How Can Physiotherapy Treat Hip Pain?
The hip holds profound importance in our body's structure, movement, and overall functionality. As one of the strongest and most powerful joints, it plays a crucial role in weight bearing, maintaining mobility, and controlling balance. In essence, it underpins an individual’s ability to lead an active, functional, and fulfilling life. However, the hip joint can become problematic when injured due to its complex anatomy, critical role in movement, and due to its connection with various surrounding structures.
Physiotherapy for treating hip injuries focuses on relieving pain, restoring mobility, and improving overall function of the joint. Physiotherapists initially carry out assessments to identify the potential causes of hip problems. Following the assessment, they work to design personalized treatment plans that correspond with the patient’s unique needs and goals.
Common hip conditions that physiotherapy can treat include the following:
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Hip Osteoarthritis: Hip osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition where the cartilage in the hip joint breaks down, causing pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion.
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Hip Bursitis: Hip bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa located on the outer side of the hip, causing pain, tenderness, and limited movement, often due to repetitive motion or prolonged pressure.
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Hip Labral Tears: Hip labral tears involve damage to the cartilage (labrum) that helps stabilize the hip joint, leading to pain, instability, and limited range of motion.
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Femoroacetabular Impingement: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a condition where abnormal contact between the femoral head and the acetabulum leads to joint pain, limited movement, and potential damage to the hip cartilage.
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Hip Flexor Strains: Hip flexor strains occur when the muscles or tendons in the front of the hip are overstretched or torn, leading to pain, weakness, and difficulty moving the hip.
Physiotherapy treatment plans for hip injuries typically consist of exercises to strengthen the musculature surrounding the hip joint, combined with stretches to improve flexibility and range of motion. Physiotherapists often include exercise prescription along with manual therapy techniques such as tractioning, manipulation, and joint mobilization. Additionally, if there are biomechanical issues contributing to the injury, gait/ergonomic corrections may be employed. The aim of physiotherapy treatment for hip injuries is to alleviate pain, increase range of motion, and enhance joint function to ultimately help patients engage in their activities with an improved state of health.