The main symptom of irritable hip is pain in one of the hips. The pain isn't usually severe, but it may prevent your child from placing weight on the affected leg, and it may cause them to limp.
Occasionally, a child with irritable hip may also complain about additional pain in their knee or thigh, or restricted movement in one of the hip joints.
In younger children who are unable to speak, the only noticeable symptom may be them crying at night.
Sometimes, a child with irritable hip will have a slightly higher temperature than normal. Normal body temperature for a child is about 37ºC (98.6ºF).
When to seek medical advice
Although irritable hip is usually a mild condition, you should take your child to see their GP so that a diagnosis can be confirmed.
This is because irritable hip shares the initial symptoms of less common but more serious health conditions, such as septic arthritis, in which a joint becomes infected.
It's therefore important to rule out more serious hip conditions. Read more about diagnosing irritable hip.
