The hip is shaped like a ball-and-socket. The socket is called the acetabulum, and the ball is the femoral head, located above the femur. A hip labral tear is a wound in the labrum, a soft tissue covering the acetabulum.
Labrum helps the female head move smoothly into the socket. It allows your hip to move without problems or pain. It also serves as a seal, putting a ball and socket together but not touching.
What to know about labral tear
The hip is a ball and socket joint. The ball part of the joint is made up of the upper part of the thigh bone, known as the female head. The “socket” part is made up of a bone called the acetabulum and a fibrocartilage lining known as the labrum.
This fibrocartilage increases the socket and enhances the overall stability of the joint. Labrum also allows the ball and the socket joint to work properly during operation. If this soft rotating cartilage is damaged, the joint may not function properly.
This is what we know as labral tears. It is important to note that, although labral tears may be due to acute injuries, most labral tears are the result of Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), a condition commonly known as hip impingement.
How does labral tear hip pain at night feel like?
Hip labral tears are difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are often similar to, or in conjunction with, other hip injuries. In general, after hip labral tears you can see:
- Pain in the hip or groin area
- Stiffness
- Limited range of motion
- Catching, locking, or clicking sensation in the hip joint
Symptoms can also be exacerbated by increased activity, especially movements that bend or compress the hip joint. Some people may not even notice the symptoms of hip labral tears and the condition may go untreated in some cases.
Types of hip labral tears
Doctors often classify hip tears according to their location:
- Anterior labral tears; located in front of the hip, are the most common. Two factors contributing to the growth of frontal tears include tension in the hip joints, such as rotation, and poor vascular supply to the hip joint.
- Posterior labral tears; located behind the hip, are less common. These types of tears are associated with stressful movements behind the hip waist, such as frequent squatting.
Why is the hip labrum important?
Labrum increases the relative depth of the socket, which can provide extra stability to the hip. This can be especially important for ballet dancers, figure skaters, gymnastics, and other athletes who put their hips through the many rows of motion.
In hip developmental dysplasia, the socket is much lower than normal, and the labrum tightens the socket to keep the femoral hip head in that deep socket. Also, there is a medical condition where a person has increased joint laxity, where the hip is more stable and depends on the labrum for stability.
Symptoms of labral tear hip pain at night
People who have hip labral tears may experience discomfort and pain that interfere with daily activities. Symptoms of labral tear hip pain at night, which may vary depending on the location of the tears and severity, are described in detail below;
- Difficulty participating in sports. Golf, ballet, soccer, and running are examples of sports that can cause increased pain.
- Needing a railing to climb the stairs. Weakness of the hips can lead to joint instability and difficulty climbing stairs.
- Difficulty walking for a long time. Hip instability and pain can make walking long distances difficult.
- Pain after sitting for 30 minutes or more. Sitting in a car or on a desk for long periods of time can cause pain.
- Discomfort while standing. Prolonged standing can be difficult and stressful. One can feel as if a hippo is loosening, although it is impossible to fall.
- Limping. Often, hip pain will be severe enough to cause relaxation while walking.
- Hip instability. The waist and leg may feel like they are about to stop, especially when walking, running, or standing for long periods of time.
- Hip clicking, locking, or catching. It can feel like the rounded upper thigh is trapped inside its socket during movement.
Hip pain. These pains are often described as recurrent, deep, unrelenting pain at rest and frequent, severe and excruciating pain that worsens during activities, such as turning, walking, and running.
Causes of labral tear hip pain at night
External hip pain or pain in the ‘lateral’ part of the hip is a major cause of hip pain that usually occurs at night. Let’s look at some common reasons why your hip hurt at night and most importantly what can be done to reduce hip pain.
Osteoarthritis: Damage to the cartilage of the joints and lower bone most commonly known from middle age onwards. It causes pain and stiffness, especially in the hips, knees, and thumbs. Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is another common cause of hip pain at night.
Bursitis: Inflammation or itching of the bursae. Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs that act as pillows, helping to reduce friction in the hip joint. Bursitis occurs when the bursae are inflamed. Inflammation of the bursae causes pain from the hip that extends down the side of the thigh.
Tendinopathy: A disease of the tendons. Tendons on the hip connect the gluteal muscles to the hip and pelvis. Together, they work to stabilize the pelvis and help the hips to move during daily activities, such as walking up and down stairs.
Rheumatoid Arthritis; Like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition. However, RA does not involve aging or clogging of joint tissues. Instead, patients with RA have an autoimmune condition that attacks the tissues in their joints. This immune response causes soft tissue in their joints.
Sleeping position; If you wake up frequently at night due to hip pain, how you sleep or your mattress can be to blame. A mattress that is too soft or too hard can cause pressure, which can cause pain in the hips. Try lying on your back or, if you are lying on your side, lie on the side that does not hurt and put a pillow between your knees to keep your hip straight.
