Living with hip pain? Here’s some information that can help you

Your hips are crucial joints that help you walk, run, stand up, sit down or just get around in general. When one or both of them start to hurt, you’ll notice it quickly because it becomes difficult to move.

Unfortunately, hip pain is all too common among Americans; medical research shows that up to 15% of Americans over 60 have chronic pain in their hip. This type of pain can be caused by an injury or condition affecting the muscles, ligaments or joints. Physical therapists can help you learn more about hip pain and the treatment options for it. 

When should you seek professional care? 

Hip pain is identifiable by any dull, persistent achiness or sharp and stinging pain in or around the hip. Sometimes your hip may hurt because of overuse. In these cases, the pain may go away on its own after a few days of rest.

Hip discomfort can also be a sign of a more serious issue. If you notice any of these symptoms, seek professional help immediately:

• Pain that lasts for more than a few weeks
• Stiffness or loss of motion
• Increased pain when bending or lifting your leg
• Increased pain from sitting or walking or activity
• Pain that stems from your hip into your groin
• Swelling
• Redness and warmth
• Sensitivity to touch

What can cause hip pain?

Hip pain can be related to many causes. You should learn about the issues that can cause this type of pain so you’ll know when to seek medical attention. This is especially true if you know you’re prone to some of the specific causes.

Some of the common causes of hip discomfort include:

• Tendinitis
• Arthritis
• Pregnancy
• Fractures
• Bursitis
• Hip labral tears
• Muscle strains

Treating hip pain

Treatments for hip pain can vary depending on the cause and personal factors like your age and medical history. Some causes of hip discomfort may require surgery, but many others can get better with physical therapy.

Physical therapy focuses on reducing your pain and improving your strength and mobility. Improving the strength and flexibility of your muscles and ligaments can help relieve pressure and provide much-needed support to your bones and other structures. Physical therapy plans for hip issues often include:

• Stretching and exercising — A physical therapist can show you therapeutic exercises for your hip. These can help stretch tight muscles or strengthen muscles that are weak.

• Manual therapy — This a category of therapy where physical therapists use their hands to move and manipulate the affected hip. Research shows that manual therapy has an 81% success rate for patients with hip osteoarthritis. 

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) — Physical therapists perform this technique by running special metal tools over the affected area. A medical study reports that          IASTM helped improve hip range of motion by up to 19%. 

Physical therapists can also help you recover from surgery. If you have to get a total hip replacement to resolve your hip pain, you should seek post-surgical rehab from a physical therapist.

Advent Physical Therapy can help treat your hip pain

Advent Physical Therapy is ready to partner with you to treat your hip discomfort. We’ll start you off with a free screening designed to reveal the cause of your pain. Then, our physical therapists will build you a personalized therapy plan intended to reduce your pain and prevent it from returning. You can even get help from us without leaving your home thanks to the at-home therapy and virtual care appointments we offer. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can help with your hip issues or to schedule an initial appointment.