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What is tendonitis?
Tendonitis can affect any of the tendons in your body. One of the most common areas is the hips. Hip flexor tendonitis, tendonitis of the hip, and a few other names all describe this injury that can typically be treated at home.
Your body’s tendons are thick, rope-like structures made of small fibers that attach your muscles to bones. Tendonitis often affects areas that are near joints. The muscle that flexes your hip is called the iliopsoas muscle. A tendon connects it to your upper thigh. If you overuse your iliopsoas muscle, the tendon can get inflamed and result in hip tendonitis.
Anyone can get hip tendonitis, but it’s most common in athletes. If you like to run, bike, swim, play intense sports, or attend exercise classes regularly you should learn the signs and symptoms of hip tendonitis.
Symptoms of hip tendonitis
Most of the time hip tendonitis comes on gradually. It’s different from pulling a muscle or spraining a ligament because there’s no sudden, intense pain. With hip tendonitis, you’ll notice over time that there’s a dull ache in your hip that slowly gets worse. Like most injuries, if you leave it untreated it can cause serious issues, including difficulty moving your hip.
If you think you have hip tendonitis, consult your healthcare provider. They’ll do a physical exam to see if you have pain and tenderness at a certain spot on your hip. They might perform other tests like x-rays, MRIs, or bone scans to make sure that your hip issues aren’t from another condition or injury.
Snapping hip
Snapping hip is a term often associated with hip tendonitis. When the inflamed iliopsoas tendon is used, it rubs against the bone of the hip socket and can catch. This causes a clicking that can be felt, heard, or both. This only happens with certain movements, like raising and lowering the whole leg or twisting the hip.
You’ll know if you have snapping hip because of the pain and clicking in your groin or the front area of your hip. Your symptoms will get worse when you bend the hip, especially if there’s resistance. Because the iliopsoas tendon is close to the surface of your skin, you might have tenderness in the hip or groin area.
Your healthcare provider can diagnose snapping hip by examining the area. The condition can be treated with rest, anti-inflammatories, or cortisone injections. If it’s severe, you might need surgery. If you have snapping hip without any pain, your healthcare provider likely won’t offer treatment.
Treating hip tendonitis
The best way to treat hip tendonitis is to focus on stopping inflammation and reducing pain. If you’re physically active you should pause your exercise routine and rest. If your hip tendonitis is mild, you can use over-the-counter pain medication and follow the RICE method:
- Rest: Wait two or three days before using your hip tendon.
- Ice: Apply ice wrapped in a towel to the affected area for 20 minutes every few hours.
- Compression: Wrap the area snugly in a bandage or soft brace, and remove the compression before bedtime.
- Elevation: If possible, elevate your hip by lying on a pillow.
If your symptoms don’t improve over time, you should consult your healthcare provider. Ask about physical therapy as a treatment; this can improve flexibility and strengthen your hip area. Beyond physical therapy and pain management, there are surgical options for treating hip tendonitis. Most people with this condition don’t need surgery, but if you try other options and are still in constant pain you might consider an operation.
Injuries similar to hip tendonitis
There are a collection of injuries similar to hip tendonitis that can cause or contribute to hip pain. These include:
- Gluteus Medium Syndrome: The gluteus medius muscle helps you stabilize as you walk, run, and jump. You’ll have pain on the outer part of your hip, and you might limp, feel pain, or be weak when raising your leg away from your body.
- Piriformis Syndrome: The piriformis muscle is a deep hip rotator that can become tight and irritated. You’ll feel intense pain in the back of your hip and shooting down the back of your leg. If you try hip rotation stretches, you’ll experience weakness and tightness.
Whether you have hip tendonitis or a related injury, talk to your healthcare provider for a diagnosis and to go over treatment options.
