What Causes Hip Pain At Night And In The Morning
If you have started experiencing hip pain in the morning after sleeping or during the night, you probably want to know what causes it.
And thats the first step in trying to resolve this issue. Once you know the source of the problem, it will be much easier for you to find an effective, working method that could bring relief.
So, lets take a look at the most common reasons that might be standing behind your hip pain:
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Early And Correct Diagnosis Is Key
When seeing a physician for hip or lower back pain, imaging such as x-rays and MRIs are usually conducted at the sight of the symptoms. Yet, these studies can sometimes show abnormalities that are not actually the root cause of the pain. Let me share a quick example.
A fifty-year-old gentleman had severe pain in the outside of his hip. He saw a physician and had an x-ray of the hip area performed. It was determined that he had mild arthritis in the hip, but the arthritis should not have caused the extensive symptoms he was enduring.
So, he started physical therapy for a period of time and saw no improvement. He then received a cortisone shot in the hip, and that didnt work either. His treatment plan moved on to a stem cell injection with platelet rich plasma in the hip, which also offered no improvement to his symptoms.
This mans symptoms started in April and proceeded to get worse and worse to the point that he was in a wheelchair when he came to the OrthoVirginia office in August. I looked over his symptoms and decided to have a MRI performed on his lower back, even though he had absolutely zero pain coming from his lumbar spine.
It turned out that the L3 and L4 nerves in his back were being compressed, and the symptoms were appearing in his hip. A minimally invasive surgery was performed, and his pain was gone immediately.
Conditions That Cause Shoulder Pain When Waking Up
If you wake up in pain, there is a good chance that you are not getting the deep sleep you need to function throughout the day. But persistent shoulder pain is not likely to get better on its own. A good chiropractor or physical therapist can help you identify the underlying cause of your shoulder pain and provide a treatment plan to get rid of it.
Common causes of morning shoulder pain include:
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Rotator cuff tendinosis. The tendons that attach your rotator cuff muscles to bone can become inflamed or injured from physical overuse, but they can also experience wear and tear from poor posture and imbalanced muscle tension that creates misalignment in the upper body. Both issues respond well to physical therapy.
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Rotator cuff tear. The rotator cuff can become ruptured from overuse, or from being out of shape and overloading the muscles to lift or move a heavy object.
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Tendinosis calcarea. This condition is commonly seen in patients between the ages of 30 and 50. It is characterized by a buildup of calcium deposits in the tendon tissue of the rotator cuff.
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AC joint degeneration. The acromioclavicular joint is the junction of the clavicle and the scapula . Pain can arise from injury or overuse. Progressive degeneration of the joint can cause shoulder pain when waking up.
Also Check: Hip Pain It Band Syndrome
What Causes Hip Pain When Sleeping On Your Side
There are several causes of hip pain when sleeping on your side.
No one person is exactly the same and neither is their hip anatomy. The shape of the hip sockets is different from person to person, some people may experience hypermobility issues, and it is also possible that your hip pain is residual from a past or current injury.
Chronic hip pain is something that is often associated with arthritis, bursitis, and osteoarthritis as well. That being said, one of the most common, yet easiest to overlook, causes of hip pain at night is having tight hip flexor muscles.
Your hip flexor muscles are also known as your iliopsoas. The iliopsoas consists of two muscles that overlap each other: the iliacus and the psoas muscles.
Because the iliopsoas muscles are used so extensively throughout the day, even when you are sitting, they can easily become tight enough to cause discomfort and can pull your hips out of alignment.
The stress on your hips does not stop when you lay down to sleep either. Especially for side sleepers.
You see, when you are lying on your side, your legs are usually stacked on top of each other – sometimes connecting at the knees and ankles. Depending on your mattress, the bottom hip may not experience much strain, but the top hip does.
If your hip flexor muscles are already tight, this additional nightly stress can cause hip pain when sleeping on your side.
Osteoarthritis Of The Hip
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, which means it causes gradual damage to the joint. It is the most common form of hip arthritis and can affect other joints. Hip osteoarthritis is typically caused by wear and tear related to aging and worsens over time. The breakdown of cartilage leads to pain and inflammation.
