Hip pain is a common complaint that can be caused by a wide variety of problems. The precise location of hip pain can provide clues about the underlying cause.

Problems within the hip joint itself tend to result in pain on the inside of the hip or the groin. Hip pain on the outside of the hip, upper thigh or outer buttock is usually caused by problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues that surround the hip joint.

Hip pain can sometimes be caused by diseases and conditions in other areas of the body, such as the lower back. This type of pain is called referred pain.

Causes

Hip pain may be caused by arthritis, injuries or other problems.

Arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis)
Psoriatic arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Septic arthritis
Injuries
Bursitis (A condition in which small sacs that cushion the bones, tendons and muscles near joints become inflamed.)
Dislocation: First aid
Hip fracture
Hip labral tear
Inguinal hernia (A condition in which tissue bulges through a weak spot in the muscles of the abdomen and can descend into the scrotum.)
Sprains (Stretching or tearing of a tissue band called a ligament, which connects two bones together in a joint.)
Tendinitis (A condition that happens when swelling called inflammation affects a tendon.)
Pinched nerves
Meralgia paresthetica
Sacroiliitis
Sciatica (Pain that travels along the path of a nerve that runs from the lower back down to each leg.)
Cancer
Advanced (metastatic) cancer that has spread to the bones
Bone cancer
Leukemia
Other problems
Avascular necrosis (osteonecrosis) (The death of bone tissue due to limited blood flow.)
Fibromyalgia
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (in children)
Osteomyelitis
Osteoporosis
Synovitis

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