Health blog Category: hip
Mobility in this Joint can be a Reason for Back Pain
Believe it or not, your hips play a large role in the health of your back and limited hip mobility can cause back pain. More than 80 percent of the population will suffer from back pain at least once in their life, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. It is the price we pay for walking upright on two legs.
However, the majority of back pain is non-specific, meaning that there is not a primary cause, such as a fracture or disc protrusion.
Important Tools to Relieve Sciatica Pain
In a study reported in the journal Orthopedics, 650 people were examined for low back pain or sciatica. About 25% had reported an episode of sciatica in the past 6 months of the study. This shows how common sciatica really is.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a term used to describe pain in the buttock or radiating down the leg that is caused by irritation to the sciatic nerve.
Read full blogStructures of Our Hips
The hip joint is one of the most stable joints in the body, but unfortunately that does not keep this joint and region of the body from developing issues and producing pain.
There are multiple structures in and around this 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
- giving out of the joint
- 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.
Creaky and Stiff Joints Got You Down?
As we get older or the more active or reversely inactive we may be we all start to notice; creaky joints, joint pain, and stiffness at some point in our lives. These symptoms affect all joints however most particularly the knees because of their weight bearing function. Maybe you have become more inactive recently just sitting around and you’re noticing joint pain and stiffness. Or maybe you have been doing much of the same activities or exercises in attempts to stay active while we all adjust to a new sense of normalcy.
Read full blogRecovering from a Hamstring Strain
The hamstrings are often neglected by many. Hamstring injuries are commonly seen in the PT clinic. The most common injury that we see in the hamstrings is hamstring strains. The hamstrings are a large group of muscles that sits on the back of your thigh. They help extend your hip and bend your knee. They are made up of 3 muscles:
- The semitendinosus
- The semimembranosus
- Biceps femoris
A strain happens when there is a tear in the muscle.
Read full blogHere’s What to Do If Surgery Is Coming Up!
Pre-op physical therapy can help prepare you for what is going to happen. It will help you establish your goals before and after surgery as well as determine what your expectations are.
What to expect?
- Examination to set a plan of care and determine a baseline
- Set goals for before and after surgery
- Plan and education of post op and recovery
- Progression of range of motion and strength to improve overall function
- Use of any assistive device currently using or that may be needed after surgery
- How to perform transfers and get around if weight bearing status will be different after surgery
The importance of exercises prior to surgery:
- Being able to set and target muscles around the surgical site before surgery will improve ability to perform after surgery
- Strengthen above and below the surgical area
- Range of motion of the area to enhance mobility
Why should you come to physical therapy before surgery?
Read full blogThe Why and Where of Arthritis
Pain due to arthritis is often chronic, and can cause very dull, achy and stiff feeling joints. Often times, the stiffness and achiness is worse after staying in one position for a prolonged period of time. For example:
- Sitting
- Sleeping
- Standing
Why does arthritis happen and where?
Arthritis commonly happens due to normal joint changes that occur from moving and being under gravity, but can also happen in people who have been sedentary.
Read full blogStrain 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.