09/12/2016

Hip health and treatment

Hip Health

Hip health is important. When any source of pain is not diagnosed, the consequences can be extremely debilitating. We tend to think of hip problems as being a result of old age or wear and tear, but there are other conditions which may trigger pain. Discomfort may also be experienced in the groin, thigh, inside or outside of the hip joint and even in the buttocks.

 

The hip joint is important. It enables us to be able to walk, run or jump and for the movements to be fluid. The design of the actual joint serves to withstand repetitive motion and a certain amount of wear and tear. It’s a ball and socket joint and, when in use, cartilage within the joint acts as a cushion helping to prevent friction. However, gradually over the years, cartilage may become damaged or the hip bone itself injured as a result of trauma.

 

It’s important to seek medical assistance if the pain is intense and occurs suddenly. Similarly, if you hear a popping noise coming from the hip at the time of injury, or are unable to put any weight on the leg or find movement is limited, seek medical advice.

Common causes of hip pain

Bursitis is a common cause of pain in any joint and can certainly affect the hip. Injury may trigger inflammation within the joint and bursitis is a likely cause of pain.

Osteoarthritis

Where there is progressive loss of cartilage and degeneration of a joint, treatment of osteoarthritis will be prevention rather than cure. This condition is common in the senior years.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age and may affect many joints of the body, including the hips. This is an extremely painful and inflammatory condition. When the hip joint is affected, walking and movement will also generally be affected.

Overuse

Simple wear and tear on the cartilage which surrounds the hip joint can lead to inflammation and arthritic conditions. Inflammation may also impact ligaments, tendons and muscles too. This tends to be a more gradual pain.

Trauma to the hip

For an older individual, there is greater risk of falling or having brittle bones and this can lead to a dislocated or fractured hip. Even where there’s no evidence of a broken bone, there may be deep bruising or a strain in the hip area. There may also be a lot of pain associated with the trauma.

Referred pain

Sometimes people will experience pain in the hip but it is actually referred pain and the hip is not damaged at all. As an example, there may be dysfunction of the sacroiliac joints or the joints relative to the sacrum and iliac bones. A hernia may also lead to referred hip pain, as well as inflammation to the sciatic nerve.

Treatment

It is important to seek medical advice for hip health from your local doctor if there is hip pain. Over-the-counter medication will help with the pain but will not alleviate the cause, so it can be useful to seek out the services of a Chiropractor. Following the initial examination, the Chiropractor will provide you a personal treatment plan which will include advice on posture and exercise. Treatment will include the adjustment and manipulation of the hip region which will improve mobility of the hip joint. Treatment will vary depending on the actual cause of the pain but many health conditions can be improved as a result of chiropractic care. Physical therapy is also likely to help with hip health and hip pain recovery.

 

If you are unsure as to whether chiropractic treatment for hip health is suitable for you, check out Launchfit™ by Clinicube®chiropractic treatment options.