The causes of pain in the hip when lying down can be quite different. The assumption that hip pain is a symptom of exclusively older people turns out to be erroneous. Hip pain when lying down is a widespread phenomenon that can have quite different causes. Quite apart from the reason, which can be made causally responsible for the pain, hip pain is an unpleasant symptom, which should be clarified by a physician with longer existence. Since the exact cause of the individual symptomatology can only be determined by an exact anamnesis and a physical examination, a visit to a physician is inevitable in case of longer existing hip pain.
Causes
Although the causes of hip pain when lying down can be extremely varied, here are a few common causes of the symptoms It is important to mention that although the pain feels as if the hip joint is responsible for it, it is usually the muscular structures in this area that are the cause of the problem. Since some pain is often perceived much less acutely in movement and during physical distraction than at rest, hip pain may be particularly noticeable when lying down, when the body is at rest and can concentrate on the pain. Hip pain when lying down is particularly common in people who lie on their side when sleeping.
Due to the pressure to which the hip is automatically subjected in this position, pain in this area can occur after waking up or during the night. Since the hip carries the greatest body weight in this position, it is the part of the body that causes the most symptoms and can cause pain in those affected. Especially if the mattress is bad or unfavorable (too hard or too soft) in combination with an unfavorable sleeping position, the symptoms can occur.
The slatted frame can also be responsible for the symptoms of aching hips. However, there are other causes that can be responsible for pain in the hip when lying down. For example, flu-like infections can cause pain in the limbs, which can also manifest itself as hip pain.
Other infections can also trigger these symptoms. Often, these pains are not perceived as strongly when moving, which is why the pain can be particularly pronounced when lying down, especially at rest. Inflammation of tendons or bursae can also be the cause of the pain.
Especially active, sporty people can be affected by this disease and have pain in the hip joint area when lying down. Hip pain when lying down in children and adolescents can in some cases be attributed to bone growth during the growth phase. Legs of unequal length can also cause hip pain, which is then particularly noticeable when lying down.
In many cases, overloading of the joint and the muscles surrounding the joint is the cause of hip pain. By sparing the joint and the muscles, such a cause can be quickly eliminated. Even pregnancy can cause hip pain while lying down.
The strain during pregnancy can lead to a loosening of the symphysis, which can cause pain. If a position is taken while lying down that is particularly unfavorable, a painful pelvis or hip can occur during pregnancy. Arthrosis of the hip joint can also cause severe pain, which the affected person can feel strongly even when lying down.
In the case of advanced arthrosis, however, symptoms should also be felt while walking. In the case of so-called restless legs syndrome, pain in the hip may occur during the night when lying down. In most cases, however, this is accompanied by movement disorders of the legs.
Pain that occurs at rest at night is always suspected to be due to an inflammatory event. While osteoarthritis, which is caused by wear and tear of the joint cartilage, hurts mainly under stress, inflammation of the joints also causes pain at rest, especially at night. It can be an inflammation of a nerve, bursae or the joint itself.
Inflammation of the nerve can manifest itself as a burning pain that is not easily localized.If the upper, outer thigh hurts above all, it is probably a skin nerve that passes through the inguinal ligament and can be compressed. The compression can be a result of increased strength training, massive fat masses or too tight clothing. Often in this case, a tingling numbness on the side of the thigh also occurs.
Other nerve compressions, as in the context of a herniated disc, can also become symptomatic at night when lying down. However, the irritation occurs mainly during the day under stress. Inflammation of the bursae of the hip can also lead to night-time pain, which is particularly localized on the lateral thigh near the hip and can be the result of hip surgery or mechanical stress.
An inflammation of the hip joint itself is called coxarthritis. The cause can be rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis with joint involvement. Bacterial inflammation is also possible.
These can also occur after arthroscopy if pathogens have entered the joint during the procedure. Nocturnal hip pain can also indicate the rheumatic disease of ankylosing spondylitis. This leads to inflammatory pain, which occurs mainly in the lower spinal column joints and the sacroiliac joint and can therefore sometimes be perceived as hip pain.
The joints stiffen in the course of the disease and there can also be an inflammation of the iris of the eye at the same time. The inflammatory component also leads to the pain, which occurs mainly at night and improves with movement. In addition, there is usually a morning stiffness in the morning that lasts for more than 30 minutes.
In addition, nocturnal hip pain can also be a sign of a tumor disease in rare cases. This can be a bone tumor, an osteosarcoma, or a metastasis of a tumor from another organ. If the pain also occurs in other parts of the body and no medically pathological correlate for the pain can be found, the joint pain may also be fibromyalgia.
If the hip joint hurts when walking, one thinks primarily of arthrosis. Arthrosis refers to a joint wear that goes beyond what is considered normal for a certain age. The joint cartilage is worn down and as a result the bones rub directly against each other when moving.
This leads to severe pain during movement. Usually there is no pain at rest, but pain can occur when pressure is applied to the affected side while lying down. Another reason for hip pain when lying down and walking is bursitis.
An inflammation of the bursa usually begins as an acute pain during a load on the leg. For example, a pulling and stabbing pain can occur when walking. If the inflammation becomes chronic, the pain occurs not only when walking but also at rest.
