When someone experiences hip pain, it rapidly becomes apparent how much we rely on our hips for all kinds of everyday movements. Walking, standing, or putting weight on the affected joint can become difficult. More vigorous or jarring activities such as running, jumping, or dancing may be out of the question entirely! Pain in the hips can stem from a variety of causes. While osteoarthritis and injury are common sources, other health conditions may be responsible. In many cases, chiropractic treatment can help alleviate symptoms, allowing patients to regain mobility and leave pain behind without medication, injections, or surgery.
Where Does Hip Pain Come From?
The appropriate treatment for hip pain depends on the underlying cause of the issue. Hip pain can come from the structures in the joint, or from the structures and tissues around the joint. Common causes of hip pain include:
| Causes of Hip Pain | Explanation |
| Osteoarthritis and other inflammatory diseases | Osteoarthritis is a progressive degenerative disease in which the joint slowly degenerates and loses cartilage over time. The chance of developing osteoarthritis increases with age, and the hip is the second most commonly affected joint. While osteoarthritis can’t be cured, its progression can be slowed and its symptoms managed. Other inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis (inflammation of the spine) can also cause hip pain. |
| Direct trauma | An accident such as a fall, sports injury, or a car crash can cause muscle or ligament sprains or strains even if there is not a fracture or dislocation of the hip or pelvis. Elderly patients are at higher risks for such fractures, as they are likely to have weaker bones and poorer balance that leads to falls. |
| Overuse injuries | Pain from these types of injuries develops over time. Activities that put frequent, repeated stress on the hips can cause inflammation in tissues such as muscles, ligaments, and tendons around the hip. Alternatively, arthritis and inflammation can result when there is heavy wear on the cartilage surrounding the joint. |
| Referred pain such as sciatica | Pain may be felt in the hip but originate from elsewhere in the body, a phenomenon known as “referred pain.” For example, an abdominal hernia may cause pain to be felt in the groin and hip. Many patients who experience pain in the lower back and hips have a dysfunction in the joints that connect the sacrum (the bone just below the lumbar vertebrae, which is the base of the spine and the center of the pelvis) and the iliac bones (the largest, uppermost bone of the hip). |
One of the most common and well-known types of referred pain is sciatica, in which shooting pains, burning, numbness, or tingling may be felt in the hip and/or down the leg. This is caused by inflammation or irritation of the sciatic nerve due to disc herniation, spinal degeneration, osteoarthritis narrowing the spine, or Piriformis syndrome (in which the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve).
How Chiropractic Treatment Can Help Hip Pain
Depending on the underlying cause of your hip pain, chiropractic care can be effective in providing relief. Treatment begins with a complete physical examination, including X-rays, to determine the source of the hip pain. Then a plan is developed to improve the mobility of the joint, reduce inflammation, relax any muscle spasms, and strengthen weakened muscles. In addition to adjustments, this can include exercises, stretching, posture advice, and more to help reinforce and maintain improvement.
Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of chiropractic treatment for relieving sciatica. In one study examining treatment alternatives for severe sciatica, 60% of patients receiving chiropractic care who had previously failed other nonsurgical medical management such as pain medication, physical therapy, and lifestyle modification experienced a reduction in symptoms significant enough to allow them to avoid surgery. Similarly, case studies have shown that hip pain from sacroiliac joint dysfunction and Piriformis syndrome can benefit from chiropractic treatment. Hip osteoarthritis has also been successfully treated, with one study showing that 83% of patients saw improvement within 9 visits to a chiropractor.
Relieve Hip Pain
If you’re suffering from persistent hip pain, you may have been told your choices are limited: rely on painkillers and injections or consider invasive alternatives like surgery. Chiropractic care can offer a third way that spares you the risk of pharmaceuticals or surgery while giving you back your quality of life.
At Divine Spine, our advanced chiropractic method uses precise, computerized adjustments to gently align your spine, without the cracking and popping associated with traditional chiropractic methods. Our in-house X-rays and diagnostic equipment let us get right to work identifying the cause of your pain and devising a treatment plan to provide relief. We can help find and treat the source of your hip pain. If you’re ready to start feeling better, contact us to schedule your consultation at our Orange Hills office today.
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