Chiropractic Treatment for Hip Pain From Trusted Bournemouth Chiropractors | Charminster Chiropractic Clinic

Hip pain is something many people struggle with and it can happen for multiple different reasons. Everything from acute and sudden injuries to long-lasting problems like wear and tear called ‘arthritis’. Recognising the hip pain and the signs early, getting the right diagnosis quickly, and receiving chiropractic treatment are very important to treat hip pain well and avoid future issues.

Chiropractic treatment can help with hip pain without surgery or strong medication. We focus on adjusting your spine and hip, use therapies to treat muscles and surrounding tissues, and suggest lifestyle changes. In turn, it can help keep your hip, bones and muscles strong and your hip more stable.

By correcting poor biomechanics, how your body moves and helping your joints work better, the Bournemouth chiropractors at Charminster Chiropractic Clinic can help by providing pain relief, make it easier to move around and improve your life quality.

What is Hip Pain?

Hip pain is discomfort or pain in the hip joint, where your thigh bone connects to your pelvis. This joint is very important as it lets you do everyday things like walking, running, and sitting comfortably.

Inside your hip joint, there’s a ball called the ‘femoral head’ and a socket called the ‘acetabulum’, and they’re surrounded by muscles, tendons, ligaments, and little sacs filled with fluid called bursae. If any of these parts get hurt or don’t work right, it can cause hip pain. How painful it feels and how long it lasts depends on the root cause.

Common Causes of Hip Pain

Hip pain can happen for different reasons. Different issues can cause hip pain, and it’s good to talk to a chiropractor if you have hip pain and it’s stopping you from doing things you enjoy.

Hip Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the hip occurs when the cushioning cartilage at the ends of your bones wears down over time. It’s common in older people and makes it very difficult to carry weight and move your hip comfortably. Often, hip pain is linked to low back pain and reduced movement in the low back can cause hip pain.

Hip Fractures

Hip fractures are serious and often break in the top of your thigh bone called ‘femur’ or the socket called ‘acetabulum’ in your pelvis. They usually come from falls, accidents, or weak bones (like with osteoporosis).

Hip Bursitis

Hip bursitis is when the sac of fluid called ‘bursae’ near your hip joint gets swollen. It can be very painful on the outside of your hip, trouble lying on the affected side and pain when walking.

Hip Tendinitis

Hip tendinitis is a condition that occurs when tendons which connect muscles to bones around your hip joint get inflamed. It can happen from overuse or sudden movements, often occurring in sports.

Hip Muscle Strains

Muscle strains in the hip can affect muscles or tendons around your hip joint from either stretching them too far or using them too much. It is a common injury in sports.

Hip Labral Tears

Hip labral tears is a very painful condition that comes from torn cartilage that lines your hip socket. It can hurt in your hip or groin, especially when you twist or turn.

Hip Dysplasia

Hip dysplasia happens when your hip joint didn’t form right when you were a kid. It can make your hip feel wobbly, hurt, and unfortunately raise your chances of wear and tear (arthritis) when you’re older.

Hip Inflammatory Conditions

These are autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis that make your hip joint swollen, stiff, and harder to move.

Common Symptoms of Hip Pain

Hip pain can show up in different ways and have multiple signs and symptoms depending on the condition. If your hip is bothering you a lot or these symptoms are getting in the way of things you like to do, it’s a good idea to book a consultation with one of our chiropractors. We can help figure out what’s going on and help you feel better.

Hip Pain

You may experience a dull ache, sharp pain, or mild discomfort in your hip joint or groin pain. It might hurt more when you move around a lot or after you’ve been resting for a while.

Hip Stiffness

Your hip might feel hard to move, especially when you wake up in the morning or if you’ve been sitting for a long time.

Hip Swelling

Your hip might look puffy or swollen, and it could feel warm and tender when you touch it. If you have a fever please contact the doctor right away to rule out any infection.

Hip Limping

You might start limping and walking differently to avoid pain and putting less weight on your sore hip. This can change how you walk and even cause low back pain or pain elsewhere in your body.

Reduced Range of Motion of Hip

You might feel like you have low movements in certain or all directions and find it hard to bend down to the floor, squat, or walk upstairs/downstairs because your hip doesn’t move as freely as it should.

When to Seek Help for Hip Pain

Sometimes, if any of these signs happens, it means you need to see a doctor or a chiropractor for assessment right away if you have hip pain. Help from a doctor or one of our chiropractors right away can help us figure out what’s causing your hip pain and start the healing journey quicker.

Severe Pain

If your hip pain is excruciating, starts hurting after a fall or injury and you are completely unable to weightbear, it could mean you have a fracture or dislocated your hip – we advise calling the hospital.

Can’t Put Weight on It

If you can’t stand or walk on your leg because it hurts too much, it might be a sign of a serious injury or fracture – we advise calling the hospital.

Signs of Infection

If your hip is red, warm, swollen, and you have a fever, it could be a sign of infection like septic arthritis or cellulitis – we advise calling the hospital immediately!

