Hip pain is common, especially as you get older. There are things you can do to ease the pain, but get medical help if your hip is very painful or the pain does not get better. There is separate information about hip pain in children. There
are lots of possible causes of hip pain. It might be caused by a sudden injury or a longer-lasting problem such as arthritis. Your symptoms might give you an idea what could be causing the pain. But do not self-diagnose, see a GP if you're worried.
Common causes of hip pain and related symptoms.Causes of hip pain
SymptomsPossible cause Pain, swelling or bruising after intense or repetitive exercise
Sprain or strain
Over 45 years of age, pain worse when walking and stiffness after moving
Osteoarthritis
Pain and stiffness worse after not moving (for example, when you wake up)
Rheumatoid arthritis
Hot, swollen hip and a high temperature or feeling hot and shivery
Joint infection (septic arthritis)
Severe pain and unable to walk after a fall or injury
Hip fracture
How you can ease hip pain
There are things you can do to help ease hip pain.
Do
try to avoid putting too much strain on your hip – it's best to keep moving if you can, but try not to overdo things
put an ice pack (or bag of frozen peas) in a towel on the painful area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
take paracetamol
wear comfortable, shock-absorbing shoes with a soft sole
try to lose weight if you're overweight
try gentle hip stretching exercises
Don’t
do not take ibuprofen for the first 48 hours after an injury
do not carry anything heavy
do not sit in low chairs – this can put extra pressure on your hips
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
- hip pain is stopping you doing normal activities or affecting your sleep
- the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
- the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
- you have hip stiffness for more than 30 minutes after waking up
Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
- you have severe hip pain that started suddenly but you've not had a fall or injured your hip
- your hip is swollen and feels hot
- the skin around your hip has changed colour
- you have hip pain and feel generally unwell and have a high temperature or feel hot and shivery
You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.
What we mean by severe painSevere pain:
- always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
- you cannot sleep
- it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress
Moderate pain:
- always there
- makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
- you can manage to get up, wash or dress
Mild pain:
- comes and goes
- is annoying but does not stop you doing daily activities
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:
- you have severe hip pain after a fall or injury
- you're unable to walk or put weight on your leg
- you have any tingling or loss of feeling in your hip or leg after an injury
Find your nearest A&E
Treatments for hip pain
Treatment for hip pain depends on what's causing it.
A GP might:
- prescribe stronger painkillers
- give you some simple exercises to try
- refer you for physiotherapy for more help with exercises and stretches to ease the pain
- refer you for occupational therapy – an occupational therapist can help with things to make your life easier, such as walking sticks or walking aids
- refer you to a specialist – the specialist may do a scan and discuss treatments such as steroid injections or surgery
Some people with pain caused by a damaged hip joint may eventually need a hip replacement if other treatments do not help.
Page last reviewed: 11 March 2022
Next review due: 11 March 2025
Exact origins of abdominal pain can be tricky to pinpoint. You may have noticed, for instance, that the liver is listed under several regions: the right hypochondriac, epigastric, and right lumbar. For our purposes, these nine regions will be reduced to four quadrants when discussing pain points.
Right Upper Quadrant
Organs found in this quadrant include: the liver, the gallbladder, duodenum, the upper portion of the pancreas, and the hepatic flexure of the colon.
Pain in the right upper quadrant may be indicative of hepatitis, cholecystitis, or the formation of a peptic ulcer.
CholecystitisCholecystitis occurs if a gallstone finds its way into a bile duct preventing bile from flowing out and causing your gallbladder to become inflamed. Symptoms of Cholecystitis include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Belly pain (may worsen when taking deep breaths)
- Possible aches in back or right shoulder blade
Note: Bacteria also can cause Cholecystitis.
Hepatitis
Regardless of cause, inflammation of the liver is referred to as hepatitis. Most instances of hepatitis are viral, but the disease may also be caused by drugs or alcohol. The most common types of viral hepatitis include:
- Hepatitis A - This virus causes an acute inflammation and will usually heal on its own. It's easily spread in food and water, and often infects many people at once.
- Hepatitis B - This virus can be both acute (short-term illness) and chronic (ongoing illness), and is spread through blood or other body fluids in various ways.
- Hepatitis C - The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is almost always chronic and spreads usually by blood. Hepatitis A and B can be prevented by vaccination, but not hepatitis C. However, certain strains of Hepatitis C may be cured by a regimen of direct-acting antiviral medication.
Peptic Ulcer
A hole in the lining of the digestive tract is called a peptic ulcer. Peptic ulcers are created by erosive digestive action of pepsin and stomach acid, which may be linked to any of the following root causes:
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a type of stomach infection and inflammation causing bacteria
- Excessive use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin (Bayer), ibuprofen (Advil), and other anti-inflammatory drugs
- Smoking and drinking
- Radiation therapy
- Stomach cancer
Right Lower Quadrant
Organs found in the right lower quadrant include the appendix, the upper portion of the colon, and the right ovary and the Fallopian tube in women.
The right lower quadrant may be assessed when diagnosing appendicitis, in which case, this quadrant would be tender and painful.
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition in which the appendix becomes inflamed and filled with pus, causing pain. If left untreated, appendicitis may cause your appendix to rupture and cause infection, which can be
serious and even fatal.
Left Upper Quadrant
Organs in the left upper quadrant include the stomach, spleen, left portion of the liver, main body of the pancreas, the left portion of the kidney, adrenal glands, splenix flexure of the colon, and bottom part of the colon.
This quadrant may feel tender in cases of appendicitis and abnormalities of the intestines, such as malrotation.
Left Lower Quadrant
Organs found in this quadrant include the sigmoid colon, and the left ovary and Fallopian tube in women.
Pain in this quadrant may be symptomatic of colitis, diverticulitis, or kidney stones. Ovarian cysts (in women) or pelvic inflammation may also be at the root of pain in this quadrant.
Diverticulitis
Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of your digestive system. Sometimes, however, one or more of the pouches become inflamed or infected. That condition is known
as diverticulitis.
Ureteral Colic
This is most commonly caused by the obstruction of the urinary tract by kidney stones.
Colitis
Colitis, simply put, is inflammation of the colon. The three most common forms of colitis are: ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and infection.
Ulcerative Colitis
This is a chronic IBD that causes sores (ulcers) in the lining of your
colon, as well as inflammation.
Crohn's Disease
This is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract. Inflammation can appear anywhere in the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus, and it generally affects all the layers of the bowel walls, not just the inner lining.
C. Diff. Colitis
This is inflammation of the colon caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile which can
occur after treatment with antibiotics.