Back Clinic Hip Pain & Disorders Team. These types of disorders are common complaints that can be caused by a variety of problems. The precise location of your hip pain can give more information about the underlying cause. The hip joint on its own tends to result in pain on the inside of your hip or groin area. Pain on the outside, upper thigh, or outer buttock is usually caused by ailments/problems with the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and soft tissues surrounding the hip joint. Hip pain can also be caused by diseases and conditions in other areas of your body, i.e. the lower back. The first thing is to identify where the pain is coming from.
The most important distinguishing factor is to find out if the hip is the cause of the pain. When hip pain comes from muscles, tendons, or ligament injuries, it typically comes from overuse or Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). This comes from overusing the hip muscles in the body i.e. iliopsoas tendinitis. This can come from tendon and ligament irritations, which typically are involved in snapping hip syndrome. It can come from inside the joint that is more characteristic of hip osteoarthritis. Each of these types of pain presents itself in slightly different ways, which is then the most important part in diagnosing what the cause is.
The body’s lower extremities have a very important role as it helps support the upper body’s weight and provide stability to the lower body. The lower half of the body consists of the lower abdominals, hips, pelvic, and buttock regions, which have various muscles surrounding the lumbar and pelvic areas of the spine. These muscles help protect the lower vital organs and work with the central nervous system to utilize the sensory-motor function of the legs and feet. When normal factors like prolonged sitting or standing begin to affect the lower body, it can cause referred pain to travel down to the legs and push the lower extremities to develop symptoms associated with trigger points on the lower torso. Today’s article looks at the lower torso, how trigger points affect the lower torso, and therapeutic ways to manage trigger points in the lower torso. We refer patients to certified providers who incorporate various techniques in more inadequate body pain treatments related to trigger points to aid people suffering from pain-like symptoms along the lower torso muscles along the body’s lower extremities. We encourage and appreciate patients by referring them to our associated medical providers based on their diagnosis, especially when it is appropriate. We understand that education is an excellent solution to asking our providers complex questions at the patient’s request. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., utilizes this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
What Is The Lower Torso?
Have you been feeling stiffness around your hips lately? Have you noticed that you are leaning forward constantly, causing strain on your lower back? Or have you been experiencing pain in one location in your lower half? When dealing with these issues in the lower half of the body, it could correlate with somato-visceral symptoms associated with trigger points in the lower torso. The lower torso of the human body, or the lower abdominals, is defined as the anterior region of the trunk between the thoracic diaphragm and serves as the cavity to house the digestive, urinary, endocrine, and parts of the reproductive system. The lower torso has various muscles and nerves that surround the lower back, the hips, the pelvis, and the buttock region of the body that stabilizes the legs when in motion and supports the upper body. The muscles in the lower torso also surround the lumbar and pelvic areas of the spine to protect the joints and vertebrae from becoming dysfunctional. When issues begin to rise and affect the lower torso, it can lead to overlapping problems affecting the body’s lower extremities.
How Do Trigger Points Affect The Lower Torso?
Some of the issues affecting the lower torso that most people don’t realize are that prolonged sitting or standing can cause problems to the legs, hips, pelvis, and feet. This causes the blood supply to pool into the legs and feet, thus causing swelling and muscle weakness in the lower torso muscles. Another issue is when the lower torso has been through a traumatic event that can cause the affected muscles to develop tiny nodules known as trigger points to cause problems in the lower back, hips, pelvis, and buttock region of the body. Studies reveal that trigger points are often characterized by pain causing a limited range of motion in the joints while causing muscular contracture and mimicking other chronic conditions affecting the muscles. When trigger points affect the muscles in the lower torso, “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction,” written by Dr. Janet Travell, M.D., pain associated with movement can cause tingling or electric sensations down to the lower extremities causing somato-visceral referred pain to the lower torso. Since the nerve roots from the spinal cord branch out to the various muscles and become irritated, causing referred pain to different areas of the lower extremities.
Trigger Point Therapy For The Abs- Video
Have you been dealing with hip mobility issues? What about experiencing low back pain after being in a hunch position for an extended period? Or have you been experiencing problems in your pelvic region? Many of these issues are correlated with trigger points associated with the lower torso. Trigger points or myofascial pain syndrome are caused when the affected muscles have been overused or been through a traumatic event that causes referred pain to different body locations. The video explains where trigger points are located in the lower torso, especially in the abdomen and how to release them through palpations and massage. These techniques can help reduce the pain symptoms that affect the lower torso and manage myofascial pain from developing in the future.
