Hip pain only at night

[Morgan22]

Perhaps it's still your bed? How does your hip feel after you sleep in a different bed (e.g. like a hotel bed)?

I have a 3 layer foam mattress that I can adjust the firmness by shifting them around (e.g. hard layer on top, soft layer in middle, med layer at bottom, etc). It's trial and error to see which firmness works best for you. Perhaps this is something to explore, especially if a Dr. suggests going under the knife.

This is the first thing I thought too. I had hip pain, but it was because mattress was too firm. Had to get a nice thick soft mattress topper to get rid of the pain. Interesting that some people have to get a firmer mattress.

 

[spncity]

Had some right hip pain when lying on that side. Ignored for 6 months. Did some PT/strengthening/stretching. Helped a bit.

Because the pain was felt immediately upon lying down, the PCP thought it was bursitis and recommended going to a specialist for a steroid shot.

I opted for Prolozone shots that are ozone and vitamins (no side effects). Got a couple of the shots 6 times over 18 months. Improved 50% - 60%.

THIS year I stopped carrying my cell phone right over my hip all the time and it seems to have resolved the rest of the way.

 

[Winemaker]

I wore a miner's belt on my hips holding gear, tools and instruments for 35 years. My SI (sacro-illiac) joint is a mess. Many years of pain until I went to a physical therapist. What a relief. Did some manipulations, exercises and I was a 20 yo all over again. While the therapist moved away to a clinic closer to his home, my chiropractor friend picked up where he let off and set me straight whenever I had a relapse. Maybe twice a year now, I see him.

 

[rmcelwee]

I've had hip pain for 30 years. It is lower back related. My inversion table, the floor, or my chiropractor makes the pain go away. There is an audible pop when this happens and then almost instant relief. I think that some activities (using an angle grinder is one) make one of my vertebrae move a bit and it flares up.

 

[engineernerd]

Definitely get it checked out.

But there's also a slim possibility that it's vitamin D deficiency. I had knee pain at night, both knees, with a similar pattern of waking up in the middle of the night and having it go away if I turned onto my back instead of my side. I tried exercises but didn't notice any benefit. Then I read that vitamin D deficiency is very common and tried supplementing (2000-IU capsule every other day). That got rid of my knee pain. You can get a blood test for vitamin D; over 50 ng/mL is a good level, below 30 is definitely bad.

BTW, for your skin to manufacture vitamin D it needs exposure to sun when the sun is high in the sky, and there can't be glass in the way. So indoors is no good, winter is no good for at least the northern half of the USA, and early or late in the day is no good.

And if you're wondering how people living far from the equator got their vitamin D in the distant past, bacterial exposure is the probable answer. The supplement capsules are bacteria in oil. And researchers found slum dwellers in India had good levels, even those who spent their days indoors. They hypothesized it was because of their unsanitary environment.

 

[rick55]

A simple xray of your pelvis will be sufficient to diagnose whether you need a hip replacement. I went to an orthopedist and was diagnosed in 5 minutes. I got a 2nd opinion that was the same and had the surgery.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Yes, you should be seeing an orthopedist, as the comments have made clear. The initial diagnostic procedure is a simple x-ray. You may well not need a hip replacement. If the doc recommends PT, DO IT, and do the exercises at home, too. Find a PT who not only provides the exercises, but watches you carefully to be sure you're doing it right. It makes all the difference.

I have hip pain from arthritis, and have had several cortisone shots (a year apart) and lots of PT. It helps enormously. Doc says I'm not ready for a hip replacement. I went to a renowned sports medicine specialist (ortho) so I have a lot of confidence in his opinion. I've had less-than-wonderful experiences with docs in the past, and I'm picky. Be picky. Good luck!

 

[momoftwo]

Get a pelvic X ray. Even my uneducated eyeballs could see the mess in both my hips due to osteoarthritis.

Had anterior right hip replacement 3 months ago. First surgery of any kind in my 67 years..Short walks with cane after a week. Did a month of PT and resumed pain free mile walks at 2 months. Some residual numbness in thigh. No pain and great functionality.

Scheduled for left hip in March 2024.
The exercise and walking to rehab my r hip served to aggravate my left. Optimistic for final result by next summer.

 

[DaveLeeNC]

I had hip pain and 6 weeks of PT did nothing to resolve that. The problem turned out to be spinal stenosis in the lumbar region of my spine. You never know and, as was the case for me, the first answer by a very good orthopedic surgeon may not be the ultimate answer.

dave

 

[meleana]

I had spine surgery last January, still recovering, and am forced to sleep on my sides with a knee pillow and my hips bother me after awhile while in bed.

The best position to sleep in is on your back but I can’t do it because I still get pain in my lumbar area from the fusion.

