HIP

Also found in leg and back, Sciatica symptoms come from an impingement on the sciatic nerve. This produces symptoms such as numbness, pins and needles, and in some cases a loss of power or muscle use. 

Pain or symptoms will follow a standard path from the lower back, through the buttocks and down the back of the leg, however sciatica can also be started in the buttock rather than the back. 

Much like sciatica caused by the sciatic nerve the femoral nerve can become trapped and cause pain. 

Symptoms from the femoral nerve present through the front of the hip and in to the quadricep muscles at the front of the leg. 

The nerve can be pinched in the lower back - causing back pain as well as hip and leg pain, or lower on its path through the psoas muscle with pain starting at the hip. 

pain affecting the area over the hip joint and in to the gluteal region. This can be a dull intermittent ache ranging to a sharp constant pain which prevents sleep. 

There are two types of hip impingement: Pincer and Cam. These types refer to the bony differences that cause the reduced range through the joint. 

The key symptoms will be pain on certain regular movements and a reduction in certain movements. 

This can be a problem that will continue for a while and is best diagnosis with a scan. 

This usually occurs during activity with a feeling of something "going" it may feel minor at the time or very painful depending on the degree of damage.  However some people do not recall an event but will still have a tear.

Following injury you will notice a notable loss of strength in hip flexion - for instance movements such as a straight leg raise will feel more difficult. 

Due to the number of muscles used in hip flexion you are unlikely to be unable to have any loss of movement and pain will be the main limiting factor. 

The ITB is a muscle that joins the hip and the knee running down the outside of the leg. Unlike most muscles the ITB is more fibrous and doesn't stretch or release as much. 

Issues with the ITB can cause pain in the hip and the knee and is very common in runners. 

The hip is one of the most common locations for osteo-arthritis. This will often present as pain at first and can progress in to a loss of movement. OA is not something that can be cured but with correct management it is not something that needs to be limiting or cause ongoing pain. 

If OA is sever in the hip a consultant may recommend a hip replacement or a surgery to  tidy the joint. 

Like the shoulder the ball and socket joint at the hip also has a labarum, which acts as an extra area to hold the hip in place. This can become torn which causes pain. 

Within the hip region there are a few bursas, the most commonly aggravated in the greater trochanter bursa. This causes pain over the femoral head.