Designed to bear a lot of weight and force, hips help us to walk, sit, bend and move due its wide range of motion. It is one of the largest joints in the body and a healthy hip can support your weight and allow you to move without pain. So anytime there is a problem with the hips it can have an enormous affect on your whole body.
As we get older many of us will experience some sort of hip pain. It takes a great force to seriously damage the hip because the of the strong large thigh muscles that support and move it. A number of things like falls can cause fractures, sitting, arthritis, bursitis, back problems, poor posture etc. Changes in the hip from disease or injury will affect your gait and place stress on joints above and below the hip.
Causes of Hip Pain:
While some hip pain is temporary other can be chronic. Here are some common causes:
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: This is most common cause of hip pain, especially in older adults. Arthritis leads to inflammation of the hip joint and the breakdown of the cartilage that cushions your hip bones. The pain gradually gets worse, stiffness and reduced range of motion in the hip may occur.
Hip fractures: The bones can become weak and brittle with age therefore more likely to break during a fall.
Bursitis: When the bursae gets inflamed it can cause pain. Inflammation of bursae is usually due to repetitive activities that overwork or irritate the hip joint.
Tendinitis: Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of the tendons. It’s usually caused by repetitive stress from overuse.
Muscle or tendon strain: When the muscles, tendons and ligaments that support the hips become inflamed due to overuse, they can cause pain and prevent the hip from working normally.
Hip labral tear: The labrum is a specialised cartilage that acts like a rubber seal to help hold the ball at the top of your thighbone securely within your hip socket. If this cartilage rips or tears you may feel pain in the groin and it may radiate to your lower back, buttocks or knees. The pain is often made worse with activity (including sports) and in positions where the ball and socket impinge, such as sitting in low chairs, getting up from chairs, climbing stairs, driving and putting on shoes and socks. Athletes and people who perform repetitive twisting movements are at higher risk of developing this problem.
Cancers: Tumors that start in the bone or that spread to the bone can cause pain in the hips.
Avascular necrosis (also called osteonecrosis): This condition happens when blood flow to the hip bone slows and the bone tissue dies. Causes can be a hip fracture or dislocation, or from the long-term use of high-dose steroids (such as prednisone).
Symptoms:
Symptoms associated with hip pain depend on the cause and may include:
- limping
- joint pain
- groin pain
- loss of motion of the hip
- warmth
- swelling over the hip
- tenderness of the hip
- difficulty sleeping on the hip
- Inside or outside of the hip Joint
- buttocks
Symptoms vary in intensity from mild to severe. Sometimes pain from other areas of the body, such as the back or groin can radiate to the hip. Your range of motion may have reduced and you develop a limp from the persistent hip pain.
Treatment
The treatment of hip pain depends on the precise cause of the pain. Treatments can include rest, non-weight-bearing, cold application, and anti-inflammatory medications. An injection of cortisone medication (steroids) can be used to quiet the local inflammation or antibiotics for an infection. Fractures can require treatment with surgical repairs, including pinning, plates and screws. A total joint replacement maybe performed for either a fracture or severe arthritis.
At Chiro & Sports Med, hip pain is a common problem that our chiropractors deal with. From runners to people that sit all day, having the right diagnosis and the right treatment can make all the difference! Our chiropractors can assess your normal hip alignment and ranges of motion. If there are any problems they can correct that via adjustments and specialised soft tissue treatment and provide you with some simple exercises to strengthen the hips and core.
Chiro & Sports Med
Our chiropractors at Chiro & Sports Med are committed to providing chiropractic solutions to address your unique needs, whether you are experiencing an irritated nerve, bulging disc, back pain, neck pain, knee pain, headaches, or even muscular tightness and tension. You may be searching for pain relief after an accident or experiencing an injury. Our mission is to help reduce or eliminate pain and to prevent future problems and injury. Above all, we are here to improve your quality of life, well-being, and your ability to live an active healthy lifestyle.
If you would like to make an appointment with one of the chiropractors at Chiro & Sports Med simply call our office on 9817 2005 and one of our friendly staff will organise an appointment for you.
