Hip Region Pain

Pain around the hip can often be related to the muscles and other soft tissue structures that lie outside the joint itself. Many people mistakenly think their hip joint is the problem, or even worse, think that their joint must be degenerating and they are one step away from a hip replacement. In the majority of cases, this couldn't be further from the truth, and conservative treatment in the form of Physiotherapy will provide significant and lasting relief.

If you have a problem, our best advice is to seek help with it quickly. Issues around the hip are easiest to manage before they get out of hand and become a long term pain in the...hip. Research shows that early intervention and exercise prescription can have a profoundly positive effect on improving and maintaining hip function and integrity as we age - a classic case of prevention being superior to a cure.

Myths:

• Pain around the hip means that something is structurally damaged.
• All hip pain relates to arthritis.
• Hip pain only affects older people.
• ‘My hip makes clicking noises so something must be torn or broken’
• If I just ignore my pain it will probably go away.

Facts:

• Most true hip joint pain is felt at the front of the groin and thigh or sometimes deep in the buttock. Pain on the lateral aspect (side) of the hip is usually NOT the hip joint itself.
• Pain around the hip is often the result of muscle imbalance and maladaptive movement patterns placing stress on related structures.
• Exercise and Physiotherapy treatments can significantly reduce hip related pain.
• Improving your hip muscle strength improves your ability to absorb shock through the joint.
• Noises that occur around the hip DO NOT mean your hip is damaged.
• Findings on scans such as labral tears and arthritis DO NOT always correlate with pain.
• Diagnosing and treating hip pain can be challenging and very rewarding for both the patient and their therapist.

How can the team at Belmont City Physiotherapy help you?

• We can diagnose the cause of your pain, implement appropriate treatment, and determine whether you need further investigations.
• In most cases we can set you a specific program to get you strong, in control of your pain and back to the activities you enjoy.
• We can develop a home based, gym or Clinical Pilates program to help you gain control of your problem.
• We can help communicate with a medical specialist if it is required.
• We can look after your needs post operatively should surgery be required.