Did you know that the main purpose of your hip is to support the weight of your body? In addition to your knees, your hips help absorb the impact of your every day routine, which includes standing, walking, and running.

Because of this constant responsibility, your hips are susceptible to pain and become more vulnerable over time, as your body ages and the strength of your ligaments diminishes. In fact, depending on age and physical condition, your hips can be prone to acute injury and the development of Osteoarthritis.

This is why it is so important to receive comprehensive and specialized care from fully-accredited Chiropractors. They can offer you unique recommendations that are based on your body’s specific structure, which will focus on maintaining and/or improving the physical condition of your hips.

COMMON HIP AND KNEE CONDITIONS

Because your hips share so much of the impact of your body’s movement with your knees, most people tend to seek treatment for the following medical conditions:

Overuse Injuries – Hip overuse injuries, like tendinitis, commonly occur in individuals who tend to be active and regularly perform some form of cardio exercise, such as running, cycling, or sports like soccer.

These conditions tend to occur after an acute injury or may appear as chronic pain.

Cartilage Injury/Labral Tears – Tears typically involve the ring of cartilage, called the labrum, which aligns with the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint. The purpose of your labrum is to act like a rubber seal or gasket in order to securely maintain the ball at the top of your thighbone within its socket.

Trochanteric Bursitis – The inflammation of the bursa at the outside area of the hip is recognized as the greater trochanter. When this bursa becomes irritated, it can cause significant pain in the hip.

Osteoarthritis – The most common form of arthritis and experienced by millions of people throughout the world. People tend to experience Osteoarthritis when the protective cartilage on the ends of their bones wears down over time.

Although Osteoarthritis can cause significant damage to any joint in your body, the condition typically affects joints that are found in your hands, knees, hips and spine.

Osteonecrosis – Caused by a reduction of blood flow to bones in the joints. Because of the blood that flows to these bones diminishes, your bones can start to die and even break down.

Rheumatoid Arthritis – A chronic inflammatory disorder that tends to affect the smaller joints found in your hands and feet.

Unlike the wear-and-tear damage of Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis focuses on the lining of your joints, which can cause painful swelling and eventually lead to joint deformity and bone erosion.

Fractures and post traumatic arthritis – Caused by the wearing out of a joint that has experienced some form of injury over time, perhaps from a car accident or slip and fall incident..

These types of injuries are known to damage the cartilage and/or the bone, changing the mechanics of the joint and making it wear out more quickly.

Soft Tissue Pain – Most people experience soft tissue pain on the outside of their hip, upper thigh or outer buttock and is caused by issues with muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues that encircle your hip joint.

– Less subtle than overuse injuries, fractures and dislocations of the hip are easier to diagnose because they typically derive from direct trauma and can be found with an X-ray.

If you are older than 40 years-old, the combination of aging, brittle bones, and poor balance could make you more prone to falls and hip fractures.

Even if your bones do not break, the ligaments and muscles in your hip area can be strained, bruised, or sprained.

HOW CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES CAN RELIEVE HIP PAIN

When you visit with your Chiropractor, they will be able to perform an examination that reviews your familial and personal history in order to determine the source of the pain you’re experiencing.

Your Chiropractor can create a unique treatment routine that might include:
 

• Adjustments
• Exercise therapy
• Stretching
• Or other appropriate techniques.

THE USE OF CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS

Years of research and studies show that Chiropractic adjustments are very effective for relieving Sciatica, which is a common cause of pain located in the hip and lower back.

Studies that compare the efficacy of Chiropractic techniques to surgery for Sciatica found that over 60% of Chiropractic patients with severe Sciatica had substantially improved symptoms that enabled them to avoid surgery.

Other studies also suggest that Chiropractic techniques are able to relieve pain associated with Sacroiliac joint dysfunction and Piriformis Syndrome, which both frequently result in hip pain.

Natural treatments of hip pain can allow patients to avoid the costs and risks of surgery and drugs.