Cymraeg
Hip Pain is a common muscle, joint and bone symptom.
Hip Pain
Where is it felt?
Hip Pain is pain that can be felt in the groin, buttock, outside of the hip (by your pockets) and down the thigh and in the knee.
How could it affect me/my child?
- The symptoms can be felt with simple day to day activities such as walking, crossing your legs, running and jumping, putting shoes and socks on, and in children who wear nappies during changing
- Hip pain can affect our ability to carry out daily activities, including play, school and hobbies
- Sometimes hip problems will not cause a lot of pain for your child but might change how they walk and move. A young child may stop crawling or not put their foot on the ground when standing or being held in standing, an older child or young person may have a limp or walk with their feet turned out and find activities such as stepping up and down curbs or stairs difficult
Why does it happen?
Hip Pain can start because of an injury (for example a trip or twisting incident), from doing more than you normally do (for example increased activity or exercise), due to growth and development, or it can also start for no obvious reason.
Is it serious?
Although hip pain can be severe at first, it is not always a sign of serious injury or damage. It could be a soft tissue injury or muscle ache from activity or due to growth.
However your child will need to see their GP if they:
- Have a limp lasting more than a couple of days
- Have night pains that don’t respond to simple painkillers such as calpol, paracetamol or ibuprofen
- Have shortening of one or both legs, or outward rotation of the hip – this often causes the knee and foot to turn outwards
- Has clicking hips during nappy changes
- Has skin folds in different places on one leg compared with the other.
- Have a red, hot or swollen hip
- Has had a large change in behaviour such as difficulty sleeping or being more irritable
- Are feeling unwell, sick or have a fever with hip pain
- Has had dark “coco-cola coloured” urine
If your child has had a recent hip injury and is unable to weight bear they need to be assessed in a minor injuries department.
Will it get better?
If your child has suffered a soft tissue injury then it should settle within a couple of days. If hip pain lasts longer then it might be sign something else is going on and you should seek an assessment or further advise. There are a few common conditions that children can experience that will need assessment and ongoing treatment.
What can I do to help myself/my child?
If your child’s hip pain has been assessed and there is no condition diagnosed then there are some things that may help.
Some of the most important things you can do to help your child’s hip pain are related to your lifestyle choices and general health. We have provided some useful links to help guide you through.
Changing the type and amount of exercise and activities your child is doing can help. High impact activities such as running and jumping in high amounts can increase hip pain.
Following the 3-step process will help you make the most out of the information on this website.
The information in Step Two and Step Three explains the factors that can affect the severity and impact of muscle joint and bone symptoms.
Step Two explains the factors that may be contributing to your situation.
Step Three explains self-management advice on what you can do to help yourself.
Following the 3-step process will help you make the most out of the information on this website.
Learn more about:
Alongside the self-management advice in Step Three, some general exercises for hip pain can be helpful to support a gradual return to normal movement and function.
What can be done to help me/my child?
An assessment of your problem and treatment may be necessary if the self-management advice in Step 3 does not help. Consider seeking further help.
If you continue to be concerned about the symptoms you are experiencing and are unsure what to do contact your GP practice or ring NHS Wales 111.
