If you are not sure what your injury is, why not try our Hip, Groin and Buttock Pain Symptom Checker?
Hip pain can be a complex problem linked to the lower back and buttocks and with pain radiating into other parts including the groin. Common hip injuries include hip bursitis as well as labral tears in the hip joint itself. Groin pain can be sudden onset such as that of a groin strain or gradual onset with groin inflammation. Hernias and Gilmores groin type injuries should also be considered.
Use the tabs below to view more detail on some of the most common causes of hip, groin and buttock pain.
Groin strain
A tear of one or more of the groin muscles on the inner thigh. Symptoms include a sudden sharp pain in the groin. There may be swelling and bruising appear but not always in mild cases.
Inguinal hernia
This is a protrusion of the contents of the abdomen through the inguinal canal. Symptoms include pain in the groin during exercise and pain when coughing or sneezing. A bulge or protusion in the groin area may be felt.
Osteitis pubis
Osteitis pubis is more accurately known as Pubic Bone Stress Injury. Symptoms include groin or pelvic pain when running, doing sit-ups and squatting which may develop gradually and be mistaken for a muscle strain.
Hip flexor strain
A tear of one of the hip flexor muscles, causing sudden pain at the front of the hip. Swelling or bruising may occur in severe cases. May be mistaken for a groin strain.
Hip bursitis
A bursa is a small sack of fluid between a tendon and the hip bone. Inflammation and swelling of one of the bursas can cause hip pain which becomes worse during activity. Pressing in on the side of the hip may be painful.
Labral tear
The socket that the top of the thigh bone sits in is lined by a ring of cartilage called the labrum. A tear in the cartilage will result in symptoms of pain in the hip or groin. A clicking or locking of the hip joint as well as stiffness may be felt.
Piriformis syndrome
Compression of the scaitc nerve by the piriformis muscle, resulting in symptoms of sciatica. Pain may be felt in the buttock area with symptoms radiating down the leg along the sciatic nerve.
Gluteal trigger points
A trigger point is a tiny localised knot in the muscle. Trigger points in the gluteus muscles can cause pain and discomfort when sitting and running. Pain may radiate into the thigh and lower back.
Pelvic avulsion fracture
When a muscle contracts strongly and pulls a piece of bone away at its attachment. Symptoms include a sudden sharp pain at the crease of the buttock during exercise. There may be bruising as swelling as well as weakness in bending the knee or extending the hip.
Hip rehab exercises
Rehabilitation exercises for the hip, groin and buttock area, including:
- Early, mid and late stage strengthening
- Stretching.
Buttock, Hip and Groin Pain
The hip area is extremely complex and so pain in this area can be very difficult to diagnose. The complexitiy is down to the sheer number of structures which converge into this area. There are muscles from both the legs and the trunk, as well as ligaments and tendons, a complex ball and socket joint and many blood vessels and nerves passing into the legs and pubic area.
The most common cause of sudden pain in the hip and groin region is a groin strain. However even this is not always as straightforward as it may seem. Gilmore's groin is a groin disruption which has more long term effects and may cause pain on coughing which helps to distinguish it from a simple groin strain. If this occurs, hernias should also be ruled out.
Buttock injuries include conditions such as piriformis syndrome, although this may cause more pain radiating into the leg than in the buttock area. Myofascial trigger points in the glute muscles can also result in referred pain and problems such as lower back pain.
The hip joint is not commonly injured through a traumatic injury when playing sport as it is a very stable joint. Degenerative wear and tear type injuries are more common, such as osteoarthritis and labral tears.