 

[hotwired]

Different hip replacement

By the way, some people have hip replacements using the equivalent of yesterday's techniques and it's several weeks of recovery. There is a doctor here in Falmouth Maine who actually invented a couple of newer techniques and people are literally walking out of double hip replacements. (Day surgery) Make sure you pick the right doctor. This is literally a three or four day recovery with some of the newer advancements.

 

[tango2]

I do anesthesia so I have some knowledge in this. You may need hip surgery in the future. However, I would put it off for as long as possible. Too many complications with any surgery. Infection implants defective surgeon not very good. It is hard to evaluate your surgeon. I use to work with one who ever even saw his patients till day of surgery. Pa saw them and he was very busy. Anyway since you are thinking about having it, research it , your surgeon, and even hosp or surgery center where it might take place. If you have to go out of town for it. Good luck with what ever you decide

 

[NoEZmoney]

Sleep position can make the difference. I've started using a smaller pillow placed between my knees as I tend to sleep on my side mostly and the pillow eases pressure on my left hip which is the most stressed. Helps a lot. I have a bad left knee and left foot issues that I know have affected my hip alignment. I've started hip and leg strengthening exercises and lost weight which has also helped relieve pressure.
My goal is to avoid surgery and reduce pain. Also, I use a TENS muscle stimulator that offers relief too.
But as others stated, go see your doc and talk about simple therapies and options.

 

[Murph]

I had this problem when I switched to a firmer mattress. It never happened with my old mattress. I added a thick memory foam mattress topper to resolve it.
PS- Im a side-sleeper.

 

[jcretire77]

I don't recall if this was mentioned, but sometimes knee, hip, back issues originate from the feet. My flat feet and walking around barefoot did not help. Orthotics purchased last year are helping.

 

[aja8888]

Get a pelvic X ray. Even my uneducated eyeballs could see the mess in both my hips due to osteoarthritis.

Had anterior right hip replacement 3 months ago. First surgery of any kind in my 67 years..Short walks with cane after a week. Did a month of PT and resumed pain free mile walks at 2 months. Some residual numbness in thigh. No pain and great functionality.

Scheduled for left hip in March 2024.
The exercise and walking to rehab my r hip served to aggravate my left. Optimistic for final result by next summer.

Both my hips have been replaced via the anterior procedure done by an internationally renowned surgeon. Same results as you. I walk at least 10,000 steps per day and my golf game is as good as it was 20 years ago.

The bottom line on this is find the best surgeon and have the anterior procedure done (not all surgeons are competent in this procedure).

 

[Majorgym]

About 2 year's ago I started having Hip pain3 only at night and only after I have been in bed for 4 hours. It wakes me up at 2-3AM. I shift and stretch and sometimes fall back asleep with it hurting a bit later.

I getup in the morning and it goes away. It doesn't bother me all day. I have tried various sizes of knee pillows.

I thought maybe it was the extra weight I was carrying. Having retired I became more active with 4 mile walks every day. 20 minutes doing cardio a day. Working in the yard, etc etc. I eat what I want, just less. Being more active seems to have lowered my appetite. I ended up losing 60 pounds since I retired. The pain I had in my knees is gone. I no longer need my CPAP or my Blood Pressure Medicine. Can run up and down the stairs instead of using the handrail to pull me up or carefully walk down.

I take 3 Advil and put Biofreeze on my hip before bed

My Dr gave me some stretching exercises to try which don't help

Still have the night time hip pain

I swapped our softer Temperpedic for the more FIRM one we had in the guest room. That did help more than anything else, but still occurring.

Before bed I do 5 min on the elliptical and 30 sit ups to loosen it up. That does help a bit, but still enough to wake me and keep me up. I do sleep better with that routine.

I looked through the supplements thread and am now taking Turmeric

It could be I need a Hip replacement, but it does not bother me at all during the day. From what I understand these are essentially paid for under Medicare, so wondering if I should wait another 2.5 years until I am 65.

It could be that even though I went to a firmer bed, Tempurpedics just don't work for me anymore. I would hate to spend thousands on another mattress to find I still have the hip pain. The ones we have were expensive and still very comfortable otherwise.

I know I should probably go see a Dr who specializes in this area.

Wondering if others experienced this and what they did to resolve. Thanks for the opportunity to vent if nothing else.

I had a very similar problem: would do fine in the day, go to bed at night only to wake up in the morning with a pain in my right hip definitely increasing as I got out of bed.
Within 2 - 3 hours the pain would slowly subside only to recur the next morning! I went through much trial and error, with minimal benefit until I tried this:


https://www.spine-health.com/video/4-easy-stretches-piriformis-syndrome-pain-relief-video


I do this stretch series every morning on both sides and have experienced dramatic relief.
Hope this helps you as well.

 

[PointBreeze]

About 2 year's ago I started having Hip pain3 only at night and only after I have been in bed for 4 hours. It wakes me up at 2-3AM. I shift and stretch and sometimes fall back asleep with it hurting a bit later.

