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Common Causes and Treatments of Hip Pain at Night

Hip pain at night might disrupt sleep, but it has other repercussions. Lack of sleep, tossing, and turning to find a better sleep position can also affect health and quality of life. Hip pain might prohibit you from exercising and may indicate major health issues. For an appropriate diagnosis and therapy, your doctor must determine the reason.

Common Hip Pain Causes at Night

A variety of factors might contribute to hip pain. According to one study, back and hip pain affects more than ten percent of the population and gets worse with age. Pain may be persistent or intermittent.

Sleeping Position

Your sleep position may cause hip pain at night. Left- or right-sided sleepers often do that. These sleeping positions can strain joints and misalign the body. A knee pillow or padding can raise the top leg. This aligns your hip and knee, reducing hip muscle and joint strain.

Gluteal Tendinopathy

Thick tendons connect muscles and bones. Gluteal tendinopathy damages glute-hip tendons. These tendons can rupture due to overuse, stress, and drugs like corticosteroids and Cipro. Most tendon injuries, previously known as "tendinitis," don't cause inflammation, hence the term "tendinosis."

Doctors advised rest and corticosteroid injections. Since steroids and NSAIDs may impede healing, a physical therapist advises eccentric exercise. An eccentric exercise is a glute bridge, where you gradually lower yourself to the floor. Some things you can do at home to help are: stretch, sleep with a pillow between your knees, use heat packs, and lose weight. Tendon injuries take 3–6 months to heal right hip pain. Tenotomy removes injured tendon tissues, and platelet-rich plasma infusions may reduce discomfort.

Sciatic-Piriformis Syndrome

Sciatic discomfort is tingling and numbness from the lower back to the buttocks, sometimes down the leg and foot. Sciatic-piriformis syndrome can cause calf burning when sleeping. Or your foot may throb, keeping you awake.

Pregnancy

Spine and hip pressure increase during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. Don't sit for long periods without supportive shoes and stretching breaks. This can lower the risk of sciatica and hip pain in women. At night, follow the side sleeping tips. While sleeping on your side, you can also pull up a blanket behind your back and lean against it. Pillows can replace blankets. 

Tendinopathy

Tendinopathy is any tendon disease. Hip tendons connect the gluteal muscles to the hip and pelvis. Together, they stabilize the pelvis and assist hip mobility during daily activities like walking and climbing stairs. Without rest, hip tendons can become inflamed or damaged due to compression or stress. This can induce hip joint pain when walking. Frequently, sitting with legs crossed or standing on one hip might induce tendinopathy and hip pain at night.

Treatment for Hip Pain at Night

The origin and nature of the labral tear in hip determine your treatment. Physical therapists and doctors use the following techniques to relieve mild to moderate pain:

OTC Drugs

Ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen can treat hip pain at night. Your medical history should determine whether you may safely take these medications.

Ice and heat

Change between an ice pack and heating pad for 20 minutes to reduce edema and inflammation (ice) and stimulate blood flow to relieve stiffness (heat).

Elevation and compression

Wrap a soft bandage around your hip and elevate your foot above your heart to reduce swelling.

Injecting Steroids

If over-the-counter painkillers don't work, pain physicians in Dallas may recommend corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation.

Lay Down Differently

To support your upper hip and keep your hips in the right place, put a pillow between your knees. Treatments that work well together. Before trying massage, acupuncture, or chiropractic for hip pain at night, see your doctor.

How to Deal with Hip Pain at Night?

There are ways to reduce hip pain at night. They include over-the-counter painkillers and long-term treatments. 

Quick Relief

  • For milder instances, try a hot or cold compress on your hip or take Tylenol (acetaminophen). 

Other methods include:

  • When lying sideways, put a pillow between your knees.

  • As you lie on your back, pillow your knees.

  • Hip stretching relieves tension.

  • I need a heating pad or hot water bottle.

Long-term Treatment

Lifestyle adjustments may reduce hip pain at night. Be more active. Yoga and pilates maintain flexibility. Walking and other easy-to-moderate aerobic workouts can help prevent back and hip injuries, as can moderate strength-building exercises. Physical therapists can recommend pain-relieving exercises. Consume anti-inflammatory foods. Turmeric, lemon water, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids may lessen hip joint inflammation. Take prescriptions. Prednisone can cause sleep issues, whereas opioids might cause dependency and addiction. Acupuncture or CBD supplements may augment bursitis hip treatment.

Hip Pain Prevention

You can't always avoid hip pain, but you can lower your risk of getting it or keep it from getting worse. Several things can help ease hip pain at night:

  • Avoid things that hurt or put pressure on your hip.

  • Wear comfy shoes with low heels when you work out or play sports.

  • Also, don't sit with your legs crossed. Make sure you warm up and cool down before and after you work out.

  • Move every hour to avoid sitting too long.

  • Weight loss or maintenance

  • Try not to stand with your weight on one hip.

  • Swimming or yoga are low-impact, hip-friendly activities.

  • According to a study, good sleep habits have a great impact on lowering hip pain.

When Should I See the Doctor?

Minor hip pain rarely requires medical attention. It's common, especially if you're active. If nightly hip pain persists or increases after a week or two of rest, over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, ice and/or heat, and modest stretching and strengthening exercises, consult pain management in Dallas. Additionally, you must address your pain if it interferes with your sleep. If you experience any of these, see a doctor.

  • Can't move a leg or hip

  • Hip pain prevents the leg from bearing weight.

  • Hip joint edema is present.

  • Infection symptoms include fever, chills, and redness.

Conclusion

Nighttime hip pain decreases the quality of life. Stress injuries may heal fast with rest and over-the-counter pain medication. Hip discomfort may indicate osteoarthritis or bursitis as part of a hip syndrome. Your doctor can diagnose hip discomfort due to a variety of factors. Making changes to your lifestyle, taking medicine, or going to physical therapy may help you deal with hip pain at night, but you may need more help. If there is a question in your mind about who is the best hip pain specialist near me, contact us!

Dr. Rao K. Ali M.D.

Dr. Rao Ali, a board-certified pain management physician, leads the clinic, which specializes in nonsurgical treatment. The physician has experience in the emergency room as well as training in pain management and rehabilitation. As a personal physician, he works with each patient to develop a treatment plan that will minimize or eliminate their pain. Providing expert diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions, Pain Management In Dallas, PA provides a comprehensive range of services. These services include neck pain, back pain, hip and knee pain, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, complex regional pain syndrome, headaches, migraines, and many others.