|
Do you experience pain in one or both hips whenever
you twist them or when you cross your legs? Does the
pain wake you up in the night and make it hard to get a
good night's sleep? When you get up in the morning, or
when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you
find it initially difficult to move your legs? If any of
these symptoms sound familiar, then it is likely that
you have imbalances and alignment problems in your lower
extremities that, in addition to generating hip pain,
can eventually lead to degenerative joint disease in
your hips if not treated.
Many causes of chronic hip pain originate in the hip
joint, which is the joint that attaches your leg bones
to your torso (via your pelvic bones), but not all of
them do. The following is a look at some of the causes
of chronic hip pain and how chiropractic care can help
provide hip pain relief.
One of the factors that make hip pain relief so hard
to find is that the source of the problem can be
mysterious. Often pain that is felt in the hips may
actually originate from an ailment not directly related
to the hips, such as a hernia or aneurism, while
sometimes pain that is felt in other parts of the body,
such as the legs or lower back, may have its origins in
the hips. In general, however, the leading causes of
chronic hip pain include:
- Injuries caused by gait problems, repetitive
motion or overuse of the joint. These injuries are
especially common among athletes and are one of the
top causes of hip problems.
- Otheoarthritis in the hip, and other age-related
degenerative conditions. In these cases, the disease
may be compounded by a previous injury, as well.
- Fractures and other acute injuries.
- Avascular necrosis, or the death of tissue within
the bone.
- Joint or bone infections in the hip area, which
are typically marked by fever, redness or swelling.
While few causes of chronic hip pain are beyond the
scope of chiropractic treatment, most are related to
repetitive motion or gait. Gait problems, or
misalignment when walking, usually indicate that
something is out of whack in your spine, back or legs.
For example, if you strain your knee and it causes you
to limp, the change in your gait can create hip pain. In
addition, gait imbalances can be caused by carrying a
baby or small child on your hip, leg length
discrepancies, or foot pronation problems. Furthermore,
your gait may vary to counterbalance new activities such
as a job change, an alteration in the way you sit, a new
sport or activity, or if you start driving for long
periods of time on a regular basis. In other words,
anything that creates an asymmetry or imbalance can
cause painful hip problems. A chiropractor can help to
bring hip pain relief by working with you to move your
spine, hips and legs back into proper alignment for
smoother, more comfortable motion.
Besides hip pain relief, another reason to seek
treatment for gait problems is that these can indicate
trouble with the cartilage that pads your hip joint,
which can wear away and cause significant chronic hip
pain. In some cases, chronic hip pain is an indication
of a problem elsewhere in your back or spine. Sciatica,
which is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve in your
spine or lumbar discs, is typically detected by chronic
hip pain or numbness and painful tingling down the back
of your legs. A chiropractor can also help relieve the
pressure and inflammation of your lumbar discs, thus
bringing hip pain relief and increased comfort levels.
For proper hip pain treatment a chiropractic
examination is necessary to pinpoint the cause. The
goals of treatment include: Reduce
inflammation
Relaxing painful muscle
spasm
Improving movement of the
joint
Strengthening weakened muscles
The hip pain treatment will involve stretching and
massage techniques to tight and tender muscles, and
gentle mobilization techniques and manipulation of the
effected joints. Ultrasound may also be used. As part of
the chiropractic management of your hip problem, along
with adjustments, your chiropractor may suggest that you
wear orthotics. Your chiropractor will also offer
applicable progressive rehabilitative exercises that
include muscle stretching and strengthening. Good
nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are, of course, always
important to keep you healthy and feeling well,
especially while your body heals from an injury.
|
|