Hip pain is a common problem, and it can be confusing for you because there are many causes. It is important to make an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your symptoms so that appropriate treatment can be directed at the underlying problem. Prior to looking at hip pain in detail, I would like to point out that your hip pain may be coming from the hip itself, or from your lower back and pelvis. 50% of the cases I see of hip pain have a lower back component and 50% do not.

The hip joint is the largest ball-and-socket joint in the human body. Within the hip there are several bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs. The purposes of the bursae are to cushion the hip joint, lubricate it and help the tendons and muscles work as they should. For the majority of people, hip problems and pain develop over time.

Fractures involving the hip joint are seen all too often as our bodies age. No one who has been around for the last couple decades and watches television at all can forget the whole "I've fallen and I can't get up" ad campaign. It is sad, but true, that many older adults will have hip problems due to a fall. The fracture issue comes in when the fallen person is dealing with osteoporosis.

Anytime you perform an abs exercises in which your legs are moving, your hip flexors will work and more pressure will be placed on the hip. In my experience I have met quite a few people who feel a popping or clicking in the front of their hip when doing ab exercises like leg raises, scissors, flutter kicks, sit ups, or even bicycle crunches.

The hip joint can also become infected. Very occasionally it will be the site for an attack of gout. The bursae that lie over the joint can be inflamed with bursitis. Rheumatoid arthritis can injure the joint. Conditions such as spondylitis can cause stiffness or loss of motion of the hip.

The most common symptom with hip problems is pain

Pain due to hip problems may be felt in the groin, on the outside of the hip region, the buttock, inner part of the thigh, the front of the thigh, and even the knee. In fact, there have been patients who've had knee surgery... when the problem was really in the hip. NOT a good thing! Pain coming from the hip joint also needs to be distinguished from low back disorders as well as knee disorders.

Treating hip pain

In most cases that are not as extreme as the ones which require hip surgery or hip replacement, doctors recommend medication, physical therapy like hip exercise and changing your sleeping position and getting an ergonomic pillow to accommodate your legs in the right position. This is where the Leg Wedge Pillow proves to be right what people who suffer from hip pain need. This orthopedic pillow keeps pelvis correctly aligned and relieves pressure on the hips as well as in all joints.