Hip Pain Is Common. Here’s How To Relieve It.
If you’ve ever experienced acute or chronic hip pain, you know how uncomfortable and debilitating it can be. Ranging from a dull ache to a sharp, stabbing sensation, hip pain can be felt all over: Along the outer hip, in the groin area, in the butt or thighs or even a painful sensation radiating down from the hips through either or both legs.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
In addition to the discomfort felt in such areas, people with hip pain may also experience swelling, increased tenderness, bruising, difficulty walking, maintaining posture or even trouble sleeping.
Though frustrating and difficult, hip pain is often preventable—and even when it isn’t, it’s nearly always treatable.
How common is hip pain?
Hip problems and associated pain are very common. So prevalent, in fact, “that it’s the second most common form of joint replacement after knee replacement,” says Dr. Nathan Momberger, an orthopedic surgeon and medical director for joint replacement at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City. Indeed, according to the American College of Rheumatology, nearly 800,000 knee replacements occur annually in the U.S., while some half a million individuals need a hip replacement.
Of course, many people experience hip pain without needing surgery—and many hip problems vary by age, gender and lifestyle choices.
“Women are affected more with hip problems than men,” Momberger says, in part, because women are more likely to have a genetic form of malformation known as hip dysplasia. “Overweight individuals are also much more likely to develop hip issues,” he adds, “and athletes and active individuals more frequently develop hip pain from repetitive injuries.”
What causes hip pain?
While these and other factors can contribute to hip problems, a joint disease known as osteoarthritis “is the most common cause of hip pain,” says Dr. Matthew Anastasi, a sports medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic. It causes hip issues and associated discomfort as the cartilage in the hip joints break down and become inflamed.
Anastasi adds that obesity can be another major contributor of hip pain for many of the same reasons, but this time because hip joints and cartilage are affected by excess weight instead of disease.
How to avoid hip pain
Injuries are another factor behind hip pain, primarily hip flexor injuries, hamstring injuries and labrum tears that can all affect the hips and lead to discomfort and pain. “The labrum is where the joint capsule attaches to the bones,” explains Dr. Loren Fishman, a physician and professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Columbia University.
He says that the natural deterioration of muscle, bone and tissue that occurs as we age can also play a major role in the development of hip pain, as can a type of inflammation that occurs in the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the hip joint—a medical condition known as bursitis.
“And certain drugs like steroids can damage the blood supply to the bone, which can also lead to hip deterioration and pain,” adds Momberger.
How to relieve hip pain
No matter what’s behind hip pain, when it’s happening to you, all you want is for it to stop. Such relief can come from applying ice, or through pharmaceutical interventions such as “NSAIDs, steroids and stem cell injections,” says Fishman. Anti-inflammatory medications are also frequently recommended—and osteoarthritis and bursitis “respond well to physical therapy,” says Momberger.
Fishman says that some chiropractors are equipped to help with certain causes of hip pain through chiropractic adjustments. Surgery is also sometimes needed—”particularly with labral tears and hip fractures,” notes Momberger.
Of course, such interventions can be avoided altogether if certain preventative measures are followed.
This includes strengthening core muscles and keeping your body in shape. “Maintaining a regular exercise program a few times per week can provide significant benefit for the hips, pelvis and abdomen,” says Anastasi.
Ditto for improving how limber you are. “Flexibility decreases as we get older,” Anastasi says, “and therefore it is imperative to have a good stretching and flexibility program.” Yoga can further help with this. “Yoga is extremely useful for improving flexibility and for keeping balance and range of motion,” Fishman says, “which can help prevent hip pain and issues from beginning.”