Is your hip pain actually hip pain?

People often complain of hip pain when in actuality it isn't the hip at all which is bothering them. There are three structures in the pelvis that present pain and only one is the true hip. The SI joint is the sacral-iliac joint and this is where the pelvic bone comes into contact with the triangular sacrum. This pain presents as sharp local pain that can be pointed to specifically. The actual hip joint is the point where the femur fits into the pelvis. This pain can be on the side of the leg or slightly in front or behind the top bony part of the leg. It is commonly tender and sore. Sharp pain in this area may be the result of a fracture and should be evaluated. In the groin area several muscles descend into the leg and along with them travel nerves, blood vessels and lymph nodes. Pain here is usually muscular and as such tends to be more spread out and worse with movement of the leg.