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painful popping hips

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since I was in high school I have had a lot of pain in my hips and I can crack them really loud by placing all my weight on one leg. I am not overweight at all and when I was born the doctors said I had extra rotation in my hips. should I worry about this/ and what could it be.

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Dr. Brian

Dr. Brian

The sounds come from ligaments rubbing over a bony prominence in your hip, or from "snapping" over another ligament. Some patients report that this popping turns into pain. It has not been proven to lead to early arthitis, but I would suggest performing hip strengthening exercises at the gym and at home.

Dr. Brian

Dr. Brian

Dawndee, Before you provide sarcastic replies, please understand that you should read the post carefully. No where did I say that the popping sound comes from "muscles are so tight that the ligament is scrapping the periosteum?" I explained that ligaments (or tendons) can make that sound as they slide back and forth over other ligaments (or tendons) or bony prominences. Ask any physical therapist or chiropractor, and they will agree. And I never stated that "muscles" tightness causes this problem. Your prideful attitude helped you make this assumption. It is actually the opposite of what you stated. After acute injury, ligaments and muscles can be damaged, leading to a "laxity." For example, after someone sprains their ankle, they may experience "popping" in their ankle due to the ligaments or tendons that have lengthened after the damamge. This is not the only cause of this popping, but in the original post's case, it may be the cause. The reasoning behind the exercise suggestion is because if a ligament is lax, exercise around that joint will strengthen the joint, and possibly decrease the popping. I did not make suggestions for specific exercises because it would take an evaluation, as you also suggested, to make these suggestions.Your sarcasm and condescending posts are unfortunate. Posters come here with sincere questions, and are welcome to post more specific information in order to get a more specific answer.


8 comments

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    9 10

    Exercises? Maybe you could suggest some? Which muscles are so tight that the ligament is scrapping the periosteum?Ligaments rubbing over a bony prominence? It is painful. Maybe your hips are out of alignment causing muscles to tense up, or vice versa. You need to know which muscles are causing the problem in order to do stretches. Low back, hamstrings, quads? seek out massage therapists and chiropracters and have them work together to track down where the pain originates.

    Dr. Brian

    9 10

    Dawndee,
    Before you provide sarcastic replies, please understand that you should read the post carefully. No where did I say that the popping sound comes from “muscles are so tight that the ligament is scrapping the periosteum?” I explained that ligaments (or tendons) can make that sound as they slide back and forth over other ligaments (or tendons) or bony prominences. Ask any physical therapist or chiropractor, and they will agree. And I never stated that “muscles” tightness causes this problem. Your prideful attitude helped you make this assumption. It is actually the opposite of what you stated. After acute injury, ligaments and muscles can be damaged, leading to a “laxity.” For example, after someone sprains their ankle, they may experience “popping” in their ankle due to the ligaments or tendons that have lengthened after the damamge. This is not the only cause of this popping, but in the original post’s case, it may be the cause. The reasoning behind the exercise suggestion is because if a ligament is lax, exercise around that joint will strengthen the joint, and possibly decrease the popping. I did not make suggestions for specific exercises because it would take an evaluation, as you also suggested, to make these suggestions.Your sarcasm and condescending posts are unfortunate. Posters come here with sincere questions, and are welcome to post more specific information in order to get a more specific answer.

    Dr. Brian

    9 10

    The sounds come from ligaments rubbing over a bony prominence in your hip, or from “snapping” over another ligament. Some patients report that this popping turns into pain. It has not been proven to lead to early arthitis, but I would suggest performing hip strengthening exercises at the gym and at home.

      Avatar

      9 10

      I started working out again a few months ago and started off by doing squats, leg press(which was painful for my hips by the way-too much much weight would be my guess) and extensions and curls all in the same session. Well I started noticing my knees hurting and popping so I stopped working my legs from a few weeks after I started and have yet to start back, even with light weight. Well as time went on I noticed my hips starting to pop. At first, it was just a very deep jarring crack, and as that went on it was accompanied with little painful pops like when my knee would come towards my chest for instance when sitting down in a chair or sitting down on the ground to do abs or something like that. I have a dull pain accompanied with big and little pops and cracks to make a long story short. What could be wrong? What should I do? PLEASE write back. Thank you

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    9 10

    Hi, my name is Dionne and I’m 29 years old. For as long as I can remember my left hip pops when I walk and at sometimes it hurts to walk. Every morning when I wake up I have an aching in my left hip. When I was 18 years old my joints would swell up severely to where I could not walk at all. That went on for about a year and went away and never happened again. My knees, ankles, elbows and wrists is what would swell. They could never figure out what was wrong except for maybe rheumatoid arthritis. Could you give me some hints on what you think is going on or what I should do! Thank you for your time!

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    9 10

    Dionne, Have you had an MRI? If not I would demand one. There are other osteo problems that can cause this, such as osteonecrosis. Especially if you have a history with steroid use, I would ask your doctor. The disease will not show up in normal xrays until the final stage. But if you have had these symptoms for over ten years, you probably would have been diagnosed by now. Good luck to you and I hope you get some answers.

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    9 10

    I am about to turn 60, and have had painful popping in one hip since I was around 8 though it went away for sometime. Now it’s back and when I asked one doctor about it he said it’s arthritis. I didn’t think he knew what he was talking about and am so thankful to find this explanation. It’s just what I explained that I thought it felt like! However, recently I’ve been getting an additional problem in the same hip where it feels like my hip has gone partially out of joint. It can happen when I’ve been sitting, and lately I’ve been waking up with it. It is extremely painful – and I have to find some way to turn or twist to get it back in joint before I can get up. Afterward, it can hurt for several days or a couple weeks. When I’m walking with the pain, it feels better if I press on the front of my hip bone so as (in my mind anyway) to hold the ball of the joint in place. I would think there would be some sort of not-too-major surgery that could put in some kind of band or protection over a mildly(?) out-of-joint hip to keep it from getting worse. What kind of treatments are available? I’ve not seen a doctor. I know he will say, “does this hurt?” while violently jerking things out of joint… Thanks!

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    9 10

    Hi Dionne,I’m 59 and my left hip has been popping for about three years. 6 years ago I fell off a ladder and dislocated my left hip, but it popped back in and I didn’t have much trouble with it until after I got Lyme Disease (from a tick) about 3 years later. I cured the Lyme Disese with the hydrogen peroxide cure but my hip still pops in and out. I think it’s healing but it’s a slow process. Jim

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