No pain is any fun, but joint pain can be especially irritating, as it often keeps people from moving around the way they would like. Hip pain is a common complaint, and tends to be more prevalent as people age. Common complaints we hear about hip pain include:
- Interrupted sleep from pain in the hip
- Difficulty moving legs after sitting in a car for a long time or getting out of bed each day
- Pain upon rotating the hips or crossing the legs
For some, osteoarthritis is their first thought, and they head right for the orthopedist. The result of such a visit is often being prescribed pain medication and/or surgery. Hip surgeries take place at an alarming rate these days, and many could be avoided if people experiencing hip pain would see a chiropractor first.
There are situations where surgery is necessary, but it should be a last resort. And with all the side affects and dangers of prescription pills, medication should be a second-to-last resort. A chiropractor can provide relief with a drug free, non invasive approach that will reduce hip pain and often eliminate it completely. A good percentage of hip pain cases are the result of misalignments and imbalances in the lower extremities. This can cause degenerative changes over time, but even then, chiropractic care can help. Osteoarthritis is often the result, and not the cause of problems in the hip.
A very small imbalance can cause significant problems over time, as a person walks, bends and sits. The initial issue could be cause from a previous injury that may or may not have involved the hip and might have been so minor the patient doesn’t even remember it. It doesn’t take much for a subluxation to occur, and this can throw everything out of alignment. Again, the misalignment can be small and not noticeable when looking at someone. It’s the effects of time and wear that ultimately cause bigger issues.
Something many people are surprised at is the fact that a prior injury of the ankle or knee (even a simple sprain) can end up being what is affecting the hip today. When we injure any part of our body that is involved in walking, our body attempts to compensate by altering our gait. This altered gait can become a habit within a fairly short time, but might not be so pronounced that people notice it. Over time though, the pressure that an unnatural gait puts on other joints, like the hip, can result in a lot of pain.
Two important points that everyone experiencing hip pain should keep in mind are: 1. The sooner action is taken, the less damage will have occurred and the more pain will ultimately be avoided. 2. Hip pain does not generally just go away on its own. So if you or someone you love is in the San Clemente area and experiencing hip pain, please get in touch with our San Clemente Chiropractor Office today. We’ll take great care of you and get you feeling better before you know it.
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