Hip osteoarthritis may develop faster in some people due to irregular shape of the bones forming the hip joint. For example, if the ball and the socket parts of the hip joint dont perfectly fit together , they may rub against each other, eventually leading to osteoarthritis. This may also happen in people with hip dysplasia, who have a hip socket that is too shallow to support the ball of the femur. This places abnormal stress on the cartilage, causing it to wear away prematurely.
Stages of Osteoarthritis of the Hip
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My Hip Hurts When I Sleep On My Side
If you have hip pain, you have plenty of company: Data show hip pain affects millions of Americans every year, and that includes hip pain due to injuries, arthritis, and other hip ailments.
Research also shows that sleep plays an important role in managing chronic pain. But if your hip pain is making it hard to catch those nightly Zs, you can find yourself caught in a difficult cycle: Sleep helps relieve chronic hip pain, but your hip pain can also interfere with sleep.
Our team at Texas Orthopaedic Associates offers patient-centered care for chronic hip pain, including medical treatments and lifestyle guidance for optimal relief. If hip pain is interfering with your sleep routine, heres what we want you to know.
How Physical Therapy Fits In
While it may seem strange to consult a physical therapist for aches and pains that may be caused by your mattress, their expertise may be just what you need. As experts in posture and movement, a physical therapist can assess your bodys position while you sleep and make recommendations the type of mattress that best supports your body. They will also assess your posture and movement for any underlying conditions that may be contributing to your morning aches and pains. The physical therapist may develop a physical therapy treatment plan aimed at improving your posture, strengthening your body and improving your sleep.
With a little bit of work with a physical therapist and a little bit of time, you can say goodbye to morning aches and pains and hello to a restful nights sleep.
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A Troubleshooting Guide To Morning Aches And Pains
Do you leap out of bed excited at the thought of experiencing another morning or do you just lie there, afraid to move because of the pain youre likely to feel? Aches and pains are never welcome, but they can really dash your spirits when they plague you from your first waking moments. It helps to understand why these discomforts are occurring in various parts of your body, and how you can put a stop to them through safe, drug-free methods such as physical therapy.
Get Into A Morning Hip Stretching Habit
When you have tight hip flexor muscles, it can help to stretch them at least a little bit. Be aware that it is possible to overstretch your hip flexors. People with hypermobility, or people who sit a lot should be careful of overdoing it with the stretches.
That being said, getting into the habit of doing a short yoga or hip flexor stretch session right when you get up is a good way to wake up your muscles and get them ready for the day. You dont need to be a yogi and/or go to a fancy studio to effectively stretch your body
These stretches can be hip specific, but they can also be general to get more blood flow to your muscles. And you often dont need to stretch as deep as you think you should. Everyones natural range of motion is a bit different and can even change day to day. So listen to your body, and never continue a stretch if it hurts.
Especially for those of you that sit for extended periods of time, stretching in the morning and getting up and moving throughout the day is important for hip health.
The longer you stay seated, the more your hip flexor muscles begin to shorten. These tight, shortened muscles could be the culprit for your hip pain when sleeping on your side. When you stretch, you are counteracting the compressed position your muscles were in and lengthening them again. This often provides a bit of instant relief but is also a practice you should continue doing each day.
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When Hip Pain May Mean Arthritis
Learn about the various causes of hip pain, including different kinds of arthritis.
Many forms of arthritis and related conditions can cause pain, stiffness and swelling in the hips. Hip pain can occur on the outside or inside of the hip, the upper thigh or outer buttock. Here are some diseases that can affect the hips.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Previously known as wear and tear arthritis, OA is a disease of the joint that causes inflammation and damage to the tissues in the joint, including cartilage, which cushions the ends of the bones where they meet to form joints. The result is stiffness, pain, loss of movement and the formation of bony growths . Pain from hip OA is often felt in the groin area and front of the thigh. Stiffness may be worst after periods of inactivity, like first thing in the morning.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the immune system doesnt work properly and attacks the body’s own tissues, including the joints. Hip involvement in RA is often signaled by pain, stiffness or swelling in the hips, thighs or groin area. RA usually affects the same joint on both sides of the body, such as both hips.
Juvenile Arthritis
Juvenile arthritis refers to rheumatic diseases, including arthritis, that affect children and teens 16 years and younger. Several types of juvenile arthritis may cause hip joint pain and swelling.
