From the BodyLab Blog

What does my hip pain mean?

Hip hip hurray!  You’re hip is celebrating an unwanted party! Not long after your hip is inviting the knee, the ankle, and the low back to crash the joint and everything becomes a bit of a circus.

With life returning to pre-covid times, our lives have become a game of musical chairs, never knowing when you’ll head back into isolation. One week you are back at the gym, or  the office and the next you are stuck in bed, exercising over lounge-room zoom or working at a makeshift kitchen desk. Hip pain is not what you need right now, but your body is screaming for help.

So what are some causes of hip pain?

The hip joint is a ball and socket synovial joint, formed by the pelvis (socket) and the head of the femur (ball). It is designed for stability and weight-bearing and carrying us through life.

There can be many different things that can cause hip pain. Sometimes it’s original can come from the hip itself; such as:

  • Hip flexor or abductor injuries
  • labral tears (tearing of the silicone-like structure in the joint) 
  • Femoroactetabular impingements (bony or soft tissue pinching in the hip)
  • Osteoarthritis (aged-related changes) in older adults. 
  • Hip bursa irritation
  • ITB irritation 

However, not all pain is caused by structures found directly in the hip, and might be due to an injury away from the hip such as;

  • Low back
  • Pelvis
  • Hamstring and/or gluteal muscles, or
  • Pathological conditions

What can you do about it? 

If anything that social media has gotten right is to promote the saying “motion is lotion”. Our body loves movement, so often our first point of call is to reduce time sitting at the desk or watching netflix, start to move the hip a little more and maybe try some of the following exercises at home:

Seated Hip opener

Whilst seated start with placing your ankle on your opposite knee next, with your hand place pressure on the knee to feel a stretch in the outer hip.
To make the stretch deeper, lean forward from the hips

Pelvic tilting

Laying on the ground, start with your knees bent with your back on the ground
Tuck your tail bone under, pushing your lower back into the floor, activating your core and glutes

Kneeling hip opener

Start by kneeling with one leg on a block or step. Your knee should be pointing to the roof and tail bone tucked under
Keeping your knee & ankle in place rotate your hips away from your leg, feeling the hip open on the kneeling leg

Kneeling Lunge

Starting in a kneeling position with one leg out in front
Lean forward into the lunge, feeling a pull in the front if the lower hip. To make the stretch more, lift the opposite arm to the kneeling leg above your head

However, one size does not fit all and these exercises are only a guide. If your pain continues to persist and is unresolving, getting your allied health practitioner to assess you is highly recommended. 

If you have any questions about how to best manage your hip pain or ways to prevent it, the team at Bodylab.health are more than happy to help. 

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