I Can’t Get Comfortable at Night Because of My Hip Pain

Sleep is essential for a healthy life, but it’s sometimes difficult to get the rest you need when your hip aches all night. Unfortunately, the Arthritis Foundation reports that up to a third of adults in the United States can’t sleep because of hip or leg pain.

Nobody should have to fight pain while they’re trying to sleep, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Getting to the bottom of hip pain is the only way to find the correct treatment to get the relief you desperately need.

If hip pain is haunting you at night, Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine can help you find the root cause of the problem and provide various treatment options.

Dr. Brian Snow and Dr. Jon Thompson are our two experienced orthopedic surgeons. They offer robotic joint replacements, regenerative medicine, and arthroscopic surgery to treat issues like hip pain.

What causes hip pain at night?

Hip pain can occur for many reasons, including injuries and overuse. Daytime hip pain can be frustrating, but nighttime hip pain is typically more unbearable — but why?

Nocturnal hip pain makes it difficult to get to sleep because you usually can’t get comfortable. Tossing and turning to attempt relief means little sleep throughout the night.

Nighttime hip pain occurs for various reasons, some acute and others chronic. The prevalent causes of nocturnal hip pain include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Tendinitis
• Hip flexor strain
• Bursitis
• Sciatic-piriformis syndrome

Any of these issues causes hip pain at night and sometimes during the day. You may have more pain when lying on the affected hip, which puts increased pressure on the joint.

Sometimes, nighttime hip pain isn't due to a condition — instead, it happens because of your mattress or how you sleep. Sleeping on your side increases the risk of nighttime hip pain, as does an unsupportive mattress.

Home treatments that help

Although nocturnal hip pain is frustrating, you can control it at home with simple changes. Look closely at how you sleep at night and evaluate how long you’ve had your mattress. It may be time to invest in something more supportive.

Sleeping on your back instead of your side helps with nocturnal hip pain. Other lifestyle changes you can consider include:

• Place a pillow between your knees
• Stretch often
• Use a heating pad
• Exercise often
• Use anti-inflammatories
• Lose weight if necessary

It’s essential to keep the affected hip moving to prevent adhesions or stiffening of the joint. Keeping your body aligned throughout the night is crucial to reducing pain and getting the needed rest.

Seeking treatment for nocturnal hip pain

You can often handle nocturnal hip pain by making sleep changes and getting plenty of exercise. However, that’s only sometimes the case. You should seek professional care for hip pain if you have:

• Difficulty walking or climbing stairs
• Pain that doesn't get better with treatment
• Pain that keeps you up every night
• Trouble putting weight on the affected hip
• Swelling or deformity of the hip

At your appointment, our team evaluates the affected hip, performs a physical exam, and orders imaging studies like an X-ray or MRI. The imaging studies and your symptoms help us determine the cause of hip pain.

What other treatments alleviate pain?

Our team determines the best treatment route for your needs based on the results of your exam and imaging studies. Some of the hip treatments we offer include the following:

Regenerative medicine

Platelet-rich plasma and stem cell injections are both regenerative medicine forms that use your cells to heal damaged tissues. PRP and stem cell therapy are proven ways to stimulate the body’s healing response for decreased pain in the joint.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy is excellent for strength, mobility, balance, and flexibility. The focus is on strengthening the areas around the hip to provide support and take pressure off the structures within the joint.

Arthroscopy

An arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows our team to see inside the hip joint. Using a state-of-the-art arthroscope with a camera at the end, our team uses tiny incisions to see what’s causing pain inside the hip joint.

Surgery

If conservative treatments haven’t relieved your hip pain and you’ve tried changing things at home, our team may suggest surgery. When you have severe arthritis affecting your everyday activities, we recommend a hip replacement.

During the procedure, our team removes the damaged areas of the hip and replaces them with manufactured prosthetics. The prosthetics mimic the joint's natural movement, eliminating pain and improving function.

Call Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine today at one of our conveniently located offices in Texas to schedule a consultation with Dr. Snow or Dr. Thompson. You can also request a consultation for hip pain using our convenient online booking tool.