Hips – The Unsung Heroes (the hipsters of the joint world)
Hips – The Unsung Heroes (the hipsters of the joint world)By Adam, Physiotherapist
Your hips are involved in almost everything you do, and in every way that you move. They are the workhorses of your body, silently carrying you around without fuss and fanfare.
While you may not think about your hips much, if they start playing up, the pain can be debilitating and can severely impact on the day-to-day activities of your life.
Why is looking after your hips important?
- Your hips are involved in most movements you make
- Long-term excessive pressure will cause the joint to deteriorate
- Hip pain can severely impact your life
- Not only runners and older people are affected
Osteoarthritis – What Is It?
Just like any joint in our body, if you place excessive pressure on your hips for long
enough, they will start to deteriorate. This deterioration of your hip joint is called
osteoarthritis (OA), and it involves the wearing away of the articular cartilage that lines
the ball and socket joint.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
- Pain and swelling in hips or groin
- Aching in the lower lumbar spine
- Loss of range of motion in your hips
- Hip pain when weight-bearing
- Difficulty walking up and down stairs
You may not always feel hip osteoarthritis in the hip initially, and your first signs of degeneration may actually be a pain in your groin or aching in the lower lumbar spine.
What Can Cause Osteoarthritis?
- Becomes more prevalent as you get older
- Occupations that put excessive stress on hips (eg. teachers & hairdressers)
- Repetitive movements, like running or standing for long periods of time
- Being overweight
- Having a history of hip joint injury
- Having a genetic hip abnormality
- Poor biomechanics and muscle weakness
Can It Be Treated? (The good news and the bad news)
The bad news is that the existing damage in your hip cannot be reversed. However, the good news is that we can halt the progression of the wear and tear. A hip replacement is NOT a foregone conclusion.
The great news is that making small changes to your movement can lead to big reductions in pain.
What Can I Do?
See a Physiotherapist!
Physiotherapists are specifically trained to address the poor biomechanics which increases pain in people with Osteoarthritis.
At Wisdom Physiotherapy, we have a special interest in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis. We combine hands-on manual treatment with specific movements and exercises including DMA Clinical Pilates:
- Hands-on treatment releases tight muscles and joints to allow for better movement
- A customised Clinical Movement Therapy program
- Exercise will strengthen the muscles around your hips, increasing support of your joints and better absorbing the shock of daily forces.
- Your Physiotherapist will work closely with you to retrain your movement patterns, thereby reducing stress on the affected parts of your hip.
If your hips are getting the better of you, take the first step and come to visit us at Wisdom Physiotherapy.
Call us on (08) 6389 2947 or click here to book online.