Therapeutic Ways To Manage Trigger Points In The Lower Torso
Pain specialists like chiropractors and massage therapists will use various techniques to reduce the pain and alleviate the trigger points from the affected muscles. Many often go to a pain specialist who deals with trigger points through recommendations by their primary doctor. They will go through an examination process and explain to the pain specialist where the pain is located. Afterward, they will devise a treatment plan with the patient’s primary doctor, allowing them to follow a routine to prevent the pain from returning. Various techniques like stretching the abdominals, exercising, and resting can manage trigger points from returning to the affected muscles and even help bring muscle strength back to the body.
Conclusion
The lower torso consists of the hips, lower back, pelvis, and buttock region while protecting the body’s vital organs. The lower torso helps stabilize, the lower body extremities and supports the upper body’s weight. When normal issues like prolonged sitting or standing start to cause muscle strain to the lower torso region, it can develop trigger points to cause various problems to that region and cause mobility issues in the lower abdominal area. When the pain becomes unbearable, many individuals go to a pain specialist to help manage the trigger points from affecting the lower torso region and bring back mobility function to the lower extremities.
References
Akamatsu, Flavia Emi, et al. “Anatomical Basis of the Myofascial Trigger Points of the Gluteus Maximus Muscle.” BioMed Research International, Hindawi, 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5733974/.
Travell, J. G., et al. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Vol. 2:the Lower Extremities. Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
Wade, Christian I, and Matthew J Streitz. “Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Abdomen – Statpearls – NCBI Bookshelf.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 25 July 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553104/.
Uneven hips can throw the back out of natural alignment and cause back stiffness, tightness, discomfort, and pain. Hips that are off-balance unhealthily affect standing, sitting, sleeping posture, walking gait, and overall movements. Biomechanics issues cause the core and spine stabilizing muscles to become weakened and fatigued from overcompensating to keep the body up and moving. Over time this can lead to chronic pain in the back, hips, knees, and feet. Chiropractic care can restore proper hip and spinal alignment and wellness.
Uneven Hips
Misaligned hips can be caused by work or sports injury, exercise, vehicle collision, and/or general wear and tear. When hips are out of alignment, they have shifted from their centered position. They could be rotated forward or backward, forcing the spine and the lower limbs to compensate, resulting in the spine tilting that can make the legs appear uneven. Discomfort may be one-sided low back pain near the sacroiliac joint, causing a stiff/tight back, limited motion, and/or pain symptoms. Because the spine and lower limbs have to compensate for the unevenness, the shoulders and upper back, connected to the pelvis through the spine, are also affected and result in:
Back pain.
Hip and gluteal muscle pain.
Uneven leg length.
Knee, ankle, and foot issues and pain.
Uneven shoulders.
The shoulder blades can stick out on the side of the lower hip.
Rib discomfort and pain.
The rib cage could protrude out on one side. However, this could be due to advanced scoliosis.
Therapy
Staying active is recommended and includes stretching and core strengthening. General stretches recommended to optimize hip equity include:
Hamstring stretch
For this stretch, lie on a flat surface with your legs extended straight out.
Bend the right leg at the knee, placing the right foot on the ground.
Use a towel, belt, or band to grab and wrap around the left foot.
Keep the hip/buttock on the left side planted on the floor.
Slowly raise the left leg upward as far as possible until you feel the stretch.
Once you feel a stretch or restriction in the hamstring, hold the position for 30 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.
Perform 2 to3 times.
Hip flexor stretch
Kneel on the affected leg and bend the healthy leg out in front with the foot flat on the floor.
Back straight.
Slowly push the hips forward until you feel the stretch in the upper thigh and hip.
