip pain after extended sitting.
- Femoroacetabular impingement
Also called hip impingement, femoroacetabular impingement results from the hip ball (femoral head) extending to and pinching the hip cup.
As a result, there is weakening and destruction of the cartilage surrounding the acetabulum, which is the cup-shaped structure enclosing the femur’s head at the hip joint. That causes your hip to become painful and stiff and may trigger arthritis.
- A torn labrum in the hip
The labrum is the cartilage lining the hip socket, which provides a sitting position for your thigh bone or the femur’s head. Therefore, if you have a torn hip labrum, expect hip pain, limited motion range, and a hip locking-up sensation.
The labrum can tear gradually or suddenly due to repetitive hip motions, hip injuries, hip joint deformities, or degenerative joint conditions like osteoarthritis.
- Hip arthritis
Hip arthritis is characterized by deterioration and damage of the hip joint cartilage. Because the hip joint cartilage wears down, it leaves the bony surfaces grinding against each other, which makes them rough and causes irritation and swelling of nearby tissues.
One of the main reasons you may have hip arthritis is that you are overweight or obese. When you are obese, the excess weight strains and inflames your hip joints.
- Piriformis syndrome
The piriformis muscle is a flat muscle shaped like a pyramid and situated in the gluteal area of your lower limbs. The short external rotator of the hip may compress your sciatic nerve, resulting in inflammation.
The irritation of the sciatic nerve in your buttocks is called piriformis syndrome. It may cause your buttocks, upper legs, and hip to be painful and numb.
Other conditions, such as hip bursitis, tendinitis, and lupus, may also trigger or aggravate your hip pain when you sit for a long time.
Contact the United Physician Group today to schedule an appointment with a hip pain specialist.
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