Hip pain isn’t reserved for the frail and elderly, although it can certainly make you feel older than your years. Don’t worry though! There are so many reasons you could be experiencing hip pain and the good news is that most of these are treatable or can be easily managed.
At Spinal Care Clinics in Brentwood we work with the body to heal the body and we’re always taken aback by its immense restorative powers. BUT no matter how amazing the body is, we must say that it isn’t always smart in recognising where pain is actually coming from, and so, it can sometimes send you mixed signals. Many conditions can disrupt spinal alignment and compress spinal nerves reaching other areas of the body such as the hips. This can cause constant or intermittent pain and may be accompanied by tingling or burning sensations. So let’s explore some of these ailments and see what can be done.
Arthritis
This might originate in the hip joint directly, but could also be a result of spine arthritis causing irritation on nearby nerves. Either way, the symptoms tend to be the same: pain, stiffness, limited mobility, popping or grinding sounds. It’s a lot to handle and it’s never fun. For the moment, there is no way to really reverse the damage but there are many treatment options to help manage arthritis and prevent the condition from getting worse.
The chiropractic approach to arthritis involves releasing pressure on the nerves which are being compressed by spinal misalignment or bone fusion and damage. Releasing this built-up pressure and restoring the natural organisation of the joint is key to relieving pain and improving flexibility.
We work with the body to heal the body
It’s good to know that arthritis can affect people of all ages and a great way to prevent its development is to make sure that bone-surrounding muscles are strong, healthy and really supporting joints. Improving muscle mass helps safeguard your body from many musculoskeletal issues, arthritis included.
Sciatica
We see sciatica A LOT. It’s a regular in the clinic. Sciatica isn’t a condition in itself but it is a very common symptom of an underlying issue. The sciatic nerve is thick and long, exiting your spine in the area close to your buttocks and reaching down to your foot. If this nerve becomes compressed by surrounding tissue, you will feel it! You might sense radiating pain in your hip, back, buttocks and even down your leg. Chiropractic care is really effective for relieving sciatica by realigning the spine and removing any blockage.
This nerve can become mechanically trapped in the vertebrae but it can also become squeezed by all the surrounding muscle tissue. The sciatic nerve really pierces out from your spine through a bunch of muscles, one of which is called the piriformis. If this muscle or the glutes are overworked, or injured in any way, it could cause sciatica.
Massage therapy is great to loosen-up that connective tissue. By working through muscle contractions and spasms, and reducing inflammation, we can remove the interference on the sciatic nerve.
Sciatica is really common because there are so many ways to irritate that big nerve. Here are a few things to keep in mind to avoid this pain in the butt:
Posture: try to balance your hips so neither side sits higher than the other.
Exercise: Repetitive motion like cycling, running and squatting can irritate muscles in and around the pelvis so do alternate exercises.
Tendinitis
Tendinitis is tendon inflammation or irritation from overuse or muscle weakness causing tenderness and pain. This can happen through false movements, sudden pulls, or during exercise. Postural imbalance is also a common trigger such as when you sit crossed legged or even habitually sitting on a wallet can do the trick.
Targeted exercises and stretching are really important to maintain hip flexibility and prevent stiffness.
We’ve covered some common causes of hip pain but it is always better to get things checked out and properly assessed.
A mixture of chiropractic care, massage therapy and targeted exercises are a great way to overcome most types of hip pain. These practices are non-invasive and very effective. More importantly, it’s about getting to the core of the problem to ensure no repercussions. So hip pain? It really doesn’t need to be more than a bump in the road.
