A chiropractor can provide effective treatments for many causes of hip pain, including some of the most common. They will diagnose your condition and prescribe a personalized plan to treat your injury or condition.
When you choose chiropractic care over a medical or surgical approach, you know you will receive a well-rounded, non-invasive treatment that addresses both your symptoms and their cause. You will also undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation to prevent future symptoms or injuries.
Eight Reasons Why You Should See a Chiropractor for Your Hip Pain
Here are eight reasons why you should choose a chiropractor to treat your hip pain:
1. They Have a Holistic Approach
Chiropractors have a holistic approach to pain and other serious symptoms. They help you manage your symptoms while they treat the underlying cause and improve your overall health. When it comes to hip pain, contributing factors could include your posture, gait, and poor spinal alignment. Your chiropractor can address these and other issues to prevent future recurrences.
2. They Provide Non-Invasive Treatment
Your chiropractor will help you avoid surgery, painkillers, and other invasive and pharmaceutical treatments when possible. They provide manual adjustments using a wide range of techniques, physical therapy, rehabilitation exercises, and complementary therapies.
3. They Can Adjust Your Spinal Alignment
Sometimes, hip pain occurs because of something as simple as a spinal misalignment. This can affect the hips and lower body by causing pressure on nerves, uneven hips, and a problematic gait. Sometimes, patients see improvement with a single spinal adjustment or after a series of these treatments.
4. They Prescribe Personalized Treatment Plans
Chiropractors create personalized treatment plans for every patient. They consider the patient’s specific needs, such as their injuries, symptoms, overall health, activity level, age, and goals. As the patient continues to progress, they may assess their improvement and adjust the plan as necessary to ensure they maximize their recovery.
5. Their Focus Includes Pain Relief and Mobility Improvement
While a chiropractor’s goal is to treat the underlying cause of symptoms, they will not ignore symptom management. They will provide therapies and adjustments to relieve inflammation, improve blood flow to the area, reduce muscle tension, and manage pain. Their plan will help to control pain and improve mobility as soon as possible.
6. They Provide Preventative Care
Once your chiropractor is successful in treating your injury or condition, the focus will move to preventing future occurrences. This could include correcting posture, providing advice on ergonomics, prescribing physical therapy and rehabilitation, and making lifestyle changes.
7. You Have Options for Complementary Therapies
Chiropractors commonly offer many options for additional therapies that complement their chiropractic care and physiotherapy plans. These complementary therapies work to help manage pain, reduce swelling, improve mobility, and encourage healing through increased blood flow to the affected area. Examples include massage, ultrasound therapy, electrical stimulation therapy (e-stim), and laser therapy.
8. You Will Receive Education and Advice for Long-Term Health
Chiropractors provide education and advice to their patients about managing their injury or condition long term. This service allows them to better understand what caused their symptoms and how to avoid a recurrence in the future. By taking the recommended steps, they may never need to see the chiropractor for hip pain again.
What Hip Pain Causes Can Chiropractors Treat?
Many musculoskeletal conditions cause hip pain, as Mayo Clinic points out. These include both chronic and acute conditions and injuries. Some of the most common include:
- Osteoarthritis: This type of arthritis occurs due to age and use. The pain and inflammation occur because of the damage to the joint and bone. This is a common cause of disability and loss of mobility in seniors.
- Bursitis: Bursitis occurs when there is inflammation in the bursae that pad the hip joint. This condition can be very painful and limit mobility.
- Hip Dysplasia: When the hip joint does not form properly, it can cause long-term or even lifelong pain, limited range of motion, and mobility concerns.
- Sciatica: Back injuries that affect the sciatic nerve cause this condition, which is characterized by pain that radiates from the lower back, through the hip, and down the affected leg.
- Piriformis Syndrome: Piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle presses on or spasms and hits the sciatic nerve. Symptoms are often similar to sciatica, with pain in the lower back, hip, buttock, or leg.
Sometimes, hip pain occurs because of a spinal misalignment, herniated disc, or a back injury. Your chiropractor will determine the cause of your hip pain during your initial visit to their clinic and prescribe adjustments, treatments, and therapies to effectively address it.
