What Causes Front Hip Pain and How to Treat It

Hip pain can be distressing, especially when it occurs in the front or anterior part. You may not be able to sit, stand, or walk properly, which will ultimately affect the quality of your life.

Front hip pain can also indicate a severe health issue, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, bursitis, nerve compression, and more. It’s essential to consult a healthcare professional when you suspect front hip pain. They will identify the cause of the pain and develop a customized treatment plan. 

While home remedies effectively relieve the pain, they may not work for everyone. For these people, orthobiologic methods (regenerative medicine-based) are the best alternatives to surgery. They are less painful, non-invasive, and easily recoverable.

7 Reasons You Have Front Hip Pain

Front hip pain can affect people of all age groups and genders. Here are seven possible causes of this type of buttock pain:

Hip Fractures

Hip fractures are a common concern among older people, typically those over 60. Over time, our bones become weaker, and our joints lose their integrity. Some other factors causing hip fractures are sudden falls, injuries, or accidents.

A hip fracture can lead to severe knee, hip, or back pain, making it hard for you to sit, stand, or walk.

Osteoporosis 

Osteoporosis affects more women than men. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men aged over 50 years have osteoporosis. It can make your bones weak and susceptible to fractures and other injuries. 

Osteoporosis can occur in any bone or joint, including the hip joint. You will feel severe front hip pain because of it.

Arthritis

Two types of arthritis primarily lead to front hip pain: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 

Osteoarthritis is the chronic inflammation in the joints. With age, the cartilage in our hip bones wears off, making them prone to damage, inflammation, and breakage. Osteoarthritis causes stiffness in the joint and severe front hip pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that forces the joint’s lining to produce excessive fluid. It also causes cartilage damage, stiffness, swelling, and pain in the hip joints. 

Bursitis

The bursa is a fluid-filled sac that serves as the cushion to reduce friction between the tissues. The hip has two major bursae that can become inflamed. The first one covers the greater trochanter, the hip bone’s bony point, and the other is present on the hip’s side (groin area).

When any of these bursa gets inflamed, it causes stiffness and front hip pain. You may also experience swelling and redness in the affected area. 

Hip Labral Tear

The labrum is a cartilage ring located in the hip joint. A labrum rupture or tear usually produces an audible sound during movement. You may feel severe pain and stiffness in the affected area, including the front part.

Femoroacetabular Impingement

A femoroacetabular impingement refers to the abnormal growth of an extra bone around the hip joint. This additional bone develops at a young age and is also common among people who perform high-impact activities.

This condition results in intense hip and groin pain, which worsens when standing or sitting for a long time. It may also trigger when rising from sitting and getting in and out of the car. 

Nerve Compression

Health issues like meralgia paresthetica can compress the nerves, resulting in numbness and soreness in the affected hip area. You may also experience swelling or a burning sensation in your front hip. You’re more susceptible to nerve compression if you wear tight clothes or are overweight.

Other Causes

Some non-musculoskeletal issues in the internal organs can also cause front hip pain. These include digestive tract, urinary tract, vascular system, and sexual organ disorders.

Treatment for Front Hip Pain

Front hip pain can be relieved at home with some remedies. However, severe cases may require you to opt for regenerative medicine treatments, i.e., cell-based therapies and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. 

At-Home Methods

Some effective at-home treatments for front hip pain include:

• Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE). As soon as you suspect the pain, your first step should be to rest to relieve pressure from the hip. Then, apply an ice pack to the affected area for up to 20 minutes multiple times daily. You should also wear a compression garment for support and elevate your leg to regulate the blood flow. 
• Over-the-Counter Medications. Your doctor may also recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, corticosteroids, and pain-relief topicals.
• Physical Therapy. You should work with a physical therapist to practice stretching exercises. You might also need to contact an osteopath or a chiropractor. 
• A Balanced Diet and Weight. Maintaining a balanced diet and weight also helps with front hip pain. 
• Surgery. In severe pain cases, hip replacement surgery is the last resort. However, it’s not necessary, and you can go for regenerative medicine-based alternatives.

Orthobiologic Methods

The two most common orthobiologic methods to treat front hip pain include cell-based therapies (stem cell therapy) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. Both are based on regenerative medicine, which includes using the patient’s own cells to treat a medical issue. At CELLAXYS, we perform these orthobiologic treatments on patients with front hip pain.

Cell-Based Therapies

Also known as stem cell therapy, cell-based therapies involve extracting healthy cells from the patient’s body, processing them, and reinjecting them into the injury site to promote healing. Depending on the location where the cells are extracted from, the two further types of cell-based therapies are:

• Minimally Manipulated Adipose Tissue Transplant (MMAT). In this procedure, the doctor harvests cells from your adipose (fat) tissues and reinserts them into the front hip. 

• Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMAC). In BMAC, the doctor extracts highly concentrated cells from your bone marrow and reinjects them in the front hip.

Both cell-based therapies take around 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. They are performed as outpatient procedures and offer a very short recovery time with less pain. 

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy

PRP is a popular treatment for sports, spine, and orthopedic injuries among athletes. It involves taking the patient’s blood sample, separating platelets from it, and reinjecting them into the injured area. 

Platelets are the healing components of our body, which help in early recovery after an injury. They release 10 growth factors, attract healing cells in the blood, and produce a web-like scaffolding called fibrin. These properties assist in new tissue development, relieving the front hip pain faster.

PRP takes about 45 minutes to complete, and you can go home right after the procedure. Patients who opt for orthobiologic treatments for their front pain report less pain and earlier recovery than surgery.