I have been having moderate hip pain and stiffness for several months. I have ended up having to sit on extremely soft blankets to tolerate the pain. After sitting for several minutes I start to have pain and stiffness on the inside of my hip. When I stand up it takes a couple minutes for me to be able to support my weight on that leg without pain in my hip. It feels like the hip locks up. I also have pain in bed if I turn on that hip. Walking is not a problem. Has anyone also experienced this type of pain?
Two years ago I sprained this hip and I am wondering if there could be scar tissue building up. It took several months to heal.
If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate your responses. I was having similar pain a year ago but nothing showed up on the xrays. I am so tired of going to the doctor and never getting any answers.
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Posts: 701
Re: Right hip pain for several months
Hi -- your symptoms sound very much like my experience with a labral tear. My hip would lock; it hurt to move, but also hurt not to move; I would end up having someone move my leg to unlock it; I also had a feeling of giving way. I was initially diagnosed with growing pains; an MRI 15 years later showed the labral tear. The cartilage delamination I also had showed up only in my third hip scope.
The locking sensation is very much textbook labral tear, especially the pain when transitioning from a seated position to a standing position. You should ask for a referral to an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine doctor. If you elect to have surgery, please go to an orthopedic surgeon who does only hip arthroscopy. No general orthos, no hip replacement doctors (unless, of course, you need a replacement).
Here are some things I have learned about hip injuries, whether you decide to have surgery or not: no lunges, no crunches, no taking stairs two-at-time, no three-inch heels, no planks. Also, do not compromise your posture to accommodate your hip. Find a way to avoid a closed seated position while keeping good back posture. I have a saddle chair at work, which is much like a horse saddle, allowing my knees to be lower than my hips while maintaining good posture. Sitting on the very corner of a tall chair accomplishes the same general position.
Last edited by SweetPeainSF; 09-16-2012 at 02:18 PM.
Reason: clarify
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to SweetPeainSF For This Useful Post: grayfox (09-16-2012), Iota (09-17-2012)
Hi -- your symptoms sound very much like my experience with a labral tear. My hip would lock; it hurt to move, but also hurt not to move; I would end up having someone move my leg to unlock it; I also had a feeling of giving way. I was initially diagnosed with growing pains; an MRI 15 years later showed the labral tear. The cartilage delamination I also had showed up only in my third hip scope.
The locking sensation is very much textbook labral tear, especially the pain when transitioning from a seated position to a standing position. You should ask for a referral to an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine doctor. If you elect to have surgery, please go to an orthopedic surgeon who does only hip arthroscopy. No general orthos, no hip replacement doctors (unless, of course, you need a replacement).
Here are some things I have learned about hip injuries, whether you decide to have surgery or not: no lunges, no crunches, no taking stairs two-at-time, no three-inch heels, no planks. Also, do not compromise your posture to accommodate your hip. Find a way to avoid a closed seated position while keeping good back posture. I have a saddle chair at work, which is much like a horse saddle, allowing my knees to be lower than my hips while maintaining good posture. Sitting on the very corner of a tall chair accomplishes the same general position.
You seem very knowlegeable. I have partial tears in medius and minimus gluteus, right hip, with bursitis. main problems are painful walking and sleeping on either hip. from what I've read, repair of tears like this is not routinely done; hip replacement isn't the issue. I wonder what an ortho can do for me, and wonder if the pain is more due to bursitis than tears? Any experience to share?
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Posts: 701
Re: Right hip pain for several months
Labral tears are different than muscular tears. The labrum is cartilage and won't self-repair. Muscular tears can repair themselves, but the amount of recovery would depend on the degree of the tear. (You probably have pain in the buttock area, whereas folks with labral tears will point to what others think of as the groin.) Be aware that taking blood thinning medications can pose complications with muscle tears. What has your doctor indicated about your prognosis without surgical intervention?
I have had bursitis and got great relief from a cortisone injection into the bursa. This was a very simple procedure done in an orthopedic surgeon's office during a regular office visit. For more stubborn cases of bursitis, bursectomies can be performed, but I have no experience with this procedure.
I'm replying to "Sweet Pea" but I'm new to this and am not sure where to reply. Yes, I know about steroid injections. I've had one for this condition recently (because it was only recently diagnosed through mri) but it gave relief for only a few days. At this point I don't know if my pain is due to bursitis or to the partial tears in the hip muscles (aka tendons). I have an appt with an orthopedic and am hoping I can describe the pain in such a way to get some help. Very frustrating, as others have said, not to be offered a fix. I was originally diaagnosed as spine-related pain, but shots into the vertebrae of course were of no effect. My pain is primarily in walking and sleeping. I can sit and lie on my back with no problem. I'd welcome hearing about the experiences of others. Thanks
Right hip pain for several months 
