The best solution? Sleep on your back. If changing your sleep position is hard, try putting a pillow between your knees or slightly behind your back to relieve pressure and keep your hips aligned. A mattress topper or more supportive mattress might also help.
A variety of conditions can cause hip pain when sleeping. The most common causes are bursitis, osteoarthritis, sciatic-piriformis syndrome and tendonitis. Other causes include injury to your muscles or soft tissues, pregnancy, the position you sleep in and your bed or pillows.
Nerve related conditions may also become aggravated, such as with hip-related sciatica. Having the top and bottom legs slightly separated may help position the top leg in a way that takes stress and strain away from these soft tissues, reducing overall pain. Try sleeping with a pillow between your knees and ankles.
If you experience hip pain at night, there might be an underlying issue. Conditions like arthritis and bursitis can cause inflammation, and the pressure from sleeping on your side can aggravate it. While you might still need a new mattress, you can know exactly what's behind your hip pain.
Resting, applying ice or heat to the affected area, stretching and strengthening exercises, using over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and wearing supportive shoes are all effective methods for relieving hip pain.
Other things that can aggravate hip bursitis include too much pressure on the hip, poor overall posture, and engaging in activities that overuse the muscles in the hip. Even climbing a single flight of stairs can cause pain for some people with hip bursitis.
Symptoms of bursitis of the hip
Symptoms include joint pain and tenderness. You may also see swelling and feel warmth around the affected area. The pain is often sharp in the first few days. It may be dull and achy later.
Symptoms of hip arthritis may include pain in or near the hip joint, stiffness, audible clicking sounds when moving the hip, and weakness. While hip arthritis is usually a chronic condition, there are treatments to help ease the symptoms and reduce further damage.
That's because sleeping on the unaffected side allows the painful hip to shift forward (thanks to gravity), putting additional strain on the joint. A better option: Place a pillow between your knees. The pillow stabilizes your hips, keeping them in a more naturally aligned position that relieves joint strain.
This is why it is always recommended that you put a firm pillow between the knees to help keep your hips in line. You should also put a pillow of equal thickness under the head and neck to keep your hips and pelvis in line with your neck and back.
Go to a hospital or get emergency help if: Your hip pain is acute and caused by a serious fall or other injury. Your leg is deformed, badly bruised, or bleeding. You are unable to move your hip or bear any weight on your leg.
There are a few basic ways to know if you have hip bursitis or arthritis. If the pain you feel is sharp and severe before spreading out into an ache in the affected area, you may have hip bursitis. On the other hand, if your pain develops slower and is more painful in the morning, it may be hip arthritis.
Tendons in the hip may become inflamed or break down due to compression or overloading without having time to recover. This can cause hip pain at night. Bursitis: Inflammation or irritation of the bursae.
Problems within the hip joint itself tend to result in pain on the inside of your hip or your groin. Hip pain on the outside of your hip, upper thigh or outer buttock is usually caused by problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues that surround your hip joint.
The average patient age for a hip or knee replacement surgery is between 66 and 68, which means that it is reasonable to expect a joint replacement to last for the remainder of life in 80 to 90 percent of patients.
Walking is one of the best ways to relieve hip pain. But, if you find that despite a daily walk you are still experiencing it, there are other options available to you as well. If you've had a hip injury, ongoing physical therapy can help you immensely.
To diagnose hip bursitis, the doctor will perform a comprehensive physical examination, looking for tenderness in the area of the point of the hip. They may also perform additional tests to rule out other possible injuries or conditions.
X-ray images can't positively establish the diagnosis of bursitis, but they can help to exclude other causes of your discomfort. Ultrasound or MRI might be used if your bursitis can't easily be diagnosed by a physical exam alone.
Why can't I use Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel for shoulders, hips, etc.? Voltaren has not been studied for the relief of arthritis pain in the shoulders, hips, and back.
Pain Medications: Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) and ibuprofen (e.g., Advil and Motrin), are commonly used to ease hip pain. Analgesics such as muscle rubs can be used for temporary pain relief.
Avoid exercises involving repetitive hip flexion, the motion involving bringing your hip or leg up toward your chest. If doing squats, keep them shallow and hold off on lunges entirely, until you receive a diagnosis from your doctor. Do not work through pain. When walking or running, pay attention to pain.