Most of us will experience some form of hip pain during our lifetime, especially as we get older. However, while momentary pain can be manageable, it becomes a real issue if it stands in the way of your daily life and activities. Thankfully, there are various ways to tackle and reduce hip pain – such as by paying a visit to a chiropractor.
In order to understand why seeking support is necessary, it’s useful to first understand the causes of hip pain, and the impact it can have on your life.
What Are the Causes of Hip Pain?
There are various different causes of hip pain, which sometimes makes it hard for people to figure out exactly why they are in pain. However, identifying these triggers/causes is instrumental in receiving the appropriate treatment and care moving forward.
Common causes of hip pain include:
- Hip injuries, such as broken or fractured bones.
- Damage to your hip flexor muscles.
- Arthritis.
- Joint inflammation (Bursitis)
- Pinched/damaged nerves.
- Osteoporosis.
- Tendinitis.
Older adults are also much more likely to experience hip pain. In fact, a recent study has found that 14.3% of adults aged 60+ experience hip pain on a near daily basis. This is often attributed to the fact that when aging, “joint movement becomes stiffer and less flexible because the amount of lubricating fluid inside your joints decreases and the cartilage becomes thinner”. Older adults are also more likely to deal with health complications, such as arthritis, that exacerbate hip or joint pain.
In younger adults, the leading cause of hip pain tends to be attributed to injuries. Certain athletes are also prone to hip injuries, with a recent study reporting that,
Poor weight management or obesity can also lead to hip problems. This is because being overweight puts extra pressure and strain on the joints within your body, including your hips. This can cause cartilage damage that leaves you in quite considerable pain. It could also mean that recovering from accidents and injury takes you much longer, meaning that you are left dealing with higher levels of pain for much longer than necessary.
What Impact Can Hip Pain Have On Your Life?
As mentioned above, we are often prone to trying to “push through” any pain we experience in the hope that it will go away on its own. Such efforts usually fall short, especially if the pain is the product of an underlying condition or poor lifestyle choices. Furthemore, it’s important to note that you do not have to simply ‘deal’ with hip pain.
After all, persistent hip pain can impact your life in a variety of ways, such as:
Decreased Mobility & Hip Pain.
When dealing with pain on a daily basis, you’ll likely want to spend as much time resting as possible. In some cases, this means that you will withdraw entirely from your hobbies and pastimes, and may find it hard to go to work. However, falling into a sedentary lifestyle could make hip pain worse, as it can shorten or tighten the muscles surrounding your hips. This could increase inflammation or lower your mobility levels even further.
Mental Health & Hip Pain.
By now, you are probably well aware of the fact that physical and mental health are closely linked. As a result, it’s unsurprising that persistent hip pain can have a negative impact on your mental health. Many of those who experience daily or persistent hip pain also report higher levels of stress and anxiety. They are also more prone to feelings of anger and frustration, as they feel limited in what they are able to do as a result of their pain or the associated symptoms.
Why Seek The Support Of A Chiropractor For Hip Pain?
Many of those experiencing hip pain find themselves in a repetitive cycle of pain that is hard to find a way out of – but that does not mean that it is something that you should come to accept. Thankfully, there are various solutions for you to consider – including visiting a chiropractor.
One of the major benefits of visiting a chiropractor for hip pain is that they will provide you with a non-surgical solution to your problem. This is much less invasive and daunting than a medical procedure but can bring around similar results when it comes to pain reduction. As a result, many people prefer to see a chiropractor when experiencing hip pain (or similar issues), especially if their issue is something that can easily be resolved outside of the operating table. Such endeavors are often cheaper too – though your health is something that you should always be willing to invest in.
Your chiropractor will work closely with you to better manage and reduce the pain you are experiencing. In some cases, they will also be able to treat the underlying condition causing your hip pain. For example, according to the arthritis foundation, “if you have back or neck pain due to osteoarthritis, chiropractic is one of the safest therapies you can use.”
At Desert Shadows Chiropractic, we’ll start our journey together by conducting a thorough consultation and examination that will enable us to put together a plan that works for you. This way, we can ensure the chiropractic care you receive meets your long-term goals, whether you’re looking simply to reduce pain or to improve your mobility long-term. When necessary, we can carry out X-ray studies.
Benefits Of Chiropractic Medicine For Hip Pain.
If you are looking for a solution for long-term hip pain, you’ll likely have already read about the many chiropractic benefits you can experience after a session with a licensed chiropractor.
Some of the most common benefits of chiropractic care for hip problems include:
Pain Relief.
