Irritable Hip Syndrome; Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Causes

• Viral infection that may occur in chest or digestive system
• Injury to the hip joint
• Bone fractures in the joint
• Infection in the upper respiratory tract

Symptoms

• Stiffness in the joint
• Severe pain in hip, knee, groin or leg
• The child may not want to put weight on the affected leg
• Limping and change in gait of the child
• Very young children may keep crying when the pain sets in
• Movement may be restricted
• Slight rise in body temperature
• The child may tend to hold the hip outwards, slightly bent away from the body
• Tenderness
• The condition may develop slowly with only one side of the joint being affected at first
• Muscle spasm
• Redness in the affected part of the leg

Diagnosis

• Analysis of the patient’s medical history and lifestyle besides the symptoms reported
• X-ray imaging
• Bone tests to check for bone growth and infections
• Blood tests
• MRI or CT scan
• Ultrasound test may help reveal fluid accumulation in the joint
• Aspiration in case fluid is present in the joint to check for infections
• Palpation to check for joint tenderness and locate the exact location of pain
• Log roll test- the whole joint is rotated outwards to see if there is any involuntary resistance by the supporting muscles (muscle guarding)
• Neurological tests may be conducted to rule out other causes such as developmental dysplasia of the hip joint

Treatment

• The patient is advised to rest and abstain from any strenuous activity for a couple of weeks
• Medication may be prescribed to relieve pain and swelling
• Application of heat pads relieves muscular stress
• Certain physical therapy exercises may improve blood flow and provide relief
• Traction (manual) may be applied to the affected leg to release stress from the joint. This is done by attaching weight bearing pulley to the leg and then stretching it.