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Can Hip Problems Cause Back Pain

How Doctors Get To Root Of Your Pain

“Can Knee Pain Cause Back Pain?”

If you have pain in your lower body and arent sure whether your back or hip is to blame, a good first course of action is to visit your personal doctor. He or she will review your medical history and may perform a series of physical exam tests to get to the root of your pain. Alternatively, your personal doctor may refer you to a doctor who specializes in the hip or spine to make an accurate diagnosis.

Your doctor will ask you to describe your pain, including its location, when it worsens/is relieved, and what the pain feels like .

After listening to your description of your pain, your doctor may have you perform several maneuvers or movements as part of a physical exam. The goal of these maneuvers is to determine what movements recreate your pain. One such maneuver is called the Flexion Abduction External Rotation test, which helps determine if the disorder is sourced in your hip and may illuminate sacroiliac joint problems. During this test, you lie down your back while flexing and rotating your hips. Your doctor may also palpate the area of pain.

Next, your doctor may also order imaging scans, such an x-ray to view your bones or an MRI to view soft tissues , which may help reveal the true nature of the spinal or hip problem. It is important for your doctor to then determine if your complaints and exam findings can be explained by what is seen on the images.

Spondyloarthritis Two Other Conditions

Two other conditions fall under spondyloarthritis. The first is enthesitis-related arthritis , which is a type of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Juvenile means beginning before age 16. JIA-ERA was known as juvenile spondyloarthritis .

The second is undifferentiated spondyloarthritis. Undifferentiated spondyloarthritis describes someone with all the features of spondyloarthritis but without the confirming characteristics.

Although spondyloarthritis is form of inflammatory arthritis, it differs from rheumatoid arthritis because people with SpA do not have rheumatoid factor antibodies in their blood. They are seronegative whereas people with RA are seropositive.

A Fat Wallet Can Trigger Piriformis

You might not think of too much cash as a source of pain, but a fat wallet can trigger piriformis syndrome. The condition can affect men who wear their wallet in the back pocket of their pants. This puts chronic pressure on the piriformis muscle and can aggravate the sciatic nerve over time. You can avoid this problem by keeping your wallet in a front pocket or jacket pocket.

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How Should I Sleep With Lower Back And Hip Pain

Sleep position A mattress that’s too soft or too hard could trigger pressure points, which may lead to a sore hip. Sleep posture can also cause pain. Try sleeping on your back or, if you’re a side sleeper, sleep on the side that doesn’t hurt and put a pillow between your knees to keep your hips aligned.

The Role Of Your Iliopsoas Muscle

Lower Back Pain Can Lead To Hip Problems: Scott Wagner Integrated ...

Youriliopsoas is one of your primary hip flexor muscles. It is comprised of two muscles: the iliacus and the psoas. Your iliacus attaches directly to the pelvis, while your psoas attaches to your lower spine and travels diagonally through your body to where both muscles cross the hip joint and attach to the femur .

The location and overlap from the lower to the upper body are essentially what makes up your bodys core. The iliopsoas acts as a stabilizer for your hips and your spine, so if those muscles are too tight or not working properly, it impacts everything around them.

When your core is weak, your body as a whole becomes weak and wobbly.

Your core helps you perform many daily functions like sitting, standing, squatting, etc. It is no wonder then that your iliopsoas muscles may get tight from all this use they are continually being used and engaged, and very rarely getting time to relax.

On top of this, the iliopsoas muscles are located right next to your reproductive organs, bowel, bladder, and large intestine. The proximity of the iliopsoas to these systems affords the muscles more opportunities to protect the abdominal organs when one system is struggling or weak.

One primary example is if you have irritable bowel syndrome or any other digestive tract issue.

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Conservative Treatments Do Not Adequately Relieve Hip Pain

Many people with conditions affecting the hip joint, such as arthritis, do not need hip replacement surgery immediately. Your doctor will probably attempt conservative treatment options initially, including:

  • Physical therapy: Strengthens and stabilizes muscles surrounding the hip joint and can also preserve the hips range of motion
  • Steroid injections: Reduces swelling and blocks pain sensations
  • Anti-inflammatory medications: Reduces inflammation in the hip joint, which can relieve pain

These treatments do not cure hip conditions. However, they can improve function and make hip pain more tolerable. Unfortunately, there may reach a point when these conservative measures become less effective and fail to provide relief. When that happens, your doctor may suggest hip replacement surgery.

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Can You Get Both Hips Replaced At The Same Time

Both left and right hips can be replaced during a single surgery. A double hip replacement is also called a bilateral hip replacement. If you are having issues with both hips, your doctor might recommend a double hip replacement if you are in good health and can tolerate a longer surgery and a more challenging recovery.

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The Varieties Of Lower Back And Hip Pain

Many of my clients experience lower back and hip pain simultaneously. But all too frequently they receive inadequate guidance from their physicians about possible causes and about how to relieve it in a lasting way.

