Why Does My Hip Pop When I Walk?

A familiar snap, crackle, and pop in your hip socket can be quite unnerving, despite the absence of any pain. And it can affect young adults just as commonly as older ones. Joint wear and tear has no age restrictions.

Have you ever wondered why your hip pops when you walk or rotate them? Those clicks and clacks seem innocent enough at first, but they can hamper mobility and cause serious discomfort if left untreated for too long.

Why does my hip pop?

As implied in the name, a "snapping hip" occurs when muscle tendons snap over bony protrusions around the pelvic area. For some, it can feel like the hip is popping out of place. There are several types of this condition, and they depend upon the muscles involved. Your hip cracking could be due to any combination of factors.

• The psoas muscle grants you the ability to flex your hip, and the most common occurrence of a popping hip happens when the psoas tendon (which attaches to the thighbone) rubs against the front portion of the pubic bone. This can be the result of too much sitting, which tightens the psoas muscle against a ridge in the hip area known as the iliopectineal eminence.
• There is a thick band of tissue called the iliotibial (or IT) band that starts in the pelvis and runs down the thigh. This muscle is always tight; think of a stretched rubber band. But if the IT band is too tight, it can rub against the side of the femur (or thighbone) and create that snapping sensation.
• A tendon called the rectus femoris also runs up the front of the thigh to the pelvic region. It can move across the top of the thighbone when you bend and straighten your hip, causing it to pop.
• The hip labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the hip socket, and it can be torn in any number of ways (for example, as the result of a sports injury; various types of hip pain are common among athletes). When the end of the thighbone maneuvers over that tear, popping and cracking can occur.
• The hamstring attaches to the ischial tuberosity, also known as the sitting bone. When the hamstring moves across these bones, you could experience a snapping sensation in your backside.

Problems in any of these muscles, tendons, or pieces of cartilage can produce the hip popping or clicking you might be experiencing.

Does hip popping and cracking lead to future problems?

It might. Eventually, a hip clicking or popping while walking can degenerate into a more serious condition such as hip bursitis. When the fluid-filled sacs (called bursae) that cushion the connections between bones, ligaments, and tendons become inflamed, discomfort and irritation occur. Hip snapping is a relatively minor issue, but it can become more severe without proper attention.

• For hip popping after injuries: Rest is the easiest prescription for a lot of joint maladies, as limiting movement and reducing activity in the hips can alleviate the muscle tightening that causes the popping sensation. Applying a cold compress such as an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables is also proven to be effective, as is common over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or aspirin.
• For hip popping with a sedentary lifestyle: In short, those crackling noises and feelings are indications of general wear and tear. The snaps are fortunate because they draw your attention to the need for intervention, which can usually be accomplished through simple physical therapy and stretching of the psoas muscle and IT band. A torn labrum could require a hip arthroscopy, which is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that allows patients to return to form quickly and confidently.

How can a patient get help for a popping hip?

The aforementioned physical therapy and stretching exercises can teach you how to treat and prevent hip cracking, and a doctor can administer a cortisone shot in the troublesome joint if other remedies aren't working effectively. These injections reduce pain and inflammation and can often be done in the comfort of the doctor's office.

If you've tried home remedies and stretching regimens and the hip cracking isn't stopping, the orthopedic experts at the Reid Health Comprehensive Bone & Joint Center can help. We care deeply about patients and want to put your mind at ease.