Hold the stretch for around 15 to 30 seconds.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic treatment is a highly recommended non-surgical option for uneven hips and pelvic tilt. Depending on the severity of the misalignment, underlying issues, and body scanning images, hip alignment treatment could include:
Soft tissue therapeutic massage
Chiropractic muscle release for tight hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
Kiapour, Ali et al. “Biomechanics of the Sacroiliac Joint: Anatomy, Function, Biomechanics, Sexual Dimorphism, and Causes of Pain.” International journal of spine surgery vol. 14, Suppl 1 3-13. 10 Feb. 2020, doi:10.14444/6077
Lee, Jeong-Hoon, et al. “The effect of Graston technique on the pain and range of motion in patients with chronic low back pain.” Journal of physical therapy science vol. 28,6 (2016): 1852-5. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.1852
Patel, Rikin V et al. “Pelvic Tilt and Range of Motion in Hips With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome.” The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons vol. 28,10 (2020): e427-e432. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-19-00155
Rivière, C et al. “Spine-hip relations add understandings to the pathophysiology of femoro-acetabular impingement: A systematic review.” Orthopaedics & traumatology, surgery & research : OTSR vol. 103,4 (2017): 549-557. doi:10.1016/j.otsr.2017.03.010
Suits, William H. “Clinical Measures of Pelvic Tilt in Physical Therapy.” International journal of sports physical therapy vol. 16,5 1366-1375. 1 Oct. 2021, doi:10.26603/001c.27978
The skeletal joints can keep the body upright and stabilized while protecting the internal organs. The skeletal joints also are at risk of factors (normal and traumatic) that can impact the body, thus potentially causing painful symptoms to affect different body areas. Hip pain is among the most common complaints for many individuals, especially the elderly. To that point, when the body suffers from hip pain, it may involve pelvic pain and associated symptoms that mimic other issues within the body. Today’s article examines the causes of hip and pelvic pain, the symptoms related to hip and pelvic pain, and how chiropractic care may relieve hip and pelvic pain. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in osteopathic treatments to help many individuals with hip and pelvic pain. We also guide our patients by referring to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is the solution to asking our providers insightful questions. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
The Causes Of Hip & Pelvic Pain
Do you experience stiffness located on your low back or hips? What about sciatic nerve pain that travels down your legs? Or have you been experiencing cramping around the pelvic regions of your body? Experiencing these symptoms may be the potential cause that you might be dealing with hip and pelvic pain. Even though hip pain is often associated with older individuals, it can affect many individuals of different ages. Studies reveal that the pathologies outside the hips may be the cause and referred pain, making diagnosing hip pain difficult. Hip pain causes could be overused joints and soft tissues that support the hips due to repetitive motions, strain from the multiple muscles that support the hips, or arthritic symptoms. Studies reveal that individuals who work in a desk job will potentially develop low back pain due to prolonged sitting, thus becoming associated with excessive mobility of the lumbar spine and decreased hip joint mobility.
Individuals with hip pain could risk developing pelvic pain associated with the overuse of joints and soft tissues. Now how pelvic pain correlates with hip pain, and what’s the causation? Studies reveal that the stabilizing muscles (iliopsoas, pectineus, obturator externus, gluteus minimus, and piriformis muscles) are overworked and become consequent hip and joint destabilization. This causes the affected muscles to become tired and weak and triggers sciatic nerve compression along the piriformis muscle. Pelvic pain associated with hip pain may cause dysfunctional musculoskeletal symptoms along the lower abdominals, hips, and lumbosacral back.
The Associated Symptoms Of Hip & Pelvic Pain
The factors involved with hip and pelvic pain could potentially have associated symptoms that might affect the body’s lower extremities. One of the most prominent symptoms of hip pain is groin pain, which could possibly be involved with pelvic pain since the ligaments and muscles that encompass the hips and groin may be weak and overused. Sometimes various underlying causes do contribute to hip and pelvic pain, causing associated symptoms that may confuse the individual in pain. Hip and pelvic pain may refer to low back and sciatic nerve pain since the lower spine and hips are close together; thus, pinpointing where the true source of pain is in the body’s lower half makes it confusing. Some of the symptoms associated with hip and pelvic pain include:
Low back pain
Muscle weakness
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
Bladder issues
Sciatic nerve pain
Piriformis syndrome
The 3 Common Causes Of Hip Pain-Video
Have you been dealing with muscle stiffness around or along your hips and lower back? Do you have bladder issues? Or have you experienced muscle weakness in the lower extremities of your body? Some of these symptoms could be associated with hip and pelvic pain. The video above explains the three common causes of hip pain, and interestingly, one of the causes of hip pain could potentially involve the lower back. Studies reveal that since the low back and hips are close to each other, alterations in the lumbopelvic region could potentially be involved with low back pain. Some of the issues associated with the alterations in the lumbopelvic area include:
Limited range of motion on hip rotation
Tissue injury
Stiff joint capsules
Micro/macro trauma
Fortunately, hip and pelvic pain management may help alleviate referred pain issues through chiropractic care.