When X-rays and MRIs come back negative, a physician without adequate training in the musculoskeletal system may not know what to prescribe other than physical therapy exercises.

The problem with this strategy is that PT can aggravate certain conditions. I’ll go into this in more detail with each of the conditions listed below.

The most frequent regions of pain I hear reports about include

  • The lower quadrant of the back
  • Across the top of the hip bone
  • Shooting into the sacroiliac joint
  • Deep in the gluteal muscles
  • The front of the hip
  • Shooting into the groin
  • Traveling down the leg

Often lower back and hip pain can present as a kind of moving target. Sometimes the pain is centered squarely on the outside of the hip joint near the hip bone.

Other times the pain can wrap around to the gluteal muscles. At times an individual might experience pain in more than one area.

The reason for this medley of possibilities is that muscular compensation is often at the heart of lower back and hip pain.

Further, muscular compensation is a continual process in which muscles are constantly adjusting, trying to figure out how to make do with the circumstances they’re presented with such as postural distortion.

Swelling And Tenderness Of The Hip

Low Back & Hip Pain? Is it Nerve, Muscle, or Joint? How to Tell.

Another sign of a problem in the hip is swelling and tenderness. Swelling can occur internally or at the outer skin and muscle. If it becomes unbearable or doesnt go away in a few days, immediately contact your doctor.

These symptoms may vary depending on the cause of the pain. If not treated, hip pain can be a cause of disability, which is why it is so important to consult with an experienced physician who is a specialist in the hips and other joints.

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How We Can Help

Back pain is one of the most common reasons for doctor and emergency room visits in the U.S. Its a leading cause of lost workdays and long-term disability. Not seeking medical attention and allowing the pain to persist will only cause the condition to worsen.

Atlantic Spine Specialists are board-certified and specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of back pain. We are dedicated to relieving and restoring function to help our patients have the best quality of life. No matter what the cause of your pain, receiving an extensive spinal examination and accurate diagnosis are the first steps to resolving the issue. At Atlantic Spine Specialists our doctors will prescribe the best treatment plan for you.

To learn more about diagnosis and treatment,request a consultation at Atlantic Spine Specialists in Morristown, New Jersey. Or call us at 971-3500 to schedule your appointment.

Did You Know That Lower Back Pain Can Be Caused By Hip Joint Osteoarthritis

Hip joint osteoarthritis is among the most common joint disorders with 87,733 hip replacements recorded by the national joint registry in 2016. Research studies suggest that the incidence of lower back pain accompanying hip arthritis is in the range of 20-40% of cases.

Arthritic changes to the cartilage surface lining the head of the femur and the acetabulum cause gradual thickening and shortening of the hip joint capsule . The resulting reduction in flexibility at the hip joint impacts upon surrounding muscle tissue often causing shortening and decline in strength and control, thus accelerating the rate of damage to the cartilage surfaces.

The long term effect of reduced mobility at the hip joint is often over use of neighbouring joints, namely the knees and lower back. Hip rotation is often most affected by the hip joint soft tissue changes, and the movement that appears most limited when we assess hip arthritis. The consequence of this when turning ones body is that the ball and socket joint of the hip will contribute only little towards the turn. Often unknown to the individual, the lumbar spine and knees will over contribute and experience additional torsion.

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How Hip Replacement Surgery Is Performed

A hip replacement can be done under a general anaesthetic or under a spinal anaesthetic .

Sometimes you may have an epidural, which is similar to a spinal anaesthetic.

The surgeon makes a cut into the hip, removes the damaged hip joint and replaces it with an artificial joint or implant.

The surgery usually takes around 1 to 2 hours to complete.

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Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Lower Back Pain Can Improve After Total Hip Replacement

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome describes pain that is felt along the outer hip area. Causes include sports injury, muscle tears, and injury due to motor vehicle accidents. The pain is caused by a combination of inflammation in two distinct areas: the bursa of the hip and pain in the buttock . Pain may also be caused by tendinitis of the hip abductor muscles. Symptoms of greater trochanteric pain syndrome include hip pain at night lying on side, dislocated hip symptoms, and hip muscle weakness. Hip pain relief can be sought through anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and stretches for hip pain.

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Upper Cervical Chiropractic More Than The Effects Of Advil For Back Pain

Advil for back pain is good, but for severe back pain issues, you need a kind of care that fixes your problem and support your spines overall health. These are the benefits that you can experience from getting upper cervical chiropractic care.

If you want to learn more about how upper cervical chiropractors relieve back pain by adjusting your upper neck, visit thenearest upper cervical chiropractor in your area. We look forward to providing you with the care your need toward a pain-free and comfortable life.

Stomach Problems After Hip Replacement

You might feel a little stomach ache after the surgery, moreover, gradually with time, the pain will get away.

Apart from that, its not more of a big deal though, & a small stomach pain cant be the reason behind not going for the surgery.

