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Arthritis, overexertion, and nerve injuries can cause hip pain and lower back pain. Back pain is a leading cause of doctor visits and work absences. Back pain can range from dull to sharp and shooting. Your mobility and quality of life may suffer. Hip pain and discomfort can result. These symptoms can be difficult to manage, but most people can recover from their causes. This article covers lower back and hip pain symptoms, causes, self-care, medical treatment, and more.

Lower Back and Hip Pain Causes

Lower back and hip pain have many causes such as muscle strains, pinched nerves, herniated discs, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, arthritis, and others are examples. Following are the causes of back and hip pain: 

• Sprains and Strains: Acute back pain often results from muscle strains. Overstretching or tearing ligaments causes back sprains. Stretching and tearing muscles and tendons causes back strains.

• Pinched Nerve: A "pinched nerve" refers to nerve damage that may be compressed, constricted, or elongated. A pinched nerve in the hip can cause numbness, pins-and-needles, shooting pain, or radiating pain.

• Sciatica: Injury or irritation to the sciatic nerve causes bottom back pain. Two sciatic nerves run through each hip, buttock, and leg, one on each side. Sciatica causes left hip pain and lower back pain. Lower back, hips, buttocks, legs, and feet are affected by sciatica.

• Herniated Disc: The cushioning disc between the vertebrae slips out of place, causing a herniated disc. The disc may press on nerves and cause right hip pain and lower back pain tingling and burning. It can cause hip and leg pain and sciatica.

• Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction: The SI joints connect the pelvis to the lower spine. Back and hip pain can result from limited movement or overexertion. SI joint dysfunction causes stiff, achy lower back and activity-aggravated pain.

• Arthritis: Different types of arthritis can cause lower back and hip pain. Spinal arthritis inflames the spine's facet joints or SI joints, while hip arthritis causes hip pain and stiffness. Lower back hip pain can result from spine cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis. Without this cushioning, bones will rub together and strain lower back and hip nerves. Hip pain and lower back pain on one side can result from rheumatoid, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic, and juvenile inflammatory arthritis.

• Spinal Lumbar Stenosis: Lower back spinal canal narrowing. Due to degeneration, older adults often have it. Hip and back pain, leg cramping, and leg numbness and weakness are symptoms.

• Piriformis Syndrome: A rare sciatic nerve and piriformis muscle disorder. The buttocks' thin piriformis muscle rotates the hip and points the leg and foot outward. When the piriformis muscle presses on the sciatic nerve, pain, numbness, and tingling result. Long sitting, walking, running, and stair climbing worsen pain.

• Paget's Bone Disease: This rare bone disorder affects bones. It prevents bone growth and softens bones. This condition increases bone pain and fracture risk. Hip, lower back, and pelvis issues are common in Paget's disease.

• Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: The rectum, urethra, and vagina pass through the muscle pelvic floor. Uncontracted or relaxed pelvic, lower back, genital, and rectum muscles can cause pain syndromes. People can have trouble defecating and urinating.

Medical Treatment for Hip and Lower Back Pain

Few people need extensive medical treatment for lower back and hip pain. OTC pain relievers, topicals (gels, patches, and creams), and self-care can help.

However, pain management in Dallas may prescribe medications or physical therapy for additional relief. Complementary and alternative therapies may help. Surgery recommended by a hip surgeon in Dallas is a last resort for back and hip pain.

Prescription Medicines

If symptoms are severe, your doctor at the hillsboro clinic may prescribe medical treatments.

Prescribed drugs may include:

• Anti-inflammatories recommended by pain relief center Plano. 

• Lidocaine and ibuprofen-containing prescription topicals.

• Muscle relaxants for spasms, because they alter pain response and manage nerve pain, antidepressants can be prescribed off-label.

• Steroid injections or oral corticosteroids: Injections relieve pain and swelling. An oral corticosteroid can relieve hip pain and lower back pain from inflammation.

• Opioids reduce brain and body pain and are prescribed by pain management fort worth for severe pain. Opioids are prescribed cautiously due to addiction risk.

• Inflammatory arthritis conditions that affect the spine and cause hip pain and lower back pain can be treated with DMARDs and biologic drugs.

Physical Therapy

If hip pain and lower back pain lasts more than a few weeks and interferes with daily life, your doctor may recommend physical therapy. PT reduces hip pain and lower back pain during pregnancy improves mobility and function. A physical therapist of a pain clinic in Mesquite can teach you exercises to manage symptoms, provide manual therapy, and advise you on how to move and participate in activities to better manage pain.

Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Some complementary and alternative therapies may help hip pain and lower back pain. Supplementary therapies are used with traditional medicine, while alternative medicines are used instead.

Among such therapies:

• Acupuncture Massage

• Chiropractic adjustments

• CBT cognitive therapy

Always consult with a back pain doctor in Dallas before starting any complementary or alternative treatment. 

Surgery

Surgery is reserved for structural issues that have not responded to nonsurgical treatment. It may also help people with nerve compression that causes muscle weakness, limits daily activities, and lowers quality of life. Combining lower back and hip pain may indicate an injury or underlying condition. 

Conclusion