When Should I Consider Chiropractic Treatment for Hip Pain?
When hip pain is chronic or is not significantly affecting your mobility, it is easy to put off seeing a doctor. Many people try to manage their pain with over-the-counter medications or by going on prescription painkillers prescribed by their family doctor. Reasons why you may want to consider making your new patient appointment with a chiropractor as soon as possible include:
- Your hip pain has not improved with time and may be getting worse
- You do not want to take medications every day to manage your pain
- You want to avoid surgery to address your hip injury or condition
- Your pain is limiting your daily activities or quality of life
- You have limited mobility because of your hip pain
Chiropractic care is non-invasive and often effective at relieving pain and addressing its underlying cause. Seeking a chiropractor as soon as possible could mean the end of your pain and the start of improved mobility and quality of life. You will receive holistic, personalized treatment based on your unique needs.
What Treatments and Therapies Do Chiropractors Prescribe for Hip Pain?
When you see a chiropractor for hip pain, you will undergo specific treatments based on your diagnosis and many other factors. These plans are developed for your unique needs, including your overall health and lifestyle. An active, athletic 40-something will not receive the same treatments or therapies as a senior citizen, although the doctor will work to reduce symptoms and improve the health of both of them.
To this end, it’s important to remember that the treatments and therapies prescribed for you are simply the most appropriate based on your needs. They could differ from others with similar symptoms or even the same diagnosis.
Treatments and therapies often prescribed for patients with hip pain include:
Spinal Adjustments
Your chiropractor may use manual spinal manipulation to restore the correct alignment of your vertebrae, reduce any pressure on the nerves, and alleviate your symptoms.
Hip Joint Adjustments
The chiropractor can perform manual adjustments of the hip joint itself using gentle pressure. This can realign the joint, improve mobility, and reduce pain.
Joint Mobilization
The chiropractor or physical therapist will gently guide the hip through range of motion exercises to reduce stiffness, increase ease of movement, and improve the joint’s functioning.
Physical Therapy
All chiropractic plans generally include some type of physical therapy. Many include both rehabilitation and strength-building. Physical therapy requires patients to work through personalized exercise programs with a therapist and then complete exercises regularly at home.
These exercises generally address hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, core strength, lower back strength, and the lower body. The goals of physical therapy include improving flexibility, strengthening supporting muscles to help joint function, and preventing future injuries.
Lifestyle and Ergonomic Advice
Chiropractors and therapists can provide advice on posture, ergonomics, proper lifting techniques, and more. This could help you reduce the risk of reinjury or having additional issues such as recurrent hip pain.
Complementary Therapies
These therapies complement chiropractic care and physical therapy, providing options for managing pain and promoting healing without medications. Examples include:
- Ultrasound Therapy: This therapy relies on ultrasound waves to penetrate the tissues and enhance blood flow.
- Electrical Stimulation: Also known as e-stim, this therapy uses low-level electrical currents to stimulate muscles. The most well-known type of e-stim device is a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) unit.
- Massage Therapy: Some massage therapy techniques encourage increased blood flow, reduce tension, and significantly help patients manage hip pain.
Gait and Posture Analysis
Your doctor or physical therapist will analyze your posture and gait to determine if they contribute to your hip pain and/or injuries. This analysis of how you sit, stand, and walk could allow them to identify and correct any issues.
Your personalized treatment plan will likely begin with some of these therapies and techniques on the day of your initial appointment. Your chiropractor will diagnose your condition and provide your first treatments. As you progress through your plan, the types of therapies you receive and the techniques used will likely change. Your doctor will monitor your improvements to ensure you meet your goals and get the most out of your care.
Schedule Your Initial Chiropractic Appointment for Hip Pain
Specific Care Chiropractic has three clinics to serve you: Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and
Lehigh Acres. Our chiropractors at any of these locations can assess the cause of your hip pain and prescribe a personalized treatment plan to address the cause. Contact us today for an appointment.