...

I take 3 Advil and put Biofreeze on my hip before bed

...

I looked through the supplements thread and am now taking Turmeric

It could be I need a Hip replacement, but it does not bother me at all during the day. From what I understand these are essentially paid for under Medicare, so wondering if I should wait another 2.5 years until I am 65.

.

I gave myself two asymptomatic ulcers taking Advil before bed! I had an endoscope for something else, and the doc asked me if I took Advil before bed, because the ulcers were exactly where the pills would lie if I swallowed them and then laid down. So I strongly suggest you eat a little something before taking the Advil, drink some water to help them dissolve, and then sit upright for at least 15-20 minutes after taking Advil.

Turmeric is much more effective if taken with black pepper. Better yet, get a turmeric supplement that also has piperine (the active ingredient in black pepper) in it.

I had a hip replacement 10 years ago. The major symptom I had, which the orthopedist said was classic, was groin pain and pain deep in my gluteus muscles. My hip itself did not hurt at all until while sleeping. A better way to get blood flow through your hip is to squat rather than to do situps, by the way.

Good luck!

 

[GenXguy]

Don't use a weighted blanket - it puts more weight on your body.

Don't hang out in bed when you're not sleeping by watching TV, reading, etc. That just extends the time you are putting weight on your hip in that position.

 

[Romer]

Thanks everyone for sharing your personal experiences. It is most appreciated

I had a very similar problem: would do fine in the day, go to bed at night only to wake up in the morning with a pain in my right hip definitely increasing as I got out of bed.
Within 2 - 3 hours the pain would slowly subside only to recur the next morning! I went through much trial and error, with minimal benefit until I tried this:


https://www.spine-health.com/video/4-easy-stretches-piriformis-syndrome-pain-relief-video


I do this stretch series every morning on both sides and have experienced dramatic relief.
Hope this helps you as well.

Thanks for the video. I tried the first two last night and that seemed to aggravate it more. Stretching my right Hip I could really feel it with a dull discomfort. I felt nothing with the left hip. Does it get better over time of doing the stretches?

 

[Golden sunsets]

I had pain running down the outside of my right leg only at night after several hours of sleep. It didn't matter if I slept on my left side, right side or back. No pain during the day. My Dr. referred me to a PT in early December. It seemed obvious that the source of the problem was lower back. The PT gave me specific sleeping position directions involving pillow positioning which worked immediately. I have also started core strengthening, which does not sound like your issue.

 

[Majorgym]

Thanks everyone for sharing your personal experiences. It is most appreciated



Thanks for the video. I tried the first two last night and that seemed to aggravate it more. Stretching my right Hip I could really feel it with a dull discomfort. I felt nothing with the left hip. Does it get better over time of doing the stretches?

My problem turned out to be piriformis syndrome - take a few minutes and read up on this, and see if you can relate. The exercises began helping me within 3-4 days and I do them daily now and the pain has fully resolved. I plan to continue this regimen the rest of my life - don't want to go back there again! If you find no relief, best to see the physician, suffering is no fun. Best of luck to you, I know what you're going through and it is extremely frustrating and time consuming!

 

[Aerides]

Thanks everyone for sharing your personal experiences. It is most appreciated



Thanks for the video. I tried the first two last night and that seemed to aggravate it more. Stretching my right Hip I could really feel it with a dull discomfort. I felt nothing with the left hip. Does it get better over time of doing the stretches?

Be very careful trying anyone's stretching recommendations until you have a clear diagnosis from a specialist. You could be making things worse, or masking the underlying (fixable...) problem. There are many many different reasons for pain.

 

[Romer]

I went to the Dr today and it was pretty good news

Xrays showed my hip joint to be in good shape with plenty of Cartlidge and both hips looking the same. No bone on bone areas

Back is in good shape, he said my spine is the best he has seen in a while

Movement of both hips and flexibility was the same for thee physical tests he put me through

Based on the location of the discomfort he believes my Bursa sac is inflamed. I think that is called Bursitis. He is going to schedule me for an injection to reduce the inflammation. He said that sometimes fixes it permanently or for several months. If it doesn't take care of it within a week, then he will need to look elsewhere.

https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=abs3068

I look at that as good news

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

A random internet story:

I was diagnosed with this (Bursitis) in my shoulder a couple years ago. I would be OK during the day, but would wake up at night from the pain. The doctor said it would either eventually go away (up to about a year) or if not they might have to operate.

I really didn't want to take a bunch of Advil every night due to high blood pressure. Eventually I got a mix of CBD and THC (tincture form) as I needed to do something to keep from waking. This pretty much did the trick in terms of waking at night and I also slept with a belt to keep my arms from above my head while I slept (a recommendation from the doctor).

In about a month, it got much better and I stopped doing the CBD/THC at night regiment.