Are you tired of suffering from hip or groin pain? At Total Motion Physical Therapy, we can diagnose the problem and design a rehabilitation program designed to help you get back to a pain-free life
Treatment Guide for Hip Osteoarthritis
Symptoms
Patients who experience hip and groin pain most often report pain throughout the upper thigh and knee, with the pain often most pronounced deep into the hip and groin area. Pain levels can vary from case to case, with some patients reporting stiffness, shooting pains or a dull ache in the affected areas. For most patients, these symptoms will get worse when walking or standing.
Causes of Hip Pain
The causes of hip problems and pain aren’t always easy to pinpoint right away. Most conditions develop as the result of a problem with the hip joint, such as a snapping hip, hip arthritis, or hip flexor strains. Hip pain can also be caused by a pelvis tendon injury or an overuse injury to the muscles that support the hip or other areas, such as the lower back and sciatic nerve or pelvic area. Here are some of the most common hip and groin conditions that we treat at Total Motion:
Hip Labral Tears
These types of injuries are very common with athletes, especially those who play football, soccer, hockey and other sports that require quick movements and frequent direction changes. Patients typically report the feeling of the hip joint catching, along with weakness and pain in the affected area. This is the result of small tears forming in the soft tissue ring around the hip socket, also known as the hip labral. When this type of injury is small enough, it can be treated with physical therapy exercises that are designed to strengthen the muscles that support the hip area. This encourages healing of the areas and greatly reduces hip pain.
Pelvic Pain
Most commonly affecting women, pelvic pain is often the results of pelvic floor disorders caused by childbirth. When the muscles of the pelvis are injured, they can lead to pain and embarrassing issues with incontinence. Luckily, the causes of pelvic pain and muscle strain can be easily treated with the right physical therapy exercises and treatments that can help strengthen the pelvic floor and improve your quality of life.
Groin Strains
Groin injuries are often the result of sudden movements that require a change in direction, like sprinting up and down a basketball court or a hard fall on the football field. When the hip abductor muscles or the adductor muscles become overstretched, you’ll feel a sharp pain in the inner thigh and hip areas that is accompanied by a sharp popping or pulling sensation. Groin strains can take weeks to heal, especially when patients continue with the activity that injured them in the first place. While most issues are resolved through time and rest, it’s important to learn how to avoid re-injuring the area. We use physical therapