Health blog Category: Hip
Walk Away From Hip Pain
Walk Away From Hip Pain With Physical Therapy. Your hips, due to the amount of loading forces they take on throughout your lifespan, can be a common area of discomfort in the body. This condition known as arthritis is the “wear and tear” of your joint surfaces.
Hip pain can also be caused by some type of injury like a fall, sports injury or overuse/weakness of the soft tissues that support the hip.
Read full blogHip Injuries: How Common They Really Are
Hip injuries are very common in the general population due to the stress through the joint on a daily basis, so it’s no surprise that you have experienced an injury.
The three most common injuries that occur in the hip joint include:
- Hip Impingement
- Labral Tears
- Arthritis
It is important to understand the structure of the hip before we can discuss hip injuries.
Hip Anatomy
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint.
Read full blogIT Band Syndrome AKA “Runners Knee”
I’m sure most of you have heard the terms runner’s knee or IT Band at some point in time… Now understanding what it means may be another thing. But don’t worry I’m gonna tell you all you need to know. ITB syndrome is very common and you may be suffering without knowing.
ITB refers to iliotibial band which is a band of tissue that runs on the outside of your leg from your hip to your knee.
Strain in Our Flexor
A lot of us have found that we have been spending a lot more time sitting whether it is while we are working from home, learning from home or spending time sitting on the couch catching up on new tv shows. Some of us have also started working out from home and taking longer walks outside as the weather as been nice. Going from sedentary to very active can cause some to experience a hip flexor strain.
Read full blogHip Pain and Fractures and Tears, Oh My!
Let’s talk about pain…
When talking with your physical therapist or your doctor about your hip pain it’s important to be able to describe exactly where your pain is located to help confirm that your hip is actually the problem. It’s not uncommon to hear “My hip hurts!” when in turn it may actually be related to the back. Symptoms located in the upper buttocks or upper thigh may be due to lower back problem.
Read full blogDifference Between Hip Bursitis and Tendonitis
Have you ever woken up one morning and had pain on the outside of your hip? I’m sure you went online to try to figure out what was causing the pain and have seen a lot about “bursitis” or “tendonitis.” Well, which one is it?
Let’s start at the beginning!
A tendon is the attachment from a muscle to where it inserts onto a bone. A bursa is a fluid filled sac found around joints. In other words, a tendon is irritated as a result of repetitive stress from movement of a muscle. Bursitis occurs when the fluid that surrounds a joint gets inflamed. It is an area that encompasses structures such as tendons, muscles, and bones.
What are the symptoms of bursitis?
Read full blogThe Truth Behind Our Hip Pain
Causes of Hip Pain
There are multiple structures in and around the hip joint that can produce pain in this area of the body:
- Labrum– the ring of cartilage around the rim of the socket of the hip joint. Tears can produce symptoms of catching, locking or giving out of the hip.
- Hip abnormalities– abnormalities in the shape, size, or position of the ball or socket of the hip joint that can cause instability of the joint, pinching of the hip and a deep pain.
Why We Should Strengthen Our Hips
Many people suffer from low back and hip pain and don’t even realize how much hip strength can influence these conditions. The hip abductors are one of the most influential muscle groups in the body and are an integral part of your body’s overall health.
What are our hip abductors?
The hip abductors consist of:
- The gluteus medius
- The gluteus minimus
- The tensor fasciae latae
These muscles primarily move the leg away from the midline of the body and help rotate the leg at the hip joint.
Read full blogProtecting Our Hips from IT Band Problems
The IT Band and Surrounding Muscles
There are a number of muscles on the outside of our hip that attach to the IT band. The job of all of these muscles is:
- To keep the hip joint structures open
- Help support the joint
- Create the movement of the joint.
Most commonly what happens when we are experiencing some level of IT band problems, is that the muscles on the outside of the hip that are working to hold the hip together while we move the leg, are overworking.
Read full blogHip injuries and How They Affect Our Everyday Lives
Hip injuries and discomfort affect people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, because the hip is a weight bearing joint, most people find difficulty in creating lasting relief for their symptoms. As with most issues of pain, the common reaction is to cover up the problem with a band-aid such as taking some painkillers or stopping whatever activity bothers you as much as possible- but it doesn’t have to be this way!
The Most Common Symptoms of Hip Issues
Some common symptoms include:
- Pain in either the front, side or back of the hip.
- Pain may also localize in the lower back, groin or buttocks.
- When this happens, it is common for people to ignore the actual hip joint and therefore, not address the inherent weakness or tightness or poor mechanics of this joint that is causing these issues.