Chiropractic Relief For Hip & Pelvic Pain
Individuals dealing with hip and pelvic pain may find relief through chiropractic care. The pelvis is a direct continuation of the spine as the sacrum (the five lowest fused vertebrae) and the pelvic girdle complex interact with the joints from the lower skeletal system. If there is pain in the lower body and the individual is unsure whether it is their back or hips, their first course of action is to visit their primary doctor or a chiropractor. Afterward, they will review the individual’s medical history while performing a series of physical exams like various movements to make an accurate diagnosis. Once the pain diagnosis is identified, chiropractors utilize total body alignment by restoring balance in the pelvis and the spine through manipulation. When the spine and hips suffer from a subluxation, it can cause unnecessary strain on the surrounding muscles around the spine and hips. To that point, realigning the spine from a chiropractic adjustment could reduce or eliminate the excessive stress affecting the surrounding muscles. Chiropractic care can also promote various therapies that increase balance along the hips and pelvic region, which include:
Stretching
Therapeutic massage
Physical activities/Exercise therapy
Nutrition
Whether the pain is located in the hips, low back, or pelvic regions, chiropractic care can help restore, address, and alleviate the pain while maintaining optimal long-lasting results.
Conclusion
The skeletal joints can help keep the body upright and stabilized while protecting the internal organs from normal and traumatic factors. When these factors begin to cause an impact on the body, the skeletal joints are at risk of developing pain along the musculoskeletal structure. Hip and pelvic pain have an overlapping relationship as they are amongst the most common complaints for many individuals. To that point, pain from the hips or the pelvic may mimic other issues associated with chronic disorders. Incorporating treatments like chiropractic care can help alleviate, address, and restore the body through spinal manipulation. This allows individuals to be pain-free and help restore balance in their joints.
References
Harris-Hayes, Marcie, et al. “Relationship between the Hip and Low Back Pain in Athletes Who Participate in Rotation-Related Sports.” Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699456/.
Lee, Dae Wook, et al. “Chronic Pelvic Pain Arising from Dysfunctional Stabilizing Muscles of the Hip Joint and Pelvis.” The Korean Journal of Pain, The Korean Pain Society, Oct. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5061646/.
Luthra, Jatinder Singh, et al. “Understanding Painful Hip in Young Adults: A Review Article.” Hip & Pelvis, Korean Hip Society, Sept. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6726866/.
Nishimura, Takaaki, and Ryo Miyachi. “Relationship between Low Back Pain and Lumbar and Hip Joint Movement in Desk Workers.” Journal of Physical Therapy Science, The Society of Physical Therapy Science, Oct. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7590845/.
The body is exposed to various environmental factors daily. Whether it is the environment that a person is living, the foods being consumed, or the level of physical activities a person has plays a part in the body. Many individuals that want to live a healthier lifestyle will start small by incorporating nutritious foods they can add, sticking to an exercise regime they might enjoy, and finding time to meditate. Those who don’t want to change their lifestyle habits will continue eating foods that are high in fats, not exercising enough, or have problems sleeping. Over time, the body will be at risk of developing autoimmune disorders associated with musculoskeletal symptoms when exposed to environmental factors that impact a person’s lifestyle. Today’s article looks at an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammatory effects on the joints, known as polymyalgia rheumatica, the symptoms associated with this disorder, and how chiropractic care can help manage the symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in autoimmune treatments to help many individuals with autoimmune diseases associated with musculoskeletal disorders. We also guide our patients by referring to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is the solution to asking our providers insightful questions. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
What Is Polymyalgia Rheumatica?
Have you been experiencing pain along your shoulders, neck, hips, or thighs? Does your body feel stiff in the morning and better throughout the day? Or have you been experiencing a limited range of motion in certain areas of your body? Many of these symptoms are signs that you might be at risk of developing polymyalgia rheumatica in your joints. Polymyalgia rheumatica is defined as a rheumatic disorder that is common in elderly adults over the age of 50. Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory musculoskeletal disorder that induces muscle pain and stiffness around the joints, especially in the morning. Studies reveal that polymyalgia rheumatica is often characterized by aching muscle pain in the shoulders, pelvis, and neck; it can mimic other rheumatic diseases like RA (rheumatoid arthritis), SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), and polymyositis. When the body is dealing with the inflammatory effects of polymyalgia rheumatica, many people believe they are dealing with a different disorder affecting their bodies. To that point, diagnosing polymyalgia rheumatica is difficult.
