Certain day-to-day activities become difficult. The ball-and-socket hip joint fits together and allows repeated motion and a fair amount of wear and tear. Every time you use the hip, a cushion of cartilage prevents friction as the hip bone moves in its socket. 

However, the hip joint isn’t indestructible. As you get older, the cartilage can wear down or become damaged. Muscles and tendons in the hip can get overused. There are many conditions that may contribute to hip pain. Below are 7 most common causes of hip pain.

1. Tendonitis

Hip tendonitis is a painful hip condition. This alignment often affects people involved in sports like cycling, running, swimming, hockey, and baseball. All activities involving kicking, squatting, and jumping can raise your risk of hip tendonitis significantly. Tendons strain or overuse affect the cords that attach the muscle to the bone. This results in a degenerative injury that causes disorientation in the tendon fibers.

Treating hip tendonitis involves reducing inflammation and pain. You also need to relax more and stop any physical activity. Home care includes RICE therapy and pain relievers. 

2. Hip impingement

Hip impingement is a condition that is caused by abnormal wearing contact between the ball and socket of the hip joint. This increases the friction during the hip movements and damages the joint. The main symptom of hip impingement is pain, especially when flexing the hip. Hip impingement can decrease the range of hip joint motion significantly. 

Treatment of hip impingement starts with resting the affected hip. It is recommended to avoid activities that cause pain. The doctor will prescribe you anti-inflammatory and pain medications. Another effective way to improve symptoms is stem cell therapy for the hips

3. Bursitis

Hip bursitis is the painful swelling of bursae. Bursae is a fluid-filled sac that cushions your ligaments and tendons. It allows them to glide smoothly over the bone. When bursae become swollen the area around it becomes painful. 

Physical activity doesn’t make the bursitis pain worse. Bursitis is not associated with activity-related pain and just hurts day-to-day. It may ache even while you are lying in bed. Along with pain, you may experience tenderness and warmth in the affected area. The risk of bursitis increases as you age.

Try to rest and put ice compresses on the affected area to decrease swelling. Taking anti-inflammatory and pain medications may help relieve pain. The doctor may offer you a cortisone injection to reduce inflammation.

4. Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that causes degeneration of hip cartilage. This condition often occurs in people 50 years of age and older. Hip osteoarthritis can make it hard for you to walk and perform some routine tasks. The pain may radiate in different areas including the groin, thigh, buttocks, or knee. The pain can be sharp or dull, but the hip is often stiff.

Hip osteoarthritis treatment starts with RICE therapy, anti-inflammatory, and over-the-counter pain medications. More aggressive treatments include stem cell therapy and surgery. In severe cases, a hip replacement can be required.

5. Pelvic floor issues

The pain you feel in your hip may actually come from your pelvis. The abdominal area includes many organs and all of them are close to each other. It can be hard to find the origin of the pain. If the pain is limited to your groin and appears during ovulation or your period, endometriosis or fibroids can be the cause. Gastrointestinal alignments like gastroenteritis and prostate cancer may cause pain that's easily mistaken for a hip injury.

The doctor will prescribe the treatment depending on the root cause. Visit your primary care doctor for a full examination. Depending on the diagnosis, your primary care doctor may refer you to another specialist.