Pain
in the hip can come directly from the hip joint itself or it may be
experienced in the hip joint as a referred pain from a problem
somewhere else. Referred pain is pain that travels along a nerve that
comes from the back. The referred sensation of pain is felt in an area
where the nerve travels or ends, but not necessarily from the point of
the back where the nerve is being pinched. On the other hand, pain that
comes directly from the hip joint can be from inflammation due to
injury (Sprains, strains, and fractures), arthritis, infection, or in
rarer cases, malignancy (cancer.)
One
example of
referred hip pain is a pinched nerve at the level between the fourth
and fifth lumbar vertebrae. Pinching of this nerve commonly causes
referred pain into the hip. The hip joint will ache or burn or may even
experience sharp pain; however, the joint itself should not be overly
tender to touch or swollen. Because the pain signal originates in the
back, bending the spine to one side may relieve the pain while bending
the spine to place more pressure on the nerve may worsen it.
True
hip pain (pain from the hip joint itself) can be caused from an acute
(usually accident related) or a chronic (usually arthritis related)
condition. The treatment goal for an acute hip injury is first to
control and reduce the swelling. After the swelling is controlled, the
next phase is to help restore the mobility and return the proper
function of the hip joint and leg. The goal of treatment of a chronic
hip condition is to try and determine what caused the hip joint to
become symptomatic, relieve or eliminate that cause, and rehabilitate
the hip joint.
A Doctor of
Chiropractic has the
training and equipment needed to help determine if your hip pain is
coming from a pinched nerve in your spine or directly from the hip
joint, itself. For more information on referred pain caused by pinched
nerves, please see this article: About Pinched Nerves
Acute
hip injuries can be initially difficult to treat as the actual hip
joint resides a few inches beneath the level of the skin. This makes it
difficult to ice the area well enough to control swelling. Care must be
taken not to extend the use of ice past twenty minutes to avoid the
consequences of ice injury (frostbite.) Proper elevation of the area
(elevating the joint above the level of the heart) is also a bit of a
challenge. For instance, the use of a recliner is usually ineffective
since a recliner will not allow the hip to be elevated above heart
level. A better choice for elevation is bed rest by lying on the
opposite of the hip injury.
Passive
hip range of
motion can also be very beneficial to reduce swelling. The application
of passive motion is only to be done with an appropriate device or
administered by a trained professional. Ask your chiropractor about the
use of passive motion to help reduce swelling.
Chronic
hip pain requires proper history, examination, and diagnosis to
determine a course of treatment. A chiropractor can perform these
procedures and will recommend a suitable treatment program for your
condition. Your chiropractor may also outline goals and recommend
changes in lifestyle to help reduce the chances of a re-injury and to
better manage your present complaint.
Adjustive
procedures can be made to a hip joint and other therapies such as
short-wave diathermy and microwave (two methods to deliver moist heat
into deep tissue, and massage can be used to help improve the hip
joint. Stretching and exercises can also be added at the appropriate
time to protect against future re-injury. Nutritional supplements may
also be recommended. For instances, a proper uptake of calcium needs to
be obtained by many senior citizens, especially women. Several
spontaneous hip fractures could be avoided if bone density checks were
checked during routine examines in the forth or fifth decade of
life.
Hip problems whether
acute or chronic
can both benefit from supportive care. Proper exercise, stretching,
nutrition, and support can all aid in your recovery and enhance your
functionality. The goal is to stay active but not create pain in the
joint. Pain generally goes hand in hand with swelling and swelling
leads to bone loss in the joint (osteoporosis) create calcium deposits
around the tendons and joint (tendonitis and arthritis) and reduces
mobility. Your chiropractor will work with you with a number of
recommendations to help you maintain mobility while minimizing joint
irritation.