Hip pain is incredibly common among American adults, with some studies showing up to 50% of older adults reporting experiencing some sort of chronic or acute hip pain. However, finding solutions to this problem is often a lot easier said than done, leading many to turn to their chiropractor for relief from their hip pain.
Hip pain can be caused by a wide variety of injuries and diseases, and while many may turn to painkillers or invasive procedures for relief, these treatments don't always address the underlying issues and often come with a number of drawbacks that far outweigh the benefits. Still, that doesn't mean that you're doomed to suffer from hip pain for the rest of your life.
Chiropractic care professionals specialize in providing customizable treatment plans that can address the root causes of your hip pain and provide effective relief without any harmful pain medication or invasive procedures. So, if you suffer from hip pain and are struggling to find adequate relief, calling up your local chiropractor is undoubtedly your best option. But, just what causes hip pain in the first place, and how does a chiropractor help?
Common Causes of Hip Pain
There’s no shortage of issues that can cause hip pain. From traumatic injuries and sciatica to inflammatory diseases and osteoarthritis. Still, while your pain could be due to any of these problems and more, here are the most common causes.
Inflammation
Your hip is made up of and surrounded by all sorts of complicated structures that ensure your hip and the rest of your body function properly. The only problem is that there is only so much room around your hip joints, so if something becomes inflamed due to injury or inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, it could cause varying degrees of pain and discomfort around your hips.
Traumatic Injuries and Sciatica
Traumatic injuries, whether at work or on the job, are another incredibly common cause of hip pain. Not only can the injuries do a lot of damage to the joint itself, but if you damage the sciatic nerve as well, it could leave you with lasting jolts of pain that run down your entire leg. So, if you've recently had an injury and weren't experiencing any hip pain before it, it's almost a guarantee that this is the cause of your problem.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, or arthritis of the hip joint, is the most common form of arthritis worldwide, with over 32 million Americans suffering from this condition each year. If you have this disease, it essentially means that the soft tissues in your hip are slowly breaking down, causing weakness and bone-on-bone rubbing that can cause debilitating pain and a reduction in mobility. Still, while anyone can get osteoarthritis, it's most common in men and especially women above 50 years old, so if you match that description, it's likely that this condition is the cause of your pain.
What Does a Chiropractor Do For Sciatica, Osteoarthritis and Other Sources of Hip Pain?
Now that you know some of the most common causes of hip pain, you may be wondering just what a chiropractor can do to help. Well, chiropractors specialize in providing all sorts of non-invasive treatments, including chiropractic adjustments and exercises that can help manage these conditions and provide relief from pain.
At the end of the day, the treatment you receive will depend largely on what exactly they determine is the cause of your pain. Still, if you want to get a better idea of what your treatment plan may look like, here are some of the many ways that a chiropractor can help you find relief from your hip pain.
Hip Joint Adjustments
Chiropractic adjustments are the bread and butter of any chiropractor, so it’s only natural that most hip pain treatment plans start with hip adjustments. These adjustments are perfect for relieving pain that specifically comes from the hip by realigning the joint to improve blood flow, function, and mobility while also reducing any inflammation that may be contributing to the problem.
Spinal Adjustments
Just because you feel the pain in your hip doesn't necessarily mean that it's the hip that's causing the problem. Your nervous system is largely centered in the brain and, of course, the spinal cord, and because all of the nerves in your body are so intertwined, it's not uncommon for spinal issues to be the true cause of the problem.
If this is the case, chiropractors can also perform spinal adjustments, which, like the aforementioned hip adjustments, help realign your spine to increase blood flow, improve function, and provide long-lasting relief from pain.
Joint Mobilization
Joint mobilization is another useful technique that chiropractors can use to relieve you of your hip pain. Unlike adjustments, the goal here isn't realignment. Instead, the chiropractor will move your leg and hip through its full range of motion, which can reduce stiffness and inflammation while also providing pain relief and improvements in mobility.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a mainstay in most chiropractic treatment plans, and while you may think of it in the context of injury recovery, this isn't always true. Regardless of what's causing your pain, your chiropractor can create a custom physical therapy plan that helps improve hip function and prevent future pain and injury by increasing strength and flexibility.
Nutrition, Wellness and Lifestyle Advice
Sometimes, hip pain isn’t due to any underlying condition. Inflammation and pain, in general, could also be due to any number of lifestyle factors, including everything from nutrition and general wellness to the way and how often you sit throughout the day. The good news is that chiropractors are also often experts in nutrition, wellness, and ergonomics, making chiropractic care the perfect choice for anyone experiencing any sort of hip and lower back pain or mobility issues.
Contact Goshen Family Chiropractic Today
Are you struggling with hip pain? Give Goshen Family Chiropractic a call. Their friendly team is always there to answer your questions and will happily help you schedule your first appointment. So, don’t settle for a treatment plan that doesn’t meet your needs. Call Goshen Family Chiropractic and take the first step toward lasting hip pain relief today!