AxSpA
Psoriatic Arthritis
Bursitis
Why Do My Hips Hurt When Sleeping On My Side
Most people sleep on their sides and if you have hip pain, it can really make it hard to snuggle in and get some restful Zs. Sleeping on your side can cause hip pain in a couple of ways. The first reason is obvious: When you sleep on your side, you put a lot of direct pressure on the hip joint. Often, thats enough to cause hip pain, even if you dont have really noticeable symptoms during the day. But you can also have pain in the opposite hip the one youre not lying on. That type of pain occurs when the opposite hip drifts forward, pulling on the joint and straining it.
You can try relieving pain by sleeping on your back. But for most people, changing sleeping positions is no easy task. Another solution is to use a hip pillow for side sleepers. Typically, the pillow is placed between the legs to keep hips in a more normal position while lying down. If its the bottom hip thats hurting, try putting the pillow behind your back and leaning back slightly against it to relieve that direct pressure on the joint.
Read Also: How Long Does Hip Bursitis Last
What Are The Symptoms Of Hip Conditions
In general, people suffering from hip pain from hip pathology have symptoms that appear in the front of the hip and the groin area. Sometimes the pain will radiate into the front of the thigh but very rarely goes past the knee.
After sitting for a period of time, patients suffering from hip pathology find it difficult to walk when they first get up. The pain is worse initially, but after a couple of limping steps, the hip lubrication kicks in, and the pain subsides.
When Should You Call Your Doctor About Your Painful Shoulder
If your shoulder hurts from sleeping on your side at night,Request an Appointment Online or call 305-520-5625.
7800 SW 87th Avenue Suite A110, Miami, FL 33173
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Hip Pain At Night During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, it is quite common for individuals to experience changes in their body and hormone levels. One potential change is a pain in the hip or pelvis as muscles and ligaments relax and stretch before giving birth.
When pregnant, the best sleeping position is on the side. Experts recommend putting a pillow between the legs, which can help support the hips and lower back and prevent rolling over.
Other less common causes of hip pain during pregnancy are:
- A tear in the ring of cartilage that cushions the hip joint and holds the ball and socket joint together. Mending this tear might require surgery.
- A hernia, where an organ or tissue pushes through a weak spot in the surrounding muscle or tissue. Added pressure on the abdomen during pregnancy could cause a hernia.
Anyone who is concerned about hip pain during pregnancy should tell a doctor or midwife, or make an appointment to see a physio.
Here are some steps that people can take to reduce the risk of experiencing hip pain at night:
- avoid repetitive activities that put a strain on the hips
- lose weight if overweight or obese
- maintain strength and flexibility at the hip joint by exercising safely
- make sure to wear appropriate footwear when exercising
Hip Pain At Night : Causes And Symptoms
Chronic hip pain at night affects around one in five people aged over 65 and is more common in women, particularly those aged 4060 years. It can disturb your sleep and/or make it difficult to fall asleep. When hip pain affects the outer side of your hip, it is called lateral hip pain.
There are many different causes of hip pain, including overuse during the day when exercising, the position that you sleep in, moving in bed and your joints swelling at night.
Read Also: Pain In Back And Hip
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What Causes Hip Pain When Sleeping
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. Sometimes hip pain is caused by pain from elsewhere, such as your lower back, radiating down to your hips this is called referred pain.
Hip pain can feel different depending on the underlying cause. If hip pain is caused by an injury that is largely healed, you may have lingering pain that feels like pins and needles. Severe arthritis can cause hip pain that feels as if someone is grabbing your hips. Hip pain can also feel achy or like burning.
Why Does My Hip Hurt So Much Every Morning
- Aching hip pain when you wake up
- Hard to stand up if you’ve been sitting down for a while
- Hurts to walk up or down stairs
- Painful to sleep on your side
- Night time pain that can wake you up
What is Bursitis?What causes hip bursitis?How can we help?Should I see a doctor?
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Make Cooking Breakfast Easier With The Right Tools
There are a number of ergonomic tools that can help with painful morning hands. Look for kitchen tools that decrease joint stress, mounted jar openers instead of trying to twist open jars, knives with saw handles. The more you take advantage of these, the more you can rest your hand and the less pain youll have. A. Lee Osterman, MD, professor of hand and orthopedic surgery and president of the Philadelphia Hand Center