Owner's Manual: My Hip Hurts Where's the Pain? Previous articles
have discussed problems in the pelvis, including piriformis
syndrome, sports hernia, osteitis pubis and sacroiliac (SI)
dysfunction. This article will review problems in the hip joint
and surrounding tissues. The hip is a basic ball-and-socket
joint. The ball is the femoral head – a knob on the top of the
thigh bone. The socket is an indentation in the pelvic bone.
There is cartilage lining the joint (labrum); ligaments attach
the pelvic and thigh bones. Numerous muscles attach around the
hip, moving the joint through the basic motions of flexion
(bend), extension (backward motion), abduction (leg moves away
from body), adduction (leg moves inward), internal rotation and
external (outward) rotation. Where's the Pain? Pain in the front
of the joint, where the leg attaches to the trunk, is typically
caused by hip joint problems. The most common causes include hip
flexor tendinitis or strain, stress fracture and osteoarthritis.
Less commonly, a lab