The bursitis usually occurs as a result of mechanical irritation during movement, but can also be the result of a surgical intervention on the hip or, in rare cases, of gout. Pain at rest when sitting can be an indication of piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle is an internal hip muscle that is responsible for the external rotation of the hip joint.
Below this muscle, the sciatic nerve runs from the hip down to the leg. When the priformis muscle thickens, the sciatic nerve can be compressed. The irritation of the nerve causes pain.
Piriformis syndrome can occur, e.g. after a one-sided overstrain, which leads to a cramping of the muscle. The muscle can be overstrained by running. This occurs especially if the person has legs of different lengths or some other peculiarity that leads to one-sided strain.
In addition, a poor posture, such as that which may be adopted during long car journeys, can also lead to the syndrome. Sometimes the pressure lesion of the nerve is also triggered by long sitting. This occurs particularly in men who carry their wallet in their back pocket and thus the nerve is exposed to increased pressure on one side.
Due to the weight of the pregnancy abdomen, pressure can be exerted on the sensitive nerve running through the groin and laterally on the thigh. This is usually manifested by tingling sensations or pain in the groin or hip area.The moreover one also alone the additional load of the hip by the child weight or a physical incorrect attitude can lead to hip pain in the sense of an unusual incorrect load. The hip muscles are tense and painful due to the incorrect posture.
However, this pain tends to occur during movement. Another reason why hip pain can occur during pregnancy is the hormonal change. It causes the ligaments that stabilize the hip bones to loosen.
This can lead to a loosening of the pubic symphysis, which can also result in hip pain. In addition, pregnant women are generally advised to sleep sideways. This leads to increased pressure on the hip joint, which can lead to pain.
The moreover one naturally also all hip illnesses not specific for the pregnancy, like e.g. rheumatic illnesses, can play a role and should be clarified. Pain when lying sideways can indicate bursitis. The bursae are small tissue sacs filled with the same fluid that is also found in the joints.
They serve as natural cushions and are found on all large joints. At the hip, the bursa sacs are located on the lateral thigh bone between muscle tendons and the hard thigh bone. If these natural cushions are irritated and inflamed, pressure on the bursae can cause pain.
In the case of hip bursae, this is mainly the case when lying on their side, due to their location on a bony prominence. There are also external bursa sacs on the knee joint. However, these do not hurt when lying sideways, as they are not subject to as much pressure.
The hip, on the other hand, is the body’s center of gravity. The inflammation can have different causes. On the one hand, overloading the joint can lead to increased irritation of the padded bursa, which ultimately leads to inflammation.
In addition, small injuries or previous operations can sometimes lead to bacterial infections of the bursa. A poorly fitted mattress leads to a chronic malposition during the night. This can lead not only to hip pain but also to back problems.
Therefore it is important to always consider when buying a mattress. It is not necessarily true that the most expensive mattress is the best. One should attach much more importance to an individual consultation.
The mattress must support the own body optimally. This means that it is just hard or soft enough to fill and support cavities, while prominent parts of the body can sink into the mattress. The cavities include the lumbar spine in the supine position and the waist in the lateral position.
In the lateral sleeping position, on the other hand, the shoulder and hip are prominent. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the spine is just as straight in both the lateral and supine positions as it is when standing. Since it is difficult to judge whether the back is straight or not when lying down, mattresses should always be purchased in pairs or with the help of a competent advisor.
The decision which therapy is the right one for hip pain when lying down must be made according to the cause. First of all it must be ensured that no serious illness is behind the pain of the hip. This can be done by a detailed anamnesis with an orthopedic surgeon as well as a physical examination in combination with imaging diagnostics.
The anamnesis is one of the most important methods for selecting the correct therapy. For example, a previous fall, specific training methods or previous illnesses can be clear indications of the cause of hip pain when lying down. If both serious illnesses have been ruled out and the medical history does not provide a clear cause for the cause of the hip pain, the purchase of a good mattress and a good slatted frame can be considered, which are adapted to the patient’s own physique so that they can help to get rid of the pain.
For people who sleep on their side and complain of pain in the hips when lying down, the use of a side sleeper pillow or changing the sleeping position can help. These simple measures alone help many people to get rid of the annoying hip pain. Since in many cases the muscles are the cause of the problem, physiotherapy or massages can be the best therapy option.As soon as the muscles are less tense, the pain of the hip will become better when lying down.
A change in training can also promise success in the therapy of hip pain. For example, after pain has occurred during intensive training of the hip muscles (for example: gym, cycling, running), training should be paused for some time. In the case of an existing tendon or bursitis, which is usually caused by mechanical irritation and thus overloading, medication, physical therapy and even surgery can help.
It is important that hip pain in sheep is not tackled without medical care in self-treatment. Although pain medication can combat the symptoms and thus the pain, the cause is usually not treated in this way. For this reason, if hip pain persists for a longer period of time, it is recommended that a doctor makes a correct diagnosis, since only by making the diagnosis can a causal therapy be started.
If the pain really only occurs when lying down and is moderate, extensive sport should be avoided at first. If it is possible to spend a few nights in a different bed or mattress, this can be done in order to be able to blame your own bed as the cause of the pain. If the pain does not improve after some time or worsens drastically, an orthopedic surgeon is strongly recommended.