Overview
This injury is a stretching or tearing of fibers in one of the muscles at the hip joint. Hip strains may be mild, moderate or severe.
Causes
Hip strains can be caused by overuse of the hip muscles or by trauma to the hip. They frequently occur during athletic activities. Warm-up exercises can help prevent hip strains.
Symptoms
Symptoms include pain, swelling, and loss of strength in the affected muscle. Symptoms may get worse during activity.
Treatment
Most hip strains can be treated with rest, ice, compression of the muscle with compression shorts or a wrap bandage, elevation of the affected leg, anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and swelling, and physical therapy.
© 2008 Swarm Interactive, Inc.
