Hip and Groin Pain
People who commonly experience hip pain include middle aged and elderly populations, sports people, or those who are on their feet or walking for large portions of the day.
Hip and Groin Pain | Osteopath Sutton
Hip pain can be provoked by lifting heavy objects from low off the ground, falls or spontaneous movements involving recovering from losing balance, or overreaching when running.
Chances of developing hip pain increases if the activity involves extending the leg back and using maximal muscle strength to drive the leg such as in: football, rugby, racket sports, martial arts, or athletics
Muscles strains, joint irritation, wear and tear, and prolonged standing or sitting are the most common causes of hip pain and may only require a short series of treatments to resolve the problem. Groin pain may be mistaken for hip pain as well, this will become clearer during the case history and assessment.
Causes and symptoms associated with hip pain:
- stiffness or restriction of movement,
- pain lifting the knee towards the chest or behind you,
- difficulty lifting the leg whilst walking up or down steps,
- difficulty going from seated to standing or standing to seated,
- sharp pain in the groin on certain leg movements,
- difficultly putting on socks and shoes,
- pain travelling down the back of leg to the knee or foot,
- pain travelling down the front and/or side of the leg to the knee,
- lower back pain or knee pain.
Treatment: The hip and groin area is a complex area to treat. Your osteopath can successfully treat patients who come with undiagnosed hip or groin pain regularly that has lasted for months or even years, despite scans, tests and various forms of treatment.
A key component of this treatment is the correction of hip biomechanics along with hands on treatment. Due to the close relationship of the ankle and knee mechanics with the hip, a detailed examination of the lower limb mechanics is also essential in identifying the root cause of the problem.
Examination of the lower back is also important as hip pain can be referred from the lower back.
Specific osteopathic joint mobilisation techniques will be used to improve the function of the hip joint to increase the range of motion. Manipulation may also be indicated to free up the hip ligaments. Many specific muscle contraction and relaxation sequences will enable the body to release tension in the hip and also rapidly improve muscle strains. Soft and deep tissue techniques may be used to reduce larger muscle strains and increase the speed of recovery.
Specific stretching and strengthening exercises may be advised to correct compensatory patterns and weaker muscle groups. Better muscle balance will reduce pain in the hip, whether this is through stretching tight muscles, or strengthening weaker muscles.
If there is a change in the lower leg mechanics, corrections will be made through exercise to help change movement patterns and relieve the hip pain.
