Yes, you can absolutely have hip pain for years, often becoming a chronic issue due to conditions like osteoarthritis, developmental problems (dysplasia), past injuries, avascular necrosis, or inflammation. While some hip pain is short-term, chronic pain lasting over three months (or years) is common, especially with age-related wear and tear or unresolved trauma, affecting daily activities and requiring medical management.
You should worry about hip pain if it's sudden and severe after an injury, you can't bear weight or move your leg, you have signs of infection (fever, redness, swelling), or you experience numbness, tingling, or bowel/bladder issues, as these "red flag" symptoms need immediate medical attention, especially if pain doesn't improve with rest or interferes with daily life.
Pain, stiffness and weakness around the hips can lead to problems walking, putting on shoes and socks and activities such as getting in or out of the car. Eventually it can disturb your sleep. A locking or cracking sensation around your hip is fairly common. You may experience all or some of these symptoms.
During your physical exam, you'll also work together to check your hip's strength and movement. Before making a diagnosis, your doctor may order tests like: X-rays: Images that can show fractures, injuries or arthritis in the hip and other bones.
Some conditions behind chronic hip pain include hip fracture, arthritis, trochanteric bursitis, and avascular necrosis. If you experience pain or discomfort in your hip, seek immediate medical assistance. You can book an appointment with us by contacting us on our website.
Among these cancer types, the most common are leukemia and multiple myeloma, which form in the bone marrow. Other malignancies that can develop in the hip include osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma and soft tissue sarcomas.
Symptoms of hip arthritis may include pain in or near the hip joint, stiffness, audible clicking sounds when moving the hip, and weakness.
Misdiagnosis #2: Lower Back Pain
Because the spine, pelvis, and hip work together, it's not uncommon for patients with hip joint pathology to be misdiagnosed with lumbar spine issues such as herniated discs or sciatica.
Diagnosing hip dysplasia
Our specialists use advanced imaging tests, including MRI and 3-D CT scans, to accurately diagnose hip dysplasia.
Hip replacement is more common in people over 50, who account for more than 90% of procedures. That's because the risk of wear-and-tear injuries, different forms of arthritis, and other hip problems increases with age.
You may need a hip replacement if you experience persistent or recurring pain in or around the hip joint, coupled with significant stiffness and limited mobility. Key indicators include difficulty performing everyday tasks, difficulty standing on one leg, and disturbed sleep.
Hip pain – this is localised in the buttock and groin. You may feel pain in the thigh and down towards the knee. It may initially be present when you put weight on the leg or while walking.
Hip arthritis can onset rapidly and deteriorate the range of motion in the hips quickly. A patient can go from seeing no signs to needing a hip replacement in less than 24 months.
Referred pain in the hip is usually due to damage to the lumbar spine or muscle in the lower back. If nerves become damaged in the lumbar spine, this may cause pain in the hip and groin area. Conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can cause referred pain in the hip.
If you've injured your hip and you have any of the following symptoms, seek medical care right away: A joint that looks misshapen or out of place or your leg seems shorter than usual. You're not able to move your leg or hip. You can't put weight on the affected leg.
If this is an ongoing problem, you should speak with a specialist. Chronic hip pain that does not improve with rest, medication, or other conservative treatments can be an indication that the hip joint is deteriorating. The pain may also be felt in the groin, buttocks, thigh, or even the knee.
Early-stage inflammation hasn't caused enough tissue changes to show up on imaging yet. Nerve irritation creates real pain without visible structural damage on MRI scans typically. Functional issues like muscle spasms or joint instability don't always produce changes visible on imaging.
Hip pain can be felt during exercise, sleep, or when walking. It can lead to loss of motion of the hip. Discomfort and soreness during or after exercise is often the earliest sign of hip arthritis. Hip pain can cause sleep problems, as the discomfort affects your natural movement at night.
Hip dysplasia is the medical term for a hip socket that doesn't fully cover the ball portion of the upper thighbone. This allows the hip joint to become partially or completely dislocated. Most people with hip dysplasia are born with the condition.
Front-of-hip and groin pain often signals arthritis or labral tears, outer hip pain may indicate bursitis, while back-of-hip pain may point to spine problems rather than the hip itself. Osteoarthritis is the most common cause in older adults. This leads to stiffness and “bone-on-bone” pain as cartilage wears away.
The most common symptom of hip osteoarthritis is pain. This hip pain develops slowly and worsens over time, although it can also come on suddenly. Pain and stiffness may be worse in the morning, or after sitting or resting awhile. Over time, painful symptoms may occur more frequently, including during rest or at night.
Hip bursitis feels like a dull ache or sharp pain on the outer side of the hip and upper thigh, often worsening at night, when lying on the affected side, standing up from sitting, or during activities like walking, climbing stairs, or squatting, sometimes accompanied by tenderness, stiffness, swelling, and a burning sensation that can radiate down the thigh.
Increased joint surface area occurs over the years, producing additional bone at the joint margins-these tend to look like bone spurs and are called osteophytes. This thickening of bone is called sclerosis of the acetabular roofs and is an early sign of hip osteoarthritis or coxarthrosis.