Answer: Dear Terri,
You may be referring to the Snapping
Hip Syndrome characterized by a snapping feeling and usually an audible
popping noise, when walking or extending the leg. In very few cases
it produces pain and the main complain is its inconvenience. Conventional
medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of snapping hip syndrome,
such as RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).
The three main causes for snapping
hip syndrome are:
- Iliotibial Band Snap (the Iliotibial
band snaps over the greater trochanter (the bony prominence over the
outside of the hip joint).
- Iliopsoas Tendon Snap (The iliopsoas tendon can catch on a bony
prominence of the pelvis and cause a snap when the hip is flexed).
- Hip Labral Tear (tear of the cartilage within the hip joint - least
common cause).
