Low back pain and hip pain are common ailments. Low back pain is especially common; most people will experience low back pain within their lifetime. As with any painful condition, it is wise to be aware of your pain, to track it, and if it is severe, long-lasting, unusual, or if you have any other concerns, to see your doctor.
You may wonder what sort of things could cause you to experience low back hip pain. There are many causes of these types of pain, from sources as varied as internal organ failure to mechanical injury, such as muscle sprains or strains.
The most common back pain experienced in the lower back is due to mechanical injury. Poor posture and incorrect lifting procedures are often to blame. Did your mother always tell you to sit up straight? Well, she was right, again!
These mechanical low back aches and pains are more common as we age, because we tend to lose muscle strength. For this reason, it is important to be especially cautious in our habits as we move on in years – don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’ve earned it!
Other causes of low back and hip pain include actual physical narrowing of the spinal canal via spinal stenosis. This type of change can put pressure on the spinal cord, and so is very dangerous. Spinal cord pressure can lead to numbness or tingling, bowel problems, or even paralysis.
Back pain can also be caused by bone- or joint-related problems, such as arthritis or osteoporosis. Kidney problems are sometimes the culprit. Clearly, back pain can be caused by many things. Often, perhaps partially as a result of this, back problems are difficult to diagnose.
Where hip pain is concerned, when one experiences the pain can be a key indicator of how serious the problem may be. Hip pain is typically of three kinds (in the most common order of seriousness): pain at rest, pain when moving, and pain when the hip is bearing weight. (Walking and standing are examples of activities in which the hip is bearing weight.)
If pain is experienced in the hip when walking or during other weight-bearing activity, actual joint damage may be indicated.
Again, the aging process plays a role in potential problems. Falls are a very real concern for the senior citizen. Osteoporosis, a common problem as we age, can lead to a broken hip in even a little fall around the house.
Infection and strains and sprains are common causes of pain upon motion (that doesn’t cause pain when weight-bearing). Pain that shoots from the lower back, through the buttock, to the hip could be caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve.
Inflammatory conditions, such as tendonitis and bursitis, are yet another cause of hip pain. Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa, the fluid-filled sac over the hip joint, and tendonitis – you guessed it -refers to an inflamed tendon. Other common causes of hip pain include arthritis and osteoporosis.
