HIP PAIN
Hip Pain Treatment serving the Durham, NC area
Hip pain is a rather common problem. In fact, among adults who play sports, the incidence of chronic hip pain is 30 to 40%, and among all adults over 60, the incidence of hip pain is 12 to 15%. Generally, the cause of hip pain will be diagnosed as degenerative in nature. Our experienced physical therapy in Durham, NC, specializes in helping people avoid hip surgery while fixing the underlying cause for pain.
Healing Hip Pain conservatively
Although many people will be told their hip pain is caused by osteoarthritis or even a labrum tear, we have learned there are some common movement problems the majority of people who have hip pain present with:
- Lower spine extension (bending backwards)
- Lower spine rotation towards the symptomatic hip
- Hip flexion
- Hip internal rotation
- Terminal knee extension on the symptomatic leg
- Ankle dorsiflexion
We don't expect you to know what all of these movements are. However, the point we're trying to make here is that hip pain is rarely just a "hip problem". As expressed, we find that most people with hip pain also have movement problems that need to be addressed at the spine, hip, knee, and ankle. Pain is extremely complex which is why a long-term solution requires a full-body approach to treatment.
Conditions we treat
- Osteoarthritis
- Labrum Tear
- Hip Impingement
- Lumbar Radiculopathy
- Sciatica
If you haven't been given a diagnosis for what's causing your hip pain, our physical therapists are experts in identifying the root causes of pain. As discussed above, we will perform a detailed assessment of your spine, hip, knee, and ankle to identify the underlying causes for pain.
Treatment Options
All of our treatment options are conservative. We use a variety of techniques that are designed to address the pain and fix the root problems. Some of these techniques include; myofascial release, dry needling, Mckenzie Method, IASTM, SFMA, and a detailed understanding of pain science which we believe is critically undervalued in traditional healthcare.
Contact Kaizen Physical Therapy today to learn more about the shoulder pain treatment options we offer to patients in the Durham, NC, area.
Not usually.
You may require an X-ray or MRI if there was a traumatic injury that caused your hip pain. For example, a sports collision, car accident, or a fall. An X-ray or MRI will be useful in this case to rule out a fracture, tear, or other condition that requires immediate medical attention.
You likely don't require an X-ray or MRI if there was no traumatic injury. If your hip pain is something that has gradually become worse over time (with no traumatic injury) then an X-ray or MRI is rarely necessary.
In fact, plenty of research shows that an X-ray or MRI, in this case, can lead to unnecessary surgical intervention trying to fix something that wasn't the cause of the pain in the first place.
A full-body movement assessment can identify what's causing the hip pain if there was no trauma.
Stretching for hip pain is typically a short-term pain solution. The muscles feel tight and the immediate assumption is that a tight muscle needs to be stretched.
However, we find that nearly all tight muscles are tight because they are weak (or somewhere nearby is weak).
This occurs because a tighter muscle is a stronger muscle.
Instead of stretching try strengthening. When done correctly, this is the solution nearly everyone needs.
Most people who have hip pain did not suffer a traumatic injury.
If there was no injury then it's very likely hip pain is caused by a combination of stiff and weak joints and muscles.
A full-body movement assessment should be performed to identify the root cause of hip pain. Many times the area that hurts is not where the root problem of the pain is occurring.
This detailed movement assessment must include:
- Lumbar spine
- Both hips
- Both knees
- Both ankles
- Single leg balance
This really depends on what your idea of a solution looks like.
If you want to avoid surgery, pain meds, and cortisone injections then a physical therapist should be your first option.
Hip pain is generally muscular if there are some movements that are painful and others that aren't.
For example, if walking hurts but sitting doesn't. This is a sign that your hip pain is likely muscular in nature.
Muscular pain is also typically felt as a 'dull ache' unless you perform a sudden movement that is an irritant (then it can be a sharp pain).
If you feel sensations of tingling, numbness, or burning then your problem is likely sciatica pain.
Wondering if our physical therapy clinic is the right approach for your problem?