The Symptoms Associated With Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Since polymyalgia rheumatica can mimic other rheumatic diseases, some of the symptoms associated with this inflammatory musculoskeletal disorder are similar to other chronic common diseases in the body. Studies reveal that the cause of polymyalgia is unknown, but environmental and genetic factors contribute to this inflammatory disease. Another disease that shares similar symptoms with polymyalgia is a disease known as giant cell arteritis. Giant cell arteritis causes inflammatory effects along the lining of the arteries, and individuals with this disease may have polymyalgia rheumatica. Some of the symptoms associated with polymyalgia rheumatica include:
Shoulder pain
Pelvic pain
Limited range of motion
Muscle stiffness
Joint pain
Inflammation
Neck pain
An Overview Of Polymyalgia Rheumatica- Video
Have you been experiencing pain in some regions of your body, like the shoulders, pelvis, and neck? Do you feel muscle stiffness every morning, but does it get better throughout the day? Have you been dealing with joint inflammation? If you have been experiencing these musculoskeletal symptoms, you might be at risk of developing polymyalgia rheumatica. The video above gives an insightful overview of what polymyalgia is and the symptoms associated with this inflammatory musculoskeletal disorder. Polymyalgia rheumatica is an auto-inflammatory musculoskeletal disorder that affects many adults over 50 and causes muscle stiffness in the body’s neck, shoulder, and pelvic regions. This inflammatory musculoskeletal disorder does mimic other rheumatic disorders like RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and lupus. The symptoms associated with polymyalgia rheumatica are generally similar to other common chronic disorders, making diagnosis challenging to pinpoint. Luckily there are ways to manage polymyalgia rheumatica and its associated musculoskeletal symptoms.
Managing Polymyalgia Rheumatica With Chiropractic Care
Since the body is dealing with symptoms from polymyalgia rheumatica is challenging to diagnose since it mimics other rheumatic disorders and their associated symptoms. When the body is suffering from joint pain associated with polymyalgia rheumatica, the surrounding muscles, and ligaments that help stabilize the joints become inflamed and cause discomfort to the body. Fortunately, treatments like chiropractic care are available to help manage the joint inflammation associated with polymyalgia rheumatica. Chiropractic care utilizes spinal manipulation of the body by manipulating spinal subluxation or misalignment of the joints. Spinal manipulation helps the body relax and incorporates healing properties into the inflamed joints. Chiropractic care helps loosen up the stiff muscles and ligaments surrounding the joints to reduce pressure on the nerves and help bring the range of motion back to the joints. Many individuals who incorporate chiropractic care to help manage musculoskeletal symptoms associated with rheumatic disorders like polymyalgia rheumatica will be pain-free on their wellness journey.
Conclusion
Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory musculoskeletal disorder common in elderly adults that induces muscle pain and stiffness around the joints. This inflammatory musculoskeletal disorder affects the shoulder, neck, and pelvic region while mimicking other rheumatic disorders like RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and lupus. Since the body is exposed to various environmental daily, over time may be at risk of developing autoimmune diseases associated with musculoskeletal symptoms that can impact the individual. To that point, making it difficult to diagnose. Fortunately, treatments like chiropractic care can help manage the musculoskeletal symptoms associated with polymyalgia rheumatica. Chiropractic care can help reduce stiff joint inflammation by manipulating the body, causing the aching muscles to relax and increase their range of motion. Utilizing chiropractic care can help a person get back to their health and wellness journey.
References
Acharya, Saurav, and Rina Musa. “Polymyalgia Rheumatica – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 21 June 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537274/.
Al-Kaabi, Juma, et al. “Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Mimicking Polymyalgia Rheumatica in a Young Patient.” Oman Medical Journal, OMJ, July 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3282323/.
Michet, Clement J, and Eric L Matteson. “Polymyalgia Rheumatica.” BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), BMJ Publishing Group Ltd., 5 Apr. 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2287267/.
Milchert, Marcin, and Marek Brzosko. “Diagnosis of Polymyalgia Rheumatica Usually Means a Favourable Outcome for Your Patient.” The Indian Journal of Medical Research, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, May 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5644293/.
A pinched nerve in the hip can cause numbness, tingliness, weakness, and pain. A pinched/compressed nerve creates pressure that can result from a bone structural issue like hip misalignment or the nerve getting overly stretched, stuck, twisted, or kinked. The pressure obstructs the neural pathways and decreases neural activity. This causes pain. If discomfort or pain is present, chiropractic, physical rehabilitation, rest, exercise, and ice and heat can release and reset the nerve and help prevent re-injury.
Pinched Nerve In The Hip
A pinched or compressed nerve results from pressure being applied to the nerve. A pinched nerve in the hip often causes pain in the groin region, radiating down the inner thigh to the knee. The pain can feel like a dull ache or a sharp, burning pain. Individuals also report tightness, numbness, or a tingling sensation in the buttocks. The most common causes include:
Unhealthy posture.
Sitting for too long without moving around.
Misaligned bone or cartilage.
Muscle strain.
