Are you a parent? It is the most beautiful thing in the world to have children and enjoy life while raising them. However, there will be times when it might get a little demanding, but as a parent, you will have to take the best care of your child.

If your child has hip pain and you want to learn about its causes and treatment, consider the following article.

Tendonitis

Hip joints are not all bones as there is also the involvement of soft structures like tendons. A tendon is a soft-tissue band that connects muscles to bones. The primary function of tendons is to keep the joint bones together and offer stability.

When a tendon gets inflamed, it causes tendonitis. Hence, hip pain in a child could be possible due to this particular kind of soft-tissue injury. Your child must have fallen and knocked their hip joint somewhere.

This condition can be treated with ice compressions, pain medications, physiotherapy and surgical methods. However, a mild tear in the tendon can correct itself in one or two weeks without much care except painkillers.

Synovitis

This is another culprit for hip pain in children. A hip joint is a socket-and-bone synovial joint, to be precise. The “synovial” part means that the joint contains a membrane called synovium that produces fluid for lubrication of the joint so it can work smoothly.

When this synovium gets injured and thus inflamed, it is called synovitis. If a child’s hip is painful and swollen, there is a possibility that it is synovitis.

The treatment of synovitis is typically the same as tendonitis as it is also a soft-tissue injury.

Muscle Tears

When we talk about children, they are often playful by nature and thus, active all the time. It is a good thing, but sometimes, overactivity can cause strain and sprain around the hip joint if a child isn’t careful.

If your child experiences tenderness (it hurts when you press or touch it) around the hip joint muscles, it could be because of muscle tears.

It is not a serious condition and most probably wither away with rest and adequate sleep. But if it doesn’t correct itself, you should consult a doctor for the best medical advice.

Stress Fractures

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia says, “The bones of children and teens are especially vulnerable to stress fractures because their bones are still growing.”

If you have a child and they have hip pain, it could be because of stress fractures.

A stress fracture is an overuse injury. It happens because you have put more strain on your hip joints than it can bear without breaking. This condition usually develops when your bones have to tolerate stress and there is not enough time to recover from such stress.

Stress fractures begin over bone surfaces and may go deeper, getting converted into deep bone bruises—however, it is rare.

This condition causes hip pain. It goes away with enough rest, a good diet and adequate sleep. If a child’s hip pain doesn’t go away, consult a doctor.

Hip Bursitis

Bursae are small fluid-filled bags that are found in joints throughout the human body. When these structures get inflamed because of external traumas or internal diseases, the condition is known as bursitis.

In short, the inflammation of the bursa is called bursitis. This condition in a child can also give rise to pain in the hip.

Around each hip joint, there are two bursae, namely, one near the greater trochanter and another near the thigh groin area. If the bursa near the greater trochanter is inflamed, it is called trochanteric bursitis and otherwise hip bursitis (inflammation of the bursa near the groin area).

If the pain in the affected child is lateral (sideways) below the waist, it is most probably trochanteric bursitis, or hip bursitis in case the pain is in the groin area. Sometimes, such a condition of bursitis could also be a symptom of some underlying condition.

Treatments include painkillers, rest, a good diet, proper dehydration, physiotherapy, ice therapy and surgical options in extreme cases.

Consult an experienced orthopedic doctor if the hip pain persists. To book your consultation with the best doctor, visit the following link: pediatric orthopedic doctor in Delhi.

Adolescent Hip Dysplasia Joints

A hip joint comprises the lower pelvis cavity, called the acetabulum, and the femoral head. The hip joint is called a ball and socket joint as the acetabulum is in the shape of a socket and the femoral head forms the ball part.

The acetabulum and the femoral head stick together to make the hip joint happen. However, many children don’t have normal hip joints. Some children develop abnormalities during their adolescence., referred to as DDH or Developmental Hip Dysplasia.

In this condition, the hip joint in the form of a ball and socket doesn’t form properly giving rise to pain while walking and other normal activities. If not treated in time, the child with the disability can also develop early signs of arthritis.

If your child has started limping or there is an audible clicking sound while walking, you should immediately consult an orthopedic doctor for the best diagnosis.

Such conditions are permanently treated with arthroplasty. To learn about joint replacements, visit the following link: best doctor for hip replacement surgery.

Ligamentous Injuries

Hip joins don’t just house tendons, synovium, muscles and bones but ligaments too. These structures are soft-tissue bands that offer bone-to-bone connectivity. A ligament connects one bone to another.

When such ligaments of a hip joint get injured, it gives rise to inflammation around the area, medically referred to as a sprain. So, hip pain in children could also be because of ligamentous injuries.

Only the right orthopedic doctor can tell if the injury is related to ligaments, ensuring the best treatments afterwards. The treatment options are the same as other soft injuries like synovitis, tendonitis and bursitis.

Septic Arthritis

Infections can also cause hip pain. Certain bacteria, viruses and fungi can set in your joints through the bloodstream and lead to septic arthritis.

In septic arthritis, your joint has to suffer from an infection affecting the joint fluid and joint tissues. Hence, a child might also experience hip pain as a result of such infectious conditions.

Treatments include the administration of antibiotics primarily. If septic arthritis is a symptom of another disease like Bone TB, the doctor will cure that disease (or Bone TB) first and septic arthritis will be cured as a result of the same.

Conclusion

If your child reports hip pain for more than two weeks, don’t ignore the situation as it might be because of some serious condition like bone TB or even bone cancer. It is best that you seek medical attention as early as possible.