Hip injury

You may develop hip complaints while playing football. Many movements take place in the hip during a game. To help you, we list the most common hip injuries below.

Most hip injuries in football develop over time. A hip injury usually arises from overuse. However, pain can also be caused by an abnormality in the hip joint. You can often feel this difference. Pain around the hip is usually due to overuse. Pain deep in the hip often has its cause in the hip joint.

Groin injury
When the pain is at the front of the hip, there is often a groin injury. A groin injury is not really a hip injury, but it can cause pain in that region. An exercise programme strengthens the muscles of the groin and reduces symptoms.

Snapping hip
A snapping hip is the most common hip injury in footballers. In this condition, a muscle, tendon, or ligament rolls over a bony prominence of the hip. This produces a snapping sound or sensation in the hip. There are three places in the hip where this can happen: the front, back, or side of the hip. Which muscle, tendon, or ligament rolls over a bony prominence depends on the location. The snapping does not have to be painful, but often feels unpleasant.

If your hip snaps regularly while playing football, it is necessary to stop playing temporarily. Have a physiotherapist examine what is causing the snapping. They can then treat it further to prevent these complaints in the future.

Contusion
A contusion is an acute injury. It can result from a hard fall or a kick to the hip. A contusion generally resolves on its own.

Bursitis
A bursitis of the hip is usually caused by overuse, but can also be the result of a contusion. The pain is then mainly on the outside of the hip. The complaints are similar to the greater trochanteric pain syndrome. A bursitis can also arise because of this.

Stress fracture
With a stress fracture, small cracks develop in the bone. A hip stress fracture is caused by overuse. When the hip bone is loaded too heavily in a short time, a stress fracture can occur. An X-ray can confirm a stress fracture. Relative rest is then needed.

Labral tear
The labrum is a ring of cartilage on the rim of the socket of the hip joint. This makes the socket a little deeper. This ring can tear, often as a result of hip impingement. In rare cases, it can also result from a major fall or tackle.

Do the self-check

Do you have a hip injury? Then do the self-check for hip complaints and find out what is going on.