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Learn How Your Chiropractor Can Help With Hip Pain

Staff Writer

Most people know chiropractors help patients with back and neck pain, but many don’t realize they can help with extremity problems as well. Whenever people start ramping up or resuming physical activities, many of them will feel pain in areas that haven’t been worked in a while. Hip pain is one of those areas.

Understanding the Types of Hip Pain

There are different types of hip pain, and it typically comes from sources such as bone, muscle, tendon, cartilage, or nerves. Generally, a person will complain of pain located at the side of their leg into the groin or in the buttocks area. Again, due to the multiple sources of pain generators, the pain can be anywhere in or around the hip or leg area.

Common Causes of Hip Pain 

  1. Bursitis: If the pain is on the outside of your hip and is worse when you sit, it may be bursitis. Bursitis is an inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles in your joints.
  2. Tendonitis: Usually caused by repetitive overuse of your hip joint from activities like kicking a ball or twisting the hips in golf, baseball, or softball, tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendons connecting your muscles to the bones.
  3. Hip Impingement: More common in younger populations​​​​, hip impingement happens when bones impinge on the nerves in the hip due to high-intensity exercises and activities.
  4. Labral tears: The labrum is cartilage that ensures the hip bone stays in the socket. Labral tears can occur from acute trauma or have genetic causes.
  5. Osteoarthritis: This condition occurs from wear and tear resulting from performing repetitive actions, such as running and jogging.  Osteoarthritis occurs over a period of time, causing pain, inflammation, and swelling.

Regardless of the cause, hip pain is a driving force when it comes to physician office visits per year. One study shows 30-40% of adults who play sports experience chronic hip pain. Between 12-15% of adults over the age of 60 reports having hip pain.

How Your Chiropractor Can Help When Hip Pain Happens

To obtain an accurate diagnosis, your chiropractor will take a comprehensive case history and perform an assessment that typically includes

  • A physical exam to rule out non-musculoskeletal reasons for your hip pain
  • An orthopedic and neurological exam to determine the specific tissue that may be causing your pain
  • A hip joint play assessment that will check the integrity of the joint
  • A functional exam of your hips to assess the muscles of your hips
  • If necessary, X-rays or advanced imaging such as an MRI exam.

Depending on your diagnosis, there are multiple treatment options offered by doctors of chiropractic. Examples include manual therapy using soft tissue methods, laser therapy, radial pulse wave therapy, interferential therapy, ultrasound, K-taping, manual techniques, and active care exercises.

Chiropractors have expert training in joint manipulation and mobilization techniques related to the spine and other regions of the body such as the hip. Hip mobilizations combined with stretching have been shown to reduce the pain those with hip arthritis may have and increase the range of motion associated with the hip joint.

Another treatment method chiropractors may recommend is rehabilitation exercises. Some hip pain conditions may require an orthopedic consultation and possible surgical remedies. Fortunately, a chiropractor’s “conservative care first” approach, meaning non-drug, non-surgical treatments, has very good outcomes.

In a 2017 survey included in the report Chiropractic: A Safe and Cost-Effective Approach to Health, 97% of patients said they would use chiropractic care again for musculoskeletal-related conditions. 

3 Self Help Tips For Preventing Hip Pain

  1. Exercising regularly by walking, swimming, or biking.
  2. Don’t bend over at the waist when lifting heavy objects. Squat down and lift with your legs, making sure to keep the object close to your body. Avoid twisting your body when lifting.
  3. If you sit for your job for long periods, it’s recommended to take a break every 30 to 60 minutes.

CUKC Chiropractic Health Center

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC), founded in 1922, is a private, nonprofit, chiropractic and health science-focused university in Overland Park, Kansas. The CUKC on-campus Chiropractic Health Center is open to the public and treats patients from Kansas City’s 15-county metro area. Our goal is to provide care and solutions for a better, more productive life for our patients.

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