However, you might feel headache, nausea, abdominal bloating after the surgerybut its sure that your severe hip pain will get away.

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What Exercise Is Best For Hip Bursitis

Clamshell

  • Lie on your side, with your affected hip on top and your head propped on a pillow. Keep your feet and knees together and your knees bent.
  • Raise your top knee, but keep your feet together. Do not let your hips roll back. …
  • Hold for 6 seconds.
  • Slowly lower your knee back down. …
  • Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Could Digestive Issues And Low Back Pain Be Caused By Tight Hip Flexors

Total Health Chiropractic: How your hip pain could be caused by your back

Many people act as though health issues are specific and isolated. It’s time for a new angle. The systems in your body are intricately connected: if youre experiencing problems in one area it can directly affect another.

This domino effect is especially prevalent when it comes to your back, hips, and digestive system.

Your abdominal region is packed full of tissues and necessary systems that you use 24/7. It is home to your bladder, kidneys, female reproductive system and can also be ground zero for potential dysfunction, from ovarian cysts toirritable bowel syndrome .

Many of these internal organs in your abdomen are also adjacent to the iliopsoas or hip flexor muscles. Thats why it isnt uncommon for patients to ask me: can IBS cause hip and groin pain?

Im going to walk you through the inner workings of your abdominal region so you can better understand your body and how your organ health directly relates to your muscle health.

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How To Soar To Self

3. Tendinitis and bursitis Many tendons around the hip connect the muscles to the joint. These tendons can easily become inflamed if you overuse them or participate in strenuous activities. One of the most common causes of tendinitis at the hip joint, especially in runners, is iliotibial band syndrome the iliotibial band is the thick span of tissue that runs from the outer rim of your pelvis to the outside of your knee.

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Another common cause of hip pain in women is bursitis, says , an orthopedic surgeon in Vail, Colorado. Fluid-filled sacs called bursae cushion the bony part of the hip that is close to the surface. Like the tendons, these sacs can become inflamed from irritation or overuse and cause pain whenever you move the hip joint.

4. Hernia In the groin area, femoral and inguinal hernias sometimes referred to as sports hernias can cause anterior hip pain in women. Pregnant women can be susceptible to inguinal hernias because of the added pressure on the wall of their abdomen.

5. Gynecological and back issues Hip pain in women can have gynecological causes, Siegrist says. Its important not to just assume that the pain is caused by arthritis, bursitis, or tendinitis. Depending on your age and other health issues, the pain in your hip could be coming from some other system.

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Spinal Stenosis And Hip Pain

Spinal stenosis is similar to a herniated disc in that the pain is a result of pressure on the nerves. However, with spinal stenosis, the pressure is caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal, not with a herniated disc. Some common causes for the narrowing of the canal are cysts, bulging discs, and arthritis.

Even though spinal stenosis may have a different root cause then herniated disc, the resulting symptoms may be similar. Both conditions can lead to pressure on the nerves in both conditions can lead to pain in the back, pain in the hip, and pain down the legs.

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Herniated Disc And Pinched Nerve Can Lead To Back And Hip Pain

As the discs between the spinal vertebrae age, the outer layer may become compromised, allowing the material to leak into the spinal canal. Patients with this condition are said to have a herniated disc. A herniated disc leads to pain when the disc material puts pressure on the nerves protected by the spine. Because the nerves within the spinal cord are responsible for communication between the brain and other areas of the body, this pain can also be felt in other areas of the body.

The lumbar region of the spine is located between the ribs in the pelvis. The five major nerves which emanate from the spine in this region are responsible for communication between the brain and thighs, lower legs, ankles, and feet. They also assist in controlling the abdominal muscles. Pressure on any of these nerves due to herniated disc in the lumbar region of the spine can result in a shooting pain down the legs.

What Are We Seeing In This Image Pelvic Pain In A Spinal Fusion Patient

What Can Cause Left Lower Back Pain

In this x-ray image of a pelvis, we see a previous surgical fusion in a patient. This patient developed severe bilateral sacroiliac pain following the surgery. We can see the close proximity between the fusion instrumentation and the sacroiliac joints.

A July 2020 study in The American Journal of Sports Medicine noted: Medical research suggests that lumbar spine disease is an independent risk factor for poorer outcomes following total hip replacement however, the effect of lumbar spine disease on hip replacement outcomes has not been fully investigated. At present, there is little in the research investigating the effect of coexisting hip and lumbar spine disease on outcomes after hip replacement.

Note: Above we started this article with a study from 2012 suggesting that hip-spine pain is an under-investigated phenomenon. This is still so in July 2020. In this study, it was found that Patients with known lumbar spine disease who underwent hip replacement had a significantly greater percentage improvement at 24-month follow-up compared with those without a history of lumbar spine disease, and outcomes were ultimately not significantly different. No increased risk of reoperation was noted in patients with concomitant lumbar spine disease. Hip replacement helped these peoples back pain without the ultimate need for spinal surgery as well.

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