A pinched nerve can cause pain in different parts of the body, depending on what areas of the body that nerve services. A nerve becomes pinched when it is compressed or otherwise damaged, sending pain throughout the length of that nerve. A pinched hip nerve can cause pain in the hip, lower back, and even down the length of the legs, depending on which nerve is being pinched. A pinched hip nerve may be a sciatic nerve or a femoral nerve, and each nerve will cause pain in a different area of the hip, back, or legs.
Sciatica is one of the most common forms of nerve pain. It can be considered a pinched hip nerve if the sciatic nerve becomes compressed somewhere in the hip, or if the pain from the nerve is felt in the hip. A pinched hip nerve does not exist as stated; there is no hip nerve exactly, though several nerves do run through the hip. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, and it runs from the lower back, through the hips and buttocks, and down into the legs all the way down to the feet. If this nerve becomes pinched or compressed anywhere along its length, one might feel a sharp pain, numbness, tingling, or in more severe cases, a loss of motor control anywhere in the legs, hips, or lower back.
A pinched hip nerve due to femoral nerve compression will often cause pain in the groin, hips and thighs. This may manifest itself as a shooting pain, weakness, or tenderness anywhere in the groin, hips, thighs, knees, or insides of the shins. This can be differentiated from sciatic pain by the location of the pain: sciatic pain is often felt at the back of the leg or in the buttocks, while femoral nerve pain is often felt on the inside of the legs and the groin.
Treatment for the different nerve pains will vary depending on the cause. Sciatic nerve pain can be caused by compression due to a herniated disc, or it may be caused by muscles, ligaments, or tendons that compress on the nerve. In most cases, exercise and stretching is enough to alleviate the nerve pain if it is sciatic. Femoral nerve pain can also be treated with exercise and stretching, as well as lifestyle changes that will help prevent constant pressure on the nerves. In more severe cases, intensive physical therapy may be necessary, in addition to anti-inflammatory medication and painkilling medication. Very serious nerve pain issues may need to be dealt with surgically.