HIP PAIN

Hip pain can be debilitating and you may believe that the only way to relieve your pain is to take over-the-counter medications. Physical therapy, on the other hand, is a better choice.

If you have hip pain, physical therapy can help you get to the bottom of your problem in a safe and comfortable way, without the need for dangerous drugs or invasive surgery.

What Is Causing My Hip Pain?

When we are in pain and go to the doctor to find out what is wrong, we are frequently surprised to find out that the problem is not what we thought it was. This is because our body parts are all interconnected and work together to keep us alive. The joints themselves or an underlying condition in another part of the body can cause pain in the hips. Your hip is a ball-and-socket joint that supports the weight of your upper body by relying on a variety of muscles and tissues to keep it mobile and stable. If something is out of whack, you may suffer hip pain.

Common causes of hip pain:

• Pinched sciatic nerve

• Unbalanced posture or gait

• Overuse injuries such as tendinitis and chronic muscle strain

• Acute injuries such as sprains, strains, and dislocations

• Cartilage tears, also known as labral tears

• Injury to the hip flexor muscles

• Tight hip flexors

• Weak gluteus medius muscles

• Iliotibial band syndrome

Seeing a licensed physical therapist for a thorough evaluation of your condition is the best way to determine the true cause of your hip pain, so do not delay further.

How Can A Physical Therapist Help Relieve My Hip Pain?

Hip pain does not have to hold you back.  Physical therapy can help to relieve and even eliminate your hip pain. During your first appointment, one of our physical therapists will examine your hips for signs of misalignment or structural damage, and evaluate your stance, posture, gait, and range of motion. A customized treatment plan will be designed to relieve unnatural stress and strain on your body, and together you will work to improve your overall joint function so you can get back to living your normal life with more flexibility and less pain.

You will be given specific exercises to help relieve joint pain and stabilize your hips. Core strengthening exercises may also be prescribed to help strengthen your back muscles, lower abdominal muscles, and pelvic muscles. Core exercises are designed to improve your posture, as well as balance your weight on both sides of your body.

As your physical therapist sees fit, additional specialized treatments may be added to your recovery plan. These may include joint mobilization to improve joint movement or other soft tissue treatments that relieve pain and promote the healing of damaged tissues.