Pregnancy.
Obesity.
Inflamed tissue.
Herniated disc.
Arthritis.
Bone spurs.
Chiropractic
Different causes require different treatment approaches. For example, an obese individual could require chiropractic adjustments, specific exercises/stretches, and diet adjustments to address the whole body. The recommended treatment plans can vary but usually include:
Physical therapeutic massage.
Manipulative therapies of the joints and muscles.
Mobilization of the joints.
Soft tissue treatments.
Spinal decompression.
Exercise.
Walking and activity can worsen the pain when the hip presents with pain. This can cause the rest of the body to compensate by shifting the weight to the healthy side, which can cause even more pain in the back or legs or cause another injury. Regular chiropractic hip adjustments will improve posture, maintaining muscle and skeleton alignment that will prevent pinching nerves in the hip.
Chiropractic Hip Treatment
References
Ahuja, Vanita, et al. “Chronic hip pain in adults: Current knowledge and future prospective.” Journal of anaesthesiology, clinical pharmacology vol. 36,4 (2020): 450-457. doi:10.4103/joacp.JOACP_170_19
Christmas, Colleen, et al. “How common is hip pain among older adults? Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” The Journal of family practice vol. 51,4 (2002): 345-8.
“Free Communications: Case Reports: Hip.” Journal of Athletic Training vol. 38,2 Suppl (2003): S.73–S.74.
When many individuals look for ways to relax after a stressful event in their daily lives, many people have an exercise regime that allows them to take their minds off of their hectic lives. When finding the proper exercise, it is best to consider that everybody is different and has different fitness levels. Many individuals could be dealing with chronic issues that affect them drastically and with so much pain in their bodies. When these chronic issues overlap with muscle and joint pain, it can make the body dysfunctional while potentially being involved in environmental factors. Yoga is a low-impact exercise that helps tone muscles, relax tension in the body, and focus on deep breathing. Today’s article looks at the benefits of yoga for the body, how chiropractic care works together with yoga, and different yoga poses can help manage various chronic issues. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in musculoskeletal treatments to help many individuals with musculoskeletal problems affecting their bodies. We also guide our patients by referring to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is the solution to asking our providers insightful questions. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
The Benefits of Yoga For The Body
Have you been dealing with chronic stress affecting your quality of life? Have you been dealing with bladder or gut issues constantly? What about feeling muscle stiffness in your back, neck, shoulders, or pelvic regions? Some of these symptoms are signs that you could risk developing musculoskeletal problems associated with pain. Dealing with musculoskeletal issues related to pain can make a person feel miserable and have stress affecting their bodies. Yoga is a low-impact exercise that doesn’t put pressure on the joints and will provide a full-body workout through strengthening and stretching weak muscles. Yoga has many benefits for many individuals that are dealing with the following:
Studies reveal that environmental factors are involved in non-specified chronic pain in the spine, overlapping musculoskeletal disorders causing many individuals to try to find relief. Many individuals incorporate yoga because it is a safe and effective way to alleviate various forms of back, neck, or pelvic pain causing issues to the body. Yoga utilizes gentle stretching and strengthening of weak, injured muscles while increasing blood circulation to promote healing in the body.
Chiropractic Care & Yoga
When people are dealing with health conditions or injuries that have affected their bodies, it can make them feel frustrated and think their injuries are taking forever to heal. Many individuals don’t realize that incorporating yoga practices provides impressive health benefits while mirroring the similar foundations of chiropractic care. Both chiropractic care and yoga provide many beneficial results to an aching body that needs a good stretch and ready the body to heal itself naturally. Chiropractic care includes spinal manipulation to the spinal joints while reducing inflammation and strengthening weak muscles. Yoga allows the body to increase its flexibility and stamina, reduces stress and blood pressure, and provides a better sense of breathing and balance.
Yoga For Chronic Pain-Video
Have you felt muscle stiffness in your neck, back, or body? Have you felt sluggish or overly stressed from your day-to-day lives? Do you want to improve your balance? If you have been experiencing these issues affecting your quality of life, why not incorporate yoga as part of your exercise regime? The video above shows that yoga poses for chronic pain affect the body, including the neck, back, and pelvic regions. Studies reveal that yoga can help relieve intense neck pain while improving pain-related function disability. Yoga allows the muscles to not only relax but strengthen them as well. Yoga can also help improve the body’s range of motion through deep breathing and give more awareness of how the body holds tension in places a person hasn’t realized they were holding onto.
