Definition
The greater trochanter describes a bony prominence in the upper part of the thigh bone (femur) (directed toward the hip). The bony prominence is located close to the hip joint and plays a major role in its function. In the hip joint, the hip bones are connected to the femur by a ball joint. Any movement of the thigh also puts a strain on the greater trochanter. Various muscles of the hip joint, whose functions are restricted in the event of pain, are attached to the greater trochanter.
Causes
Hip pain can have a variety of causes. The causes can be chronic or acute and can be found in bone, muscle or soft tissue. Chronic, degenerative problems causing pain in the greater trochanteric region are often caused by an interaction of bone and muscle.
Legs of varying length, spinal curvature and bone degeneration can lead to long-term postural problems and incorrect weight bearing. Pain quickly develops if the incorrect weight-bearing during running is sustained. In the long term, the muscles develop asymmetrically and further promote incorrect posture.
Such bad posture can also be self-inflicted by a wrong gait pattern, bad habits or, for example, a wrong technique and wrong shoes when jogging. Since a large number of muscle groups are involved in the hip joint, this can also be the cause of pain in the greater trochanter. Especially after extraordinary strain of the muscles, they become noticeable by pain.
Long walks and hikes are sufficient to feel a twinge in the hip area for the following days. In sports or old age, injuries to the muscles are also conceivable, such as torn muscle fibers or torn muscle bundles. They occur when the individual muscle is severely overstretched or overstressed. Other causes are possible in the context of orthopaedic problems or after hip operations.
Symptoms
A typical symptom of diseases of the greater trochanter is pain, which, however, occurs differently depending on the tissue affected. In the case of problems in the bone, the main symptom is a quite easily localized pain over the bone, which can be felt when the affected area is moved or pressed. The development of the pain can provide information about the underlying disease.
If there is increased physical activity or a sports accident, it is mainly a problem of the musculoskeletal apparatus. In the case of inflammation, the pain feels sharp and can run through the entire leg. In the case of severe inflammation, the pain can be felt even at rest.
Some patients complain of nightly sleep disturbances due to the pain. If the inflammation is pronounced, other signs of inflammation can be detected, such as swelling of the outer hip, overheating of the skin in this area, redness and a severely restricted function of the hip movements. When lying down, the muscles of the hip and thigh are largely relaxed.
The pain should be particularly slight here. However, if the pain is unbearable even when lying down, advanced bursitis could be present. Typically, in this condition, one would also notice redness and overheating on the thigh and pronounced pain when standing and walking.
The majority of all joggers suffer from hip pain over time. This is mainly due to incorrect strain in the movement sequence. This leads to irritation of the tendons and muscles and such incorrect loads can also lead to bursitis.
The most important step in the occurrence of a chronic pain under stress is the immobilization of the hip. Further jogging causes the inflammation to worsen continuously. An exact analysis of the cause, a therapy of the inflammation and sufficient rest for a certain time are absolutely necessary.
In rare cases, pregnancy can cause pain in the greater trochanter. The additional load caused by the weight of the child affects the legs and hips already during normal walking like increased activity. Rest is also very beneficial for healing.
However, pain in the thigh can also be caused by nerve irritation. A typical complication during pregnancy is the pinching of a superficial skin nerve as it exits the hip. This leads to numbness and other symptoms on the outside and front of the thigh.