Many people associate chiropractors with the sound of ‘cracking’ bones. However, the methodologies they are using to create these sounds are actually designed to reduce pain and relieve tension throughout your body. During a session, a chiropractor will use different forms of pressure to realign your spine and reduce pressure on your joints. As a result, many people report feeling instant pain release when these practices are carried out.
Improved Mobility.
There are a variety of reasons why you may be experiencing low mobility in your hip joints. After all, they are not infallible to injury, and even seemingly minor muscular damage to your hip flexors can cause the area to become tight or stiff, therefore reducing your range of motion quite considerably. You can resolve this issue by working with a chiropractor who will manipulate your body into a variety of stretches that can help improve hip mobility. Similar methods can be used to improve mobility in your shoulders, knees, and other areas of your body.
Improved Mental Health.
As discussed previously, our experiences with pain can also influence our mental health. After all, it can drastically change your outlook on many other aspects of your life, especially if the pain is standing in the way of reaching your full potential. As a result, when working with a chiropractor to alleviate pain, you may also notice that with pain reduction comes an improved outlook. This could also be attributed to the fact that when we are relieved of pain, our body produces a range of mood-boosting endorphins, such as dopamine or serotonin. This can lead to you feeling happier and more relaxed.
Better Understanding Of Your Body.
Working alongside a chiropractor to help with hip pain will also help you to gain a better, more comprehensive understanding of your body and the steps you can take to make yourself feel better. For example, your chiropractor will be able to guide you through some simple stretches or exercises you can carry out at home or in between sessions to reduce pain by improving muscle strength or joint flexibility. They’ll also be able to provide you with general lifestyle guidance that can reduce pain and inflammation. For example, they may provide you with tips on how you can improve your diet.
A Plan To Recover From Injury.
If your hip pain is the product of an injury, working with a chiropractor can help you put together a plan that facilitates a speedy recovery. This way, you can focus on rebuilding your strength and getting back out there again, without having to spend precious time away from the sport or hobby you love. Pain reduction also has a role to play here, as significant pain can often get in the way of sporting or athletic performance.
How can I find a Chiropractor for Hip Pain?
Beyond receiving quality care, there are various factors you may want to consider when finding a chiropractor to help with hip pain. For example, this could include your budget, credentials, or even the reviews from previous patients. Doing some research into this will help ensure you find a chiropractor who is going to be a good fit.
At Desert Shadow Chiropractic, we pride ourselves on providing our clients with access to state-of-the-art care at a fair and reasonable price. While your health is always worth the investment, we do not feel as though you should have to break the bank to live a pain-free life.
There are various ways in which we curate the perfect treatment plan for our clients, so they are able to enjoy all of the benefits of working with a chiropractor. To begin with, we complete an introductory consultation, during which we’ll discuss any issues you are currently facing or experiencing. If required, we’ll carry out some simple X-ray studies that will not only make us aware of any pressing or serious issues but will also help us to develop a personalized treatment plan. We tend to split our treatment plans into three different phases.
Phase One: Relief Care.
During the first phase of treatment, our main priority will be to address (and relieve) pain. As such, this phase is where you will receive the most “immediate” results or sense of satisfaction, especially if you have been dealing with your hip pain for several months before seeking out care and treatment. The nature of all your sessions will vary depending on the issue you are dealing with, but typically include a mixture of physical therapy, soft tissue massages or spinal adjustments.
If at any point in your treatment, you feel uncomfortable, your chiropractor will stop what they are doing and consider alternative methodologies that help you remain comfortable throughout.
Phase Two: Corrective Care.
Reducing the amount of pain you experience is important to us, which is why don’t simply stop once we’ve relieved some of your symptoms. Instead, we’ll work together to try to determine the root cause of your pain. Our corrective care sessions will be similar to your initial sessions, and are designed to reduce the chances of issues cropping up again in the future. In between sessions, you may feel as though you can begin to re-engage with your own hobbies or light exercise once again.
Phase Three: Wellness Care.
When you reach phase three, you’ll likely feel as though you are in much better control of your hip condition (and pain levels) than you were before we began our journey together. These sessions are simply designed in order to keep your body in optimal condition, once more reducing the chances of you dealing with hip pain or complications in the future.
If you’d like to find out more about our services or would like to schedule your first appointment, please do not hesitate to get in touch today. We’d be happy to have a more thorough conversation with you to answer any questions you might have, or put your worries to ease. Together, we can help you work towards recovery, whether you’re dealing with hip pain or pain in other areas of your body.