Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesHow It FeelsRelieving PainMedical InterventionsSeeking Medical Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
How It Feels
Relieving Pain
Medical Interventions
Seeking Medical Care
Hip pain that radiates down the leg can occur due to many causes, such as sciatica, arthritis, bursitis, labral tear, greater trochanter pain syndrome, endometriosis, and more. If your symptoms worsen during certain activities or when laying down, this could be an indication to the cause of the pain.
Pinpointing the cause of your symptoms can help you get the most appropriate treatment.
In this article, learn more about what causeship painthat radiates down the leg and how to treat it.
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Causes of Radiating Hip Pain Down Legs
To understand the causes of pain that radiates from the hips down the legs, it’s important to first understand the joints in this area of the body.
The hips are complex ball-and-socket joints, in which the thigh bone (femur) connects into a depression in the pelvis (acetabulum). Because we bear weight on this joint, and it has many ranges of motion, it is prone to injury.
Likewise, hip pain that radiates down the legs can also originate in thesacroiliac (SI) joint, rather than the hip joint. The SI joint is where the tailbone (sacrum) connects with the back of the pelvis (ilium). Issues in this area can cause pain that radiates down the back of the legs.
Below are possible causes of hip pain that radiates down the legs.
Sciatica
Sciaticarefers to nerve pain that travels down the legs due to compressed or irritated spinal nerve roots.In addition to pain, it can also cause tingling, burning, numbness, and weakness in the leg, typically on one side.
Causes of sciatica:
Risk factorsfor sciatica:
Peripheral Neuropathy
Arthritis
Arthritisrefers to a group of inflammatory conditions that cause pain and inflammation in joints, including the hip joint.Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are both types of arthritis that could cause hip pain that radiates down the leg.
Osteoarthritisis the most common type of arthritis and leads to the “wear and tear” of smooth cartilage that cushions the joints. With this condition, your pain may be worse when walking or you may have stiffness after moving.
Rheumatoid arthritisis an autoimmune condition, and occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the synovial fluid in joints leading to inflammation, pain, and deformities. You may be more likely to have pain and stiffness when you wake up, or after long periods of not moving.
Stages of Hip Osteoarthritis: What They Mean and How to Treat
Bursitis
Bursitisis another possible cause of hip pain.The bursa are fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, muscles, and tendons in the joints. Bursitis occurs when bursa become infected or inflamed.
Pain from bursitis can be sharp in the first few days before leveling off to a dull ache. It worsens during transfers (such as getting out of bed or the car), after being stationary for a long time, and after sleeping on the affected side.
Causes of bursitis include:
Labral Tear
Pain that is felt at the front of the hip or groin area and radiates down the leg may be the result of alabral tear.
The labrum is a type of tough cartilage that stabilizes ball-and-socket joints (the hips and shoulder). A tear in the hip labrum can lead to joint instability, the inability to absorb shock, locking and clicking sensations in the hip, and pain.
This pain can worsen during twisting movements, or when sitting, standing, or walking for long periods of time.
Causes of a hip labral tear include:
Greater Trochanter Pain Syndrome
Greater trochanter pain syndrome (GTPS) is a cause of hip pain that occurs on the side of the hip.
The greater trochanter is a large knob on the lateral side of the thigh bone (femur). GTPS is a syndrome that encompasses pain in this area due to injury to the tendons of the gluteus medius or minimus muscles.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is another possible cause of hip pain that radiates down the legs. It is not as commonly mentioned but is also important to consider.
Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body, leading to pain, inflammation, and other symptoms.
Endometriosis Hip Pain: Nerve Symptoms and Relief
Describing Hip Pain That Radiates Downward
Because there are various causes of hip pain that radiates down the lower limbs, naturally, symptoms can be quite different depending on the cause.
It’s important to be able to accurately describe your pain to offer clues to your healthcare provider about what is causing your pain. For example, pain in the joint vs. muscle can feel different, and pain from nerve involvement will also feel different.
Some ways to describe hip pain that radiates downward include:
It is also important to note when you have pain and when you don’t. Consider if your pain is constant or only occurs or worsens when you’re doing certain things, such as:
How to Relieve Flaring Hip Pain That Radiates
There are some ways to relieve your pain at home. Be cautious and seek help from a medical professional if your pain is severe or impacting your day-to-day life.
Remedies for hip pain that radiates:
How to Sleep Better with Radiating Hip PainUnfortunately, hip pain can often impact sleep quality, especially for side sleepers since this position puts pressure on the affected joint. For increased comfort, try sleeping on your back. If this feels unnatural for you, use a pillow under your knees and/or along your sides to help maintain this position.
How to Sleep Better with Radiating Hip Pain
Unfortunately, hip pain can often impact sleep quality, especially for side sleepers since this position puts pressure on the affected joint. For increased comfort, try sleeping on your back. If this feels unnatural for you, use a pillow under your knees and/or along your sides to help maintain this position.
Medical Interventions for Radiating Hip Pain to Leg
Treatments can differ vastly depending on the cause of your hip pain, so your first step is to seek help from a medical professional in order to correctly diagnose the cause of your radiating hip pain.
Potential medical interventions for radiating hip pain include:
Living With Chronic Hip or Leg PainLiving with chronic hip or leg pain can be debilitating and affect everything from your physical ability to your mental and emotional state. Give yourself grace.In addition to the traditional medical treatments mentioned above, you may also benefit frommental health counselingto cope with the impacts of living with chronic pain. Staying engaged in low-impact exercise and accessible hobbies that bring you joy and meaning are also important.