Numbness or Tingling

If you feel numbness or tingling down your leg, it could mean a nerve is pinched – we advise booking a chiropractic appointment with one of our Bournemouth chiropractors at Charminster Chiropractic Clinic to treat the root cause.

Sudden Swelling with Breathing Problems

If your hip suddenly swells a lot and you’re having trouble breathing or chest pain, it could be a sign of a blood clot that’s moved to your lungs called ‘pulmonary embolism. This is a medical emergency and if you have these symptoms you need to call the hospital and get an ambulance to help you as soon as possible!

Risk Factors for Hip Pain

Several things can increase your chances of having hip pain. Taking care of your body, staying active, and being aware of these risks can help you keep your hips healthy and avoid pain as much as possible. If you’re ever worried about your hips or have pain that doesn’t go away, talk to one of our chiropractors. We can help figure out what’s going on and how to make you feel better.

Age

As you get older, your joints can wear down naturally, which might lead to conditions like wear and tear (osteoarthritis) or fractures in your hip.

Gender

Women are more likely than men to develop wear and tear (osteoarthritis) in their hips. This might be because of hormonal changes or differences in how their pelvis is shaped.

Obesity

Carrying extra weight puts more pressure on your hip joints. This can make them wear down faster and increase your risk of developing wear and tear (osteoarthritis) or other problems.

Occupation and Activities

Jobs or activities that involve doing the same movements over and over, lifting heavy things, or sitting for a long time can strain your hip joint. This strain can lead to pain or injuries.

Genetics

If others in your family have had arthritis, hip problems, or joint disorders, you might be more likely to have them too.

Examination and Diagnosis of Hip Pain

To figure out why your hip hurts, one of our chiropractors will carefully have a look at your hip, spinal alignment, biomechanics and posture. This helps us understand what’s causing your hip pain so we can offer you appropriate chiropractic treatment to help you feel better. If your hip hurts or doesn’t feel right, it’s important to book an appointment with one of our chiropractors to get it checked out.

Medical History

We will ask you lots of questions for instance your overall health, past injuries, medical history, where your hip hurts, when it started hurting, what makes it feel worse or better, and if you’ve hurt your hip before.

Physical Exam

After the medical history, we perform a physical examination of the various systems in the body and specific tests to your hip and low back. For instance, we will move your hip in various directions to assess the movement, stability, and check if there’s any swelling or weird lumps or bumps.

Imaging Tests

If we see fit, we might refer you for imaging such as X-rays to look at your bones and see if anything’s broken or if there’s any underlying conditions such as arthritis where you lose the cartilage and your hip joint gets stiff, sore and very painful to move. If we need more detailed pictures of other soft structures, we might refer you to scan your hip with MRI or CT instead to look at your muscles and tendons.

Blood Tests

Sometimes, we might refer you to take blood tests in order to rule out infections or other conditions that could be causing your hip pain.

Chiropractic Treatment for Hip Pain

If you have hip pain, chiropractic treatment can provide relief without needing surgery or invasive treatments. Chiropractors also talk about how your diet and how you use your body can affect your hip pain. We work to help you feel better now and stay healthy in the long run. If your hip hurts, we recommend booking an appointment with one of our chiropractors to assess, diagnose, treat or refer you to give you the relief and function you deserve.

Spinal Adjustments

Chiropractors can treat you by adjusting your spine and hip joint to improve how they work. This can help restore movement, mobility, function and provide relief by treating the root cause of your hip pain. Chiropractors will aim to help your hip pain and body to gain optimal function.

Soft Tissue Therapy

Chiropractors also use other techniques such as trigger point therapy, soft tissue therapy, dry-needling, massage and stretching to relax muscles around your hip and improve its function.

Exercise Plan

We’ll also give you specific exercises to rehabilitate the hip muscles to become stronger, provide stability and become more flexible. This can help you move better and provide relief.

Changing Your Habits

We will also suggest changing posture and explore different ways to sit, stand, or move that put less stress on your hips.

Prognosis

The prognosis of your hip pain depends on what’s causing it and how serious it is. When your hip hurts, it’s important to get help early. The sooner you start taking care of it, the better you can feel in the long run. Booking an appointment with one of our chiropractors can reduce the length of the prognosis for your hip pain.

Acute Injuries

Acute injuries can cause muscle strains or hip bursitis. They usually get better with chiropractic treatment, rest, ice packs and pain medication that fights swelling. Most acute hip injuries can improve after weeks if the correct treatment is provided.

Long-term Issues

Chronic pain in the hip is often considered to be long-lasting and over three months duration. Common conditions such as hip arthritis require more work over months to reduce the symptoms and maintain optimal hip function. If you’re struggling with chronic and long-term issues we recommend maintenance care with chiropractic treatment , medication for the pain, lifestyle changes and sometimes, if necessary, surgery.

By following these tips and working with our Bournemouth chiropractors at Charminster Chiropractic Clinic, you can receive chiropractic treatment for your hip pain to improve your chances of pain relief, better hip function and more movement and mobility. Book your chiropractic appointment here today!