Hip pain can significantly disrupt your life, as it limits mobility and makes simple activities more difficult. Chronic hip pain can also affect your mental health, especially if it prevents you from participating in social activities. If you’ve tried rest, heat therapy and other home treatments, it’s time to visit a pain management clinic staffed by experienced professionals. Find out how MAPS Centers for Pain Control can help if you have back-related hip pain.

How MAPS Identifies If Your Hip Pain Is Actually Coming from Your Back

Many people believe they have hip arthritis or bursitis, but it’s common for hip pain to arise from sciatica and other back problems. Before we create a treatment plan, we need to know which type of pain you have. At MAPS Centers for Pain Control, we take several steps to determine the source of your hip pain.

It starts with a thorough patient history. During the initial consultation, we’ll ask questions about your medical history, activity level and lifestyle. It’s also important that you have a thorough physical examination. Our specialists have extensive experience diagnosing and treating hip pain from back problems, so they’ll look for subtle signs that your hip problem is actually coming from your back.

In some cases, it’s necessary to order medical imaging to identify the exact cause of back-related hip pain. Computed tomography (CT) scanning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) produce detailed images of the structures inside your body, so they can help distinguish back problems from hip problems.

Common Signs Your Hip Pain May Be Referred from the Spine

If you have back-related hip pain, you may experience one or more of these symptoms:

• Radiating pain. Pain that stems from a hip problem is usually localized, which means it’s confined to the hip. If your pain is coming from your back, you might have radiating pain, or pain that spreads from one part of the body to another.
• Numbness. General hip can be dull or sharp, but it doesn’t usually cause numbness, which is the loss of feeling in part of your body. Hip pain from back problems might cause partial or total numbness, leaving you unable to feel part of your hip, buttocks, pelvis or back.
• Limited mobility. If your hip pain is the result of a back problem, you might have difficulty walking, bending, sitting or performing other movements. Some back issues also cause nerve compression, resulting in problems with walking and balance.

The Link Between Lumbar Spine Issues and Hip Pain

Lumbar disc issues, nerve impingement and spinal misalignment are among the most common causes of back-related hip pain. Spinal discs are structures that support the spine, separate the spinal nerves and cushion the small bones in the spine (vertebrae) against the shock of running, jumping and other activities. In some people, these discs bulge or rupture, causing pain that can spread to the hips.

Nerve impingement occurs when other bones, muscles or other tissues press up against your nerves, resulting in numbness, pain and tingling. Lumbar radiculopathy, a condition caused by a pinched nerve in your lower back, can cause back pain that radiates into the hip. Some people also experience numbness, tingling or muscle weakness.

Your spine has a natural curve that absorbs shock and helps you stay flexible. Spinal misalignment is when this curve is smaller or larger than normal. In some people, this misalignment is present at birth, as is the case with scoliosis. Spinal misalignment can also occur due to degenerative changes. No matter why it happens, spinal misalignment can cause numbness, tingling and radiating pain.

How MAPS Treats Hip Pain Caused by Back Problems

MAPS Centers for Pain Control offers non-surgical treatment of hip-related back pain, making it easier to return to your normal activities. Available treatments include nerve blocks, steroid injections and physical therapy.

A lumbar sympathetic block treats pain by delivering a numbing medication to the nerves in your lower back. This blocks pain signals, giving you relief from your hip pain. Lumbar cervical injections also relieve pain, but they use anti-inflammatory medications (steroids) instead of numbing medications. Physical therapy can help you strengthen your lower back, stabilize your core muscles and regain your mobility.

When to See a Pain Specialist in Chicago for Hip or Back Pain

You should see a pain specialist if your hip pain lasts for more than 2 weeks, it’s accompanied by numbness or it’s severe enough to prevent you from working or managing your household responsibilities. MAPS Centers for Pain Control is ready to identify the cause of your hip pain and develop a comprehensive treatment plan that helps you achieve lasting relief.

Schedule a consultation today to find out why so many patients trust us to help with hip pain in Chicago.