Hip pain treatment first starts with understanding the signs and symptoms of what could be going on and then coming up with a plan including hip pain exercises to get you back to your goals. As hip pain specialists we have seen more types of hip pain then you could imagine, but first and foremost before diving in to the pain and relief and hip pain exercises portion we must address what the hip consists of.
The hip joint sits between the femur (big leg bone) and the pelvis. This joint is considered a ball-and-socket joint, similar to an ice cream on a cone. The hip is an important joint because it helps to support and stabilize the knee and the back. The hip can be a tricky joint because you do not have to feel pain there to have an injury. The hip can also refer pain to the knee or back. It is important to seek a hip pain specialist to get a clear understanding and diagnosis.
Common Injuries to the Hip
Arthritis
Labral tear
Ligament tear
Muscle tear (around hip joint)
Sciatica
Piriformis syndrome
IT band syndrome
Bursitis
Fracture
Avascular necrosis
Hip Impingement
Common Signs and Symptoms of Hip Pain
Joint pain
Groin pain
Limping
Decrease in your motion
Swelling/tenderness over the hip
Pain when lying on the hip
Pain in the bottom (can be worse with sitting)
Clicking/popping/pinching
For those over 40 one of the most common concerns with the hip joint is arthritis. This can cause pain in the hip joint and make daily activities such as walking, standing, and squatting difficult and painful. If you have been diagnosed with arthritis in the hip joint it does not necessarily mean that you are a candidate for surgery. We have treated lots of patients with hip arthritis who are bone on bone in their hips, knees, shoulders, and backs get back to all of the hiking, lifting, yoga, and daily activities they want. Another common diagnosis is hip “bursitis”. We get patients all the time that come in telling us they have bursitis, but this can often be a misdiagnosis. Studies have shown that it is more common that this type of hip pain can actually come from a muscle called the gluteus medius which can be irritated or possibly torn. This is actually a good thing because with the right treatments muscles return to normal fairly quickly.
For those who enjoy sports and athletic hobbies many times the pain in the hip isn’t even directly related to the hip. The hip also plays an important role in the support of other structures such as the knee and the back. They need to be strong and stable to help prevent injuries in these other areas. Hip exercises depend on how you move, what is causing the pain, and what your goals are but generally will be aimed at improving how your hip and low back moves while increasing the strength of your glutes and hamstrings without causing any pain. With hip impingement many times we have to considerably modify the depth of your squatting or lunging movements with your exercises to stop your hip pain.
It is important to note that if you are feeling any pain, clicking, or popping the groin or hip joint to NOT push through. This could be coming from a tear in the hip joint or the muscle or tendon snapping over a bony prominence in the hip. A hands on assessment from a hip specialist Physical Therapist finds what is damaged AND what caused the damage. Many people fear they will need x rays and MRI’s. You shouldn’t jump right wanting a MRI because the MRI will not guide your rehab, but rather what we find with our hands on assessment does. Working on all of the areas that caused any damage and pain and not just on the area of pain/stiffness will help to give you the long term results you are looking for.
In the small chance you might need surgery-If we think that surgery may be called for we will order an MRI for you and communicate with a potential surgeon.
What You Can Do to Get Hip Pain Relief
As stated above surgery and injections are one form of treatment but they should be used only as a last resort to alleviate the pain. Physical Therapy is the preferred method for hip pain in all but the most severe cases and would include hands on manual techniques, dry needling (if needed and wanted), soft tissue work, joint mobility work, stretching, hip pain exercises and strengthening, kinesiotaping (if needed), likely working on the knee and the ankle, and whatever else you needed that would get you better. Getting relief won’t take long and many people leave feeling better the first day. Even if you didn’t leave feeling better the first day it would only take 1-2 more visits max to start noticing improvements. However, starting that first day you would feel better right away knowing what is wrong and having a plan to fix it.
If you want even more information on how to ease your hip pain starting today please consider downloading our free report “5 Ways to Ease Hip Pain” and Help You Get Back To Moving Pain Free by clicking on the image below.
If you would like more information from a hip pain specialist on how we might be able to help you get rid of your hip pain please click the button below to schedule a time we can talk. If you know you are ready to get some help right away you can call us at 720-651-0674 or email at jamie@kinetikchaindenver.com.
