Hip pain when sitting
Many hip joint diseases can lead to pain symptoms while sitting. The cause is usually the spatial narrowness in the joint that arises in the sitting position or the changed pressure/tension ratios on certain joint structures. Hip arthrosis, which is characterized by age- or overload-related cartilage wear, can be painful both when sitting and when walking.
Inflammation of the bursa of the hip joint (bursitis trochanterica) can also become symptomatic, especially when sitting, as this increases the pressure on the touch-sensitive, fluid-filled pouch, which becomes particularly irritating.If bone necrosis exists in the context of various hip diseases, in which the blood supply to the joint is reduced and bone tissue dies off, this causes pain that can become worse in certain sitting positions, which further minimize the blood supply. A common cause of pain in the hip when sitting is lumboischialgia, in which the sciatic nerve is pinched or constricted in its course in the posterior vessel/leg. When sitting, unfavorable pressure or traction moments can occur, which lead to increased irritation of the sciatic nerve.
At night
Many illnesses can also cause hip pain when resting or lying down and can therefore occur especially at night when one is relaxed and at rest. Examples of this are coxarthrosis (a frequent disease in which wear and tear of the hip joint occurs due to incorrect loading), coxitis (an inflammation of the hip joint), rheumatoid rheumatism (symptoms characterized by flowing, pulling pain in the musculoskeletal system), gout (painful deposition of uric acid crystals in various joints) or bursitis (inflammation of the bursa sac in the joint due to infection or injury). In addition, hip pain that occurs at night may also indicate nerve involvement.
Especially if the pain radiates from the spine to the hip, a herniated disc in the lumbar spine or sciatica syndrome should also be considered. In both cases, nerves are constricted and irritated by various structures, which can cause dull, stabbing or burning pain in the lower back, hips and thighs. Hip pain that occurs at night disturbs sleep and thus leads to an immense impairment of the quality of life.
They should therefore definitely be clarified by a doctor. The cause for the nightly hip pain can then usually be found out by means of a detailed questioning of the person concerned, a physical examination and an X-ray examination. How the hip pain is treated ultimately depends on the underlying disease.
Pain that is perceived by the affected patients as hip pain may in some cases have its origin in the area of the buttocks. Conversely, complaints that are apparently due to a problem of the buttocks can also be caused by diseases of the hip. For this reason, extensive diagnostics is the decisive pillar in the treatment of pain in the hip or buttocks.
In this context, pain in the hip area can be caused by chronic misuse and/or overloading of the buttocks muscles. The cause of these stress-induced complaints can be congenital postural defects. Especially patients suffering from differences in leg length or pelvic obliquity often develop pain in the buttocks and hips.
In the end, these complaints are caused by swelling of the buttocks muscles and the resulting pressure on the sciatic nerve. In most cases, the resulting pain is not limited to the hip and bottom. Many patients also report pain radiating to the lower back (lumbar spine) and thighs.
In addition, irritation of the sciatic nerve, originating directly at the nerve root, can lead to pain in the hip and buttocks. A possible reason for such an irritation can be the classic herniated disc. In addition, small bone spurs on the individual vertebrae can cause lasting damage to the sciatic nerve and cause pain in the hip and buttocks.
Furthermore, in some patients suffering from pain in the hip and buttocks, an overstrain of the tendons and ligaments can be observed. In these cases, too, the symptoms are usually triggered by a malposition of the body axis. The pain felt by the patient may be localized to one area of the buttocks or may affect the entire buttocks.
Furthermore, in people who suffer from persistent or regularly recurring pain in the hip and buttocks, a disease in the area of the sacroiliac joint should be excluded. In most cases, a simple dislocation of the joint can be demonstrated in those affected. Treatment is accordingly simple and characterized by direct relief of the symptoms.Another cause of pain in the buttocks that sometimes radiates to the hips is the presence of an abscess.
The pus in the abscess cavity can exert enormous pressure on the surrounding tissue. Depending on the location, this can therefore lead to impairment of the gluteal muscles and indirectly to irritation of the sciatic nerve. This often results in severe pain in the buttocks and hip area.