Why does my hip hurt?
There are a variety of reasons your hip may be causing you pain. During our assessment, the focus is on WHY you have pain rather than solely on where the pain is. Once we know that answer, then we can find a solution.
Hip injuries are typically more chronic so if we don't know the cause then we are only treating symptoms. That will not fix your pain permanently!
Here are a few reasons you may be in pain but your therapist will be the one to assess your injury and create a treatment plan.
1) Poor joint mobility - Do you have trouble putting on your socks or shoes? Do you have difficulty getting in and out of a car? Do you have trouble getting the golf ball out of the hole?
If you answered Yes to these questions then it may be your hip joint which is causing the pain.
2) Muscle weakness/ hip instability - frequently a lack in strength in certain muscles, especially the gluteal (buttock) muscles, will contribute to hip pain. The therapist will need to assess those muscles to see which ones are the problem.
3) Muscle tightness - if certain muscles are too tight then they are not able to move in the proper patterns. A muscle that is too tight or too stretched can be a problem!
Who can help you?
What might be involved in their treatment?
- Assessment of movement and strength
- Education - to teach you what is causing your pain and how to make it better as well as how to prevent it from returning in the future
- Exercises - teaching you how to do the proper exercises to decrease your pain and improve your strength and/or mobility
- Manual therapy - your therapist may need to release muscles or mobilize joints to improve their ability to move
- Referral back to family doctor for imaging or to a specialist - if the therapist feels there is a need for an Xray, U/S or MRI then they will contact your family physician to discuss it. They may also suggest a specialist's referral if treatment is not progressing as it should.