Living With Chronic Hip or Leg Pain
Living with chronic hip or leg pain can be debilitating and affect everything from your physical ability to your mental and emotional state. Give yourself grace.In addition to the traditional medical treatments mentioned above, you may also benefit frommental health counselingto cope with the impacts of living with chronic pain. Staying engaged in low-impact exercise and accessible hobbies that bring you joy and meaning are also important.
Living with chronic hip or leg pain can be debilitating and affect everything from your physical ability to your mental and emotional state. Give yourself grace.
In addition to the traditional medical treatments mentioned above, you may also benefit frommental health counselingto cope with the impacts of living with chronic pain. Staying engaged in low-impact exercise and accessible hobbies that bring you joy and meaning are also important.
When to Consult a Healthcare Provider
Seek help from a healthcare provider if your symptoms worsen, last more than a week or so, or start to affect your day-to-day life or sleep. Getting an accurate diagnosis for the cause of your radiating hip pain will set you on the path toward treatment and recovery.
Summary
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Health Service.Sciatica.Penn Medicine.Sciatica.Cook CE, Taylor J, Wright A, Milosavljevic S, Goode A, Whitford M.Risk factors for first time incidence sciatica: a systematic review.Physiotherapy Res Intl. 2014;19(2):65-78. doi: 10.1002/pri.1572National Health Service.Arthritis.Wilson JJ, Furukawa M.Evaluation of the patient with hip pain.afp. 2014;89(1):27-34. PMID: 24444505National Health Service.Hip pain.American Academy of Family Physicians.Bursitis of the hip.Yale Medicine.Hip labral tear.Speers CJ, Bhogal GS.Greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a review of diagnosis and management in general practice.Br J Gen Pract. 2017;67(663):479-480. doi: 10.3399%2Fbjgp17X693041Drabble SJ, Long J, Alele B, O’Cathain A.Constellations of pain: a qualitative study of the complexity of women’s endometriosis-related pain.Br J Pain. 2021;15(3):345-356. doi:10.1177/2049463720961413National Health Service.Steroid injections.Chamberlain R.Hip pain in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.afp. 2021;103(2):81-89. PMID: 33448767American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Herniated disk in the lower back.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Health Service.Sciatica.Penn Medicine.Sciatica.Cook CE, Taylor J, Wright A, Milosavljevic S, Goode A, Whitford M.Risk factors for first time incidence sciatica: a systematic review.Physiotherapy Res Intl. 2014;19(2):65-78. doi: 10.1002/pri.1572National Health Service.Arthritis.Wilson JJ, Furukawa M.Evaluation of the patient with hip pain.afp. 2014;89(1):27-34. PMID: 24444505National Health Service.Hip pain.American Academy of Family Physicians.Bursitis of the hip.Yale Medicine.Hip labral tear.Speers CJ, Bhogal GS.Greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a review of diagnosis and management in general practice.Br J Gen Pract. 2017;67(663):479-480. doi: 10.3399%2Fbjgp17X693041Drabble SJ, Long J, Alele B, O’Cathain A.Constellations of pain: a qualitative study of the complexity of women’s endometriosis-related pain.Br J Pain. 2021;15(3):345-356. doi:10.1177/2049463720961413National Health Service.Steroid injections.Chamberlain R.Hip pain in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.afp. 2021;103(2):81-89. PMID: 33448767American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Herniated disk in the lower back.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Health Service.Sciatica.Penn Medicine.Sciatica.Cook CE, Taylor J, Wright A, Milosavljevic S, Goode A, Whitford M.Risk factors for first time incidence sciatica: a systematic review.Physiotherapy Res Intl. 2014;19(2):65-78. doi: 10.1002/pri.1572National Health Service.Arthritis.Wilson JJ, Furukawa M.Evaluation of the patient with hip pain.afp. 2014;89(1):27-34. PMID: 24444505National Health Service.Hip pain.American Academy of Family Physicians.Bursitis of the hip.Yale Medicine.Hip labral tear.Speers CJ, Bhogal GS.Greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a review of diagnosis and management in general practice.Br J Gen Pract. 2017;67(663):479-480. doi: 10.3399%2Fbjgp17X693041Drabble SJ, Long J, Alele B, O’Cathain A.Constellations of pain: a qualitative study of the complexity of women’s endometriosis-related pain.Br J Pain. 2021;15(3):345-356. doi:10.1177/2049463720961413National Health Service.Steroid injections.Chamberlain R.Hip pain in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.afp. 2021;103(2):81-89. PMID: 33448767American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Herniated disk in the lower back.
National Health Service.Sciatica.
Penn Medicine.Sciatica.
Cook CE, Taylor J, Wright A, Milosavljevic S, Goode A, Whitford M.Risk factors for first time incidence sciatica: a systematic review.Physiotherapy Res Intl. 2014;19(2):65-78. doi: 10.1002/pri.1572
National Health Service.Arthritis.
Wilson JJ, Furukawa M.Evaluation of the patient with hip pain.afp. 2014;89(1):27-34. PMID: 24444505
National Health Service.Hip pain.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Bursitis of the hip.
Yale Medicine.Hip labral tear.
Speers CJ, Bhogal GS.Greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a review of diagnosis and management in general practice.Br J Gen Pract. 2017;67(663):479-480. doi: 10.3399%2Fbjgp17X693041
Drabble SJ, Long J, Alele B, O’Cathain A.Constellations of pain: a qualitative study of the complexity of women’s endometriosis-related pain.Br J Pain. 2021;15(3):345-356. doi:10.1177/2049463720961413
National Health Service.Steroid injections.
Chamberlain R.Hip pain in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.afp. 2021;103(2):81-89. PMID: 33448767
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Herniated disk in the lower back.
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