The hip is a major weight bearing joint and it connects the torso to the lower extremities. When you are affected by hip pain, it is difficult to lead an active life. Hip pain affects individuals of all ages and can be incapacitating.
The hips can take a great deal of punishment as illustrated by athletes who put a lot of stress into the hip joints. Overtime, degeneration sets in as the delayed effects of this abuse and hip pain will occur.
Stiffness is a sign that something is wrong with your hips. Stiffness can be felt when getting out of bed or getting up after sitting for so long. Hip pain that occurs while lying on your side can be caused by bursitis or tendinitis.
When the hip pain occurs in the groin area, it can be a sign that the bones of the pelvis are misaligned. Physical therapy can address this condition.
We have habits that cause unnecessary stress to our hip joints which inadvertently results to hip pain. Sitting too much is one habit that puts stress in our hips and causes muscle imbalance. Another bad habit is we don’t do enough walking or squatting. Lack of exercises again leads to muscle imbalance that cause hip problems or hip pain.
Physical therapists are experts in the biomechanics of the human body and have a deep understanding of correct alignment and posture that ease the stress and tension placed on the joints thereby helping reduce pains in these joints such as hip pain.
The role of physical therapy in hip pain basically is about form and posture. It aims to improve body alignment and teach proper posture to patients to reduce stress while restoring mobility and flexibility of the hip joints.
The following are some tips that can help in the prevention of hip pain:
- Knee to chest stretches
- Standing leg kick-backs
- Squat and walk more
- Sit less and improve sitting posture
- Improve sleeping posture
- Avoid sleeping on your stomach – this creates problems for the hips as well as the neck & low back
If these suggestions do not help ease you hip pain, then it is time to consult a physical therapist which can create a program to deal with the problem. Your physical therapist can assess your biomechanics to find out the underlying cause of your hip pain.
Hip pain can interfere with your daily activities but physical therapy can provide you relief from the pain and restore normal function. With the help of physical therapy, you can be active again and free from hip pain.
