Talking Hips: Why is my hip hurting?

Welcome back to Wealth of Health, Gold Coast Physiotherapy's very own tool to educate and empower our beautiful Gold Coast Community. Today, we delve into the world of hip pain, exploring the reasons behind its occurrence, the effectiveness of physiotherapy, and the crucial importance of addressing underlying movement imbalances. In this blog we wish to unveil strategies to not only alleviate current pain and dysfunction but also minimize the likelihood of future recurrence. So, let's get right in and discover how your journey to a healthier hip begins!

Understanding Hip Pain

The hip joint is a marvel of anatomical engineering, supporting our body weight, facilitating extraordinary complex and dynamic movement and absorbing significant forces. Sometimes, however, the demands outweigh the structures of the hip and can results in seriously debilitating pain. Research has shown us that there are a multitude of factors that can lead to hip pain, affecting people of all ages and activity levels. Common causes of hip pain include osteoarthritis, bursitis, tendinopathies, muscle strains, and joint impingement. Understanding the root causes is essential for effective treatment.

The Culprits

Movement Imbalances

One of the common causes of hip pain is underlying movement imbalances. These imbalances can stem from previous injuries, weaknesses or inactive muscles around the hip or may even be occurring due to deficits in other areas of the body. For example, a chronic unstable left ankle or a previous knee ligament injury can lead to compensatory movement patterns to protect the injury, which if left untreated will place excessive demands/stress on other structures like the hip to make up for the poor loading pattern.

Overuse and Repetitive Strain

Hip pain can also occur due to overuse and repetitive strain injuries. Activities involving repetitive movements, such as running, dancing, or even sitting for prolonged periods, can overtime aggravate structures in the hip, leading to discomfort and dysfunction. This is usually seen when there has been a sudden and rapid change in physical loads demands on the hip, ie. taking up a new work out program or going from being very active to inactive over a few weeks.

Trauma or underlying pathology

Fractures, bone stress reactions or nasty growths make up a very small percentage of people presenting with hip pain and are very rarely seen in clinical practice. That being said, if you do happen to present to us at Gold Coast Physiotherapy with something that is beyond our scope of practice, our expert therapists will pick this up very quickly and refer you on to the appropriate healthcare professionals for immediate management.

The Power of Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy emerges as a beacon of hope for most people suffering from hip pain. With its holistic and evidence-based approach, physiotherapy aims to not only relieve pain but also address the underlying causes, promoting long-term health and functionality. So, let's look at how a skilled physiotherapist goes about fixing a sore hip.

Accurate Assessment and Diagnosis

A skilled physiotherapist will conduct a thorough assessment to identify the specific factors contributing to your hip pain. This assessment may involve reviewing your medical history, analysing your movement patterns and conducting functional tests. By understanding the root cause/s, a personalized treatment plan can be formulated and implemented immediately.

Manual Therapy and Pain Management 

In addition to exercise rehabilitation, physiotherapy offers various manual therapy techniques to reduce pain and enhance mobility. These may include joint mobilization, soft tissue release, and other therapeutic modalities such as dry needling and cryotherapy. Your physiotherapist may employ a combination of these techniques to speed your healing process.

Targeted Rehabilitation Programs 

Our expert team excels in designing targeted exercise rehabilitation programs tailored to your unique needs. These programs focus on correcting movement imbalances, strengthening weakened / inactive muscles, improving flexibility, and enhancing overall joint stability. By addressing the imbalances that contributed to your hip pain, physiotherapy helps to restore optimal function and prevent future injuries.

Education, Empowerment and Self-Management 

An integral part of physiotherapy is empowering you with knowledge and self-management strategies. At Gold Coast Physiotherapy we know how debilitating hip pain can be. Your physiotherapist will educate you about proper body mechanics, pain relieving ergonomics and self-management strategies to effectively relieve your healing structures, enabling you to make positive lifestyle changes that support your hip health. Through active involvement in your recovery, you become the key to long-term success.

In Summary

Hip pain can significantly impact your daily life, but the real pearl lies in your ability to take charge of your recovery. With the guidance of our expertly trained physiotherapists at Gold Coat Physiotherapy, you can address underlying movement imbalances, strengthen your body, take charge of your injury and regain pain-free function. Remember, prevention is better than cure, so don't wait for your pain to get out of control before you do something. Prioritize your health and Book an Appointment with one of our expert physiotherapists today or take a closer look at our range of Treatments that will get you fighting fit. Go on, treat yourself and take the first steps on your journey towards a happy and healthy life.