Pregnancy; Pregnancy puts extra pressure on your back and hip, especially during your third trimester. Wear supportive shoes during the day and take a stretch break if you have been sitting for a long time. This can help reduce your risk for conditions such as sciatica, which can lead to recurrent pain.
Degenerative health conditions; Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease between the joints. As the cartilage erodes over time, it becomes prone to tearing. Being overweight and obese can increase a person’s risk of getting osteoarthritis.
Prevention
Sleep hygiene focuses on many aspects of making sure you choose the best internal and external environment to help facilitate better sleep. In a nutshell, here are a few simple things you can include:
- Try a new mattress
- Try to stretch the hip before bed
- Try to reduce the area during severe pain
- Make sure you stretch before and after exercise
- Try an over-the-counter pain medication
- Talk to your doctor about the treatment of chronic pain
- Do not exercise immediately before bedtime
- Stay without a screen for at least an hour before bedtime
- Make it a point to try to sleep and wake up at the same times every day.
Check out bedtime strategies. This can be by learning to meditate and calm the mind. It could be through reading or listening to music. There are endless possibilities here.
Meditation: Most people go through this idea before you even try – “headspace” is a nice and easy free trial program where you can meditate in many different ways – there may be something here that will suit you.
Diagnosis
The physician will ask questions about the patient’s medical history and physical activity and perform a physical examination, including specific bone tests to determine the presence of hip labral tears.
Physical exam; During a physical examination, the doctor will evaluate the strength of the hip joint and various types of motion and look for symptoms such as swelling and redness. The doctor will also try to alleviate the pain that the patient experiences in daily activities.
Patient history; The patient should be prepared to provide the physician with an accurate description of the symptoms, including when they started, what causes the pain, and where the pain is, as well as previous injuries and surgeries.
Injection; If the diagnosis is still unclear after the MRI or MRI arthrogram, the doctor may recommend an anesthetic in the hip. Ultrasound or other medical imaging is used to help direct the needle to the correct location of the suspected tear.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging); Research suggests that an MRI scanner, which uses injectable differentiation fluid, gives doctors a better picture of diagnosing labra tears and related problems, such as damage to hip cartilage.
Treatment of labral tear hip pain at night
There are ways you can improve your night’s sleep and reduce your labral tear hip pain at night. Follow these simple steps to find the ones that are right for you.
1. Medication
Your healthcare provider may prescribe medication to help you cope with your hip pain, especially if your symptoms keep you awake. If your pain interrupts your sleep, be sure to tell your healthcare provider; some rheumatism medications, such as the steroid prednisone, can cause insomnia, which maintains your broken sleep cycle.
You can try an over-the-counter pain reliever such as Tylenol to relieve severe pain. Holding a cold or hot stick to your hip can provide relief. Alternatively, a health care provider may recommend an opioid prescription such as oxycodone or hydrocarbons. If you have been prescribed an opioid, use it only as prescribed to avoid addiction. Always contact your healthcare provider before trying any new medication or major lifestyle changes.
2. lying on your side
sleeping on your side is very common in this situation. As you can imagine, about 8 hours will be spent directly while lying on the sore side or lying on the sore hip but still curled up and resting on a bed that increases the compression load.
Lying on the back with pillows below the knees to relieve your back and hips is the best position, however if it is difficult to lie on your back, try to keep the pillow firmly between the knees and ankles and focus on a horizontal position. of the upper leg.
Using a piece of egg shell on a straight mattress where your hips are lying, is also a very important tip to reduce direct pressure through the hip side while lying on your side.
3. Lifestyle
Certain lifestyle changes can help reduce or prevent hip pain. If you are in pain, you can restrain yourself with thoughts of working. However, a working life can help prevent future hip pain.
Yoga or Pilates can keep your hips flexible. Moderate strength building exercises can also help you avoid back and hip injuries. Regular walking and other moderate aerobic exercise are recommended.
Although no diet has been proven as a definite treatment for hip pain, anti-inflammatory diet can enhance your regular treatment regimen. Dietary foods, lemon juice, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce swelling in the hip joints.
4. Surgery
If the patient has not recovered from the aforementioned surgical options, the supervising therapist may recommend surgery for a torn labrum hip. Previously, open surgery was often used to treat hip labral tears.
Less invasive arthroscopic procedures are used, which give patients faster recovery times and less pain after surgery and swelling compared with plain techniques. During arthroscopic hip labrum surgery, a series of small incisions are made around the hip joint.
5. Check your mattress
If you suffer from hip pain that is worse at night, first check your mattress. As we mentioned in our mattress post for back pain, the mattress you choose can help greatly reduce pain.
First, try another bed to see if that will ease your pain. Next, find someone who can give you a good overview of how to get the best mattress for hip pain. Also discuss some of the alternatives to internal springs that cause pain in many mattresses. Then recommend replacing the memory foam or rubber mattress.