Yoga Poses For Different Issues
When a person does yoga, they will go through various poses and repeat them constantly as their body begins to get used to the movements. This allows the body to challenge itself and helps the individual focus more on deep breathing. A good example would be an individual taking a yoga class due to experiencing pelvic pain. By going through each yoga pose, many individuals suffering from pelvic pain will reduce the pain intensity while improving their quality of life. Below are some yoga poses that anyone can do to reduce pain associated with their back, neck, or pelvis.
Bridge Pose
Lie on your back
Bend both knees while placing the feet on the floor at hip-width apart
Arm on the sides with palms facing down
Press feet to the floor and lift the hips as you inhale
Engage the legs and buttock
Hold 4-8 breaths and exhale to lower the hips back to the ground slowly
Cobra Pose
Lie on your stomach with hands near the chest just under the shoulders and fingers facing forward
Keep elbows close to sides
Press hands on the floor and slowly lift your head, chest, and shoulders while slightly bending the elbows by inhaling
Exhale to go back down slow and rest your head
Cat-Cow
Be on all fours, hands under the shoulders and knees under hips (Think like a table)
Inhale to lower your core to the floor as your head looks up to the sky
Exhale slowly to lower your chin to the chest as you round your back
Continue fluid motion for a minute
Forward Bend
Be in a standing position, and feet are at a hip distance apart
Lengthen the body as you lean forward while keeping the knees slightly bended
Place hands on either legs, yoga block, or the floor (Whichever makes you comfortable)
Tuck the chin into the chest, letting the neck and head relax
Gently rock your head side to side to relieve tension in the neck and shoulders
Slowly roll up to a standing position allowing the arms and head to be the last to rise
Supine Spinal Twist
Lie on your back while your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
Extend arms out of the side and place palms down on the floor
As you inhale, breathe into the gut and lower limbs
Exhale to lower knees on the left side (Look at the opposite way to slowly stretch the neck and shoulder muscles)
Pay attention to the stretches for 5 breathes as well as the lengthening sensations on the ribs
Return the knees to the middle and repeat on the right side
Child’s Pose
Sit back on the heels with the knees together (For added support, you can use a rolled-up blanket under your knees)
Bend forward and walk hands in front of you
Gently rest your forehead on the floor
Keep arms extended in the front while focusing on relieving tension in the back as the upper body falls to the knees
Stay in that pose for 5 minutes
Conclusion
Incorporating yoga as part of an exercise regime allows the individual to focus on deep breathing while calming the mind. Yoga is a low-impact exercise that helps strengthen weak muscles associated with pain and inflammation. Yoga provides a full-body workout that benefits many people dealing with chronic pain. Utilizing yoga as part of a daily practice might help individuals learn to be calm and practice mindfulness.
Crow, Edith Meszaros, et al. “Effectiveness of Iyengar Yoga in Treating Spinal (Back and Neck) Pain: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Yoga, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, Jan. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278133/.
Li, Yunxia, et al. “Effects of Yoga on Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Prisma Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Medicine, Wolters Kluwer Health, Feb. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6407933/.
Saxena, Rahul, et al. “Effects of Yogic Intervention on Pain Scores and Quality of Life in Females with Chronic Pelvic Pain.” International Journal of Yoga, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5225749/.
The hips in the lower extremities of the body help stabilize the weight of the upper half while providing movement to the lower half. The hips also allow the body to twist, turn, and bend back and forth. The hip joints connect to the inside of the pelvic bone, while the pelvic bone is connected to the sacroiliac joint, which connects to the spine. When natural wear and tear affects the joints as the body ages, issues like hip pain and osteoarthritis associated with low back pain occur, causing various symptoms to arise in the body. Today’s article looks at osteoarthritis, how it impacts the hips, and how to manage hip osteoarthritis. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in musculoskeletal therapies to help those with hip pain and osteoarthritis. We also guide our patients by referring to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is the solution to asking our providers insightful questions. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
What Is Osteoarthritis?
Have you been experiencing pain in your hips or lower back? How about muscle stiffness near the groin? Do symptoms associated with sciatica seem to flare up near your hips and the back of your leg? Many of these symptoms are signs that you could be at risk of developing osteoarthritis near your hips. While arthritis refers to inflammation of the body’s joints, osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that causes degeneration of the joint cartilage, triggering joint pain and functionality loss. Even though there are several hundred types of arthritis, osteoarthritis is one of the most common types that many people, especially older adults, are affected by. As the body becomes older naturally through age, the repairs from an injury begin to slow down, and the cartilage (the connective tissue that protects the bones from each other) will start to thin out, triggering bone rubbing together, causing inflammation to occur, bone spurs, and inevitable pain. Osteoarthritis is often associated with old age and is multifactorial as factors that can increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis include:
Sex
Age
Obesity
Joint injuries
Genetics
Bone deformities
How Does It Impact The Hips?
