What is Hip Pain?
Hip pain refers to discomfort ranging from mild to severe, often characterized by a burning or hurting sensation. The hip joint plays a crucial role in various movements, including forward and backward movement of the thighs, sitting, and changing directions while walking.
Causes of Hip Pain
Common causes of hip pain include:
- Arthritis (inflammatory or non-inflammatory)
- Sciatica
- Iliotibial band syndrome
- Avascular necrosis (Osteonecrosis)
- Hip fracture or deformity
- Muscle stiffness, sprain, or strains
- Referred pain from other areas of the body
Prevention of Hip Pain
To reduce the risk of hip pain, consider the following measures:
- Stretching before and after physical activity
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Consuming a balanced diet rich in vitamin D and calcium
- Avoiding prolonged sitting
- Resting as needed
- Applying ice packs for swelling
- Taking warm baths to relax muscles
- Using walking aids if necessary
- Avoiding activities that stress the hip joint
- Building muscle and bone strength through exercise
- Avoiding specific movements and postures
Signs and Symptoms of Hip Pain
Signs and symptoms of hip pain include:
- Joint pain
- Limping
- Groin pain
- Loss of motion of the hip
- Swelling over the hip
- Warmth and tenderness of hip
- Difficulty sleeping on the hip
- Joint stiffness
Physiotherapy for Hip Pain
Physiotherapy exercises for hip pain include:
- Iliotibial Band stretch
- Hamstring Stretch
- Figure Four Stretch
- Strengthening Exercise
- Lateral Squat
- Side-Lying Leg Raise
- Hip and Lower Back Stretch
- Double Hip Rotation or Trunk Rotation
- Hip Extension
- Isometric Gluteus Medius Strengthening Exercise
- Pelvic Drop
- Hip Abduction
- Hip Adduction
- Alternating Side Lunge Exercise
- Alternating Forward Lunge
- Hip Flexion
Treatment of Hip Pain with Electrical Therapy
Common treatments for hip pain, including electrical therapy, include:
- TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
- Ice Pack application
- Hot Pack application
- Strengthening inner thighs exercise
References:
https://scoliosisjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1748-7161-3-1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4223284/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3963282/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1872817
Dr. Garima Singh
Physiotherapist
BPT and DPTR.