Hip Pain
Hip pain is common problem, and it can be confusing because there are many causes. The most common cause of Hip Pain is arthritis for which you will need to see your GP for them to advise on the best treatment option of you.
Trochanteric Bursitis
Trochanteric bursitis is an extremely common problem that causes inflammation of the bursa, which is a protective cusion over the outside of the hip joint. There are two main bursa which protect the hip joint, the superficial trochanteric bursa and the deep trochanteric bursa. The superficial trochanteric bursa lies beneath the tensor fasciae latae (one of the muscles on the side of your hip) and the deep trochanteric bursa lies beneath the the largest of your glutes (gluteus maximus) both of the these muscles insert in to the Iliotibial Band (ITB). Reduced flexibility in your gluteus maximus, tensor fasciae latae or ITB can cause trochanteric bursitis, from too much cycling or running or from running on uneven surfaces. Another common cause is some women is an imbalance between your abductor and adductor muscles. Trochanteric bursitis can also be caused by clients altering their posture as a result of a previous back injury.
In all these cases a deep tissue or sports massage can help. However if the cause is walking with more weight going through the outside of your foot (excessive foot eversion) then your make need to see a podiatrist for personalized orthotics.
Hip Flexors
Illiopsoas the main hip flexor, shortens when we sit down, so prolonged sitting can cause contracture (anatomical shortening) which can cause either lower back or hip pain. I have personally found this to be a common cause of hip pain which can be successfully treated with deep tissue or sports massage.
If you experience lower back or hip pain when standing up from a seated position then rectus femoris which is one your largest quadriceps muscle make be tight and/or your gluteus maximus which is the other muscle which helps your stand from a seated position may be weak. If you suspect you have weak glutes you can strengthen them with squats and lunges.
Fractures
Hip fractures are common in the elderly with osteoporosis. Stress fractures of the hip are common in people who participate in high impact sports e.g. long distance running, treatment is usually to avoid the high impact sport and this is usually successfully.
When should I see my GP about my hip pain?
- Inability to walk comfortably on the affected side
- Injury that causes deformity around the joint
- Hip pain that occurs at night or while resting
- Hip pain that persists beyond a few days
- Inability to bend the hip
- Swelling of the hip or the thigh area
- Signs of an infection, including fever, redness, warmth
- Any other unusual symptoms
If you want to know if Vitality Therapy can help you with your hip pain then please email joanne@vitalitytherapy.co.uk.
Related Posts
The hidden cause of lower back pain
The psoas muscle is a very deep muscle that connects your torso to your legs. It affects your posture and helps you to stabilise your spine. In fact, whether you run, bike, dance, practice yoga, or just hang out on your couch, your psoas muscles are involved. A person suffering from IlioPsoas syndrome may have pain in the hip and thigh region, as well as hip stiffness and in some cases a clicking or snapping hip. Other signs which may indicate an unhappy psoas muscle are:
- Knee pain - if there is no obvious source then it may be your psoas muscle.
- Constipation - a tight psoas muscle can cause or contribute to constipation.
- Menstrual cramps - a tight psoas muscle can put pressure on reproductive organs contributing to menstrual cramps.
Myofascia – part 1
What is Myofasci? Fascia is the main connective tissue of the body. Fascia surrounds every cell, muscle, bone, nerve, blood Bessel in the body, creating a three-dimensional web. This is one continuous network from head to toe. Myofascia is the fascia that surrounds all the muscle. Why it is important? In its normal state fascia is fluid and pliable, allowing full, pain-free movement. However, fascia is vulnerable to trauma from
- Accident
- Infection
- Injury
- Surgery
- Repetitive Movement
- Habitual Poor Posture
- Poor biomechanics
- Altered structural alignment
- Compromised blood supply
- Pain
- Reduce flexibility and stability
Factors that contribute to Muscle Cramps
I know those of you that have had a muscle cramp or spasm may be fearful of it reoccurring. So I know what to explore some of the contributing factors to muscle cramps. The aim of this is by minimising the contributing factors you will reduce the likely hood of getting muscle cramps. Dehydration Muscle cramps commonly coincide with dehydration. So good hydration before, during and after exercise is important, especially if the exercise exceeds one hour. So how much should you drink? Hydration guidelines are personal but the goal is to prevent excessive weight loss i.e. >2% of body weight. You can weigh yourself before and after exercise to see how much fluid you have lost through sweat. One litre of water weight 2.25 pounds. Depending upon on the amount of exercise, temperature, humidity, body weight and other factors you can loose anywhere from 0.4 to 1.8 litres per hour. A good rule of thumb is to always drink enough fluids so that your urine is clear, pale yellow & copious. Electrolytes Sodium & potassium are the major components of sweat. So anyone who exercises hard for more than four hours in heat such as marathon runners, triathletes, tennis players etc should replace the lost electrolytes. While a lack of sodium and potassium may contribute to muscle cramps, it should be noted that a potassium deficiency is unlikely as your body contains more potassium than even a marathon runner might lose during a hot, sweaty race. However you can rule out this as an issue by eating potassium rich foods such as bananas and oranges on a daily basis. Replacing the sodium lost during sweaty exercise is vital and this can be done by having an endurance sport drink or a salty snack.