Since osteoarthritis affects the joints, how does it cause an impact on the hips? When health issues affect the body, it can cause painful symptoms to gradually worsen and become a risk of developing hip pain. Studies reveal that hip pain is common in all adults and activity levels in the anterior, lateral, or posterior regions near the hips.
Anterior hip pain: Causes referred pain (pain felt in one part of the body but is actually in a different location) associated with internal organ systems.
Lateral hip pain: Causes wear-and-tear pain on the soft muscle tissues on the sides of the hips.
Posterior hip pain: Causes referred pain associated with the lumbar spinal pathology like sciatic nerve entrapment correlating with a deep gluteal syndrome.
All these issues affecting the hips overlap with various issues associated with osteoarthritis. When hip pain originates from osteoarthritis, factors like minimal physical activity or slight movements while resting in bed can worsen due to the hip joints having limited or restricted movement. Studies reveal that hip pain is associated with simple movement impairments that make it difficult to diagnose due to referred pain from the spine, knees, or even the groin area.
How does hip osteoarthritis correlate with groin pain? Studies reveal that when a person is dealing with hip osteoarthritis, groin and buttock pain are slightly more common. The hip joint is behind the groin muscle, which is why groin pain overlaps with hip pain as the root. Hip and groin pain could also be involved with radiating pain down toward the knees in the body.
Exercises For Hip Osteoarthritis- Video
Are you experiencing bladder issues? How about stiffness near or around your hips and groin area? Do issues like low back and sciatica pain? Experiencing these issues could be signs of hip osteoarthritis affecting your lower body. Studies reveal that hip osteoarthritis is a significant source of morbidity, pain, gait abnormalities, and functional impairments potentially involved with other issues. Fortunately, there are ways to manage hip osteoarthritis, as the video above shows eight great exercises for hip osteoarthritis. Certain exercise moves for individuals with hip osteoarthritis can help strengthen the surrounding muscles around the joints while increasing joint mobility to reduce pain and stiffness. Exercising can also be beneficial to the individual as it can provide:
Increase blood circulation
Maintain weight
Provides energy boost
Improves sleep
Promotes muscle endurance
Other available therapies help manage hip osteoarthritis while alleviating associated symptoms affecting the body.
Managing Hip Osteoarthritis Pain
Many individuals suffering from hip osteoarthritis try to find ways to relieve the pain. While they can’t do anything to prevent wear and tear on the joints completely, there are ways to slow down the process and manage hip osteoarthritis in the body. Small changes like incorporating food can dampen inflammatory effects on the joints while providing nutrients to the body. An exercise regime can help strengthen the weak muscles supporting the joints while increasing mobility and range of motion. Treatments like spinal traction and chiropractic care relieve pain and stiffness from joint disorders like osteoarthritis. Chiropractic care provides spinal manipulation on the back and joints to be adjusted. While spinal traction helps the compressed discs lay off the pressure on the surrounding nerves associated with hip pain. Incorporating any of these can help slow the progression of hip osteoarthritis and bring back mobility to the hips.
Conclusion
The hips provide stability to the upper and lower parts of the body. While supporting the weight of the upper half and movement to the lower half, the hips can succumb to wear and tear in the body. When the hip joints begin to wear and tear slowly, it can lead to the progression of hip osteoarthritis, where the cartilage of the joints begins to cause the bones to rub against each other, triggering inflammation. Hip osteoarthritis makes diagnosing difficult because the referred pain from the spine, knees, or groin area overlaps the symptoms. All is not lost, as there are available treatments to manage hip osteoarthritis that can help slow the progress of this disorder and bring back the mobility of the lower half of the body.
References
Ahuja, Vanita, et al. “Chronic Hip Pain in Adults: Current Knowledge and Future Prospective.” Journal of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Wolters Kluwer – Medknow, 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8022067/.
Khan, A M, et al. “Hip Osteoarthritis: Where Is the Pain?” Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2004, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15005931/.
Kim, Chan, et al. “Association of Hip Pain with Radiographic Evidence of Hip Osteoarthritis: Diagnostic Test Study.” BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), BMJ Publishing Group Ltd., 2 Dec. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667842/.
Sen, Rouhin, and John A Hurley. “Osteoarthritis – Statpearls – NCBI Bookshelf.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 1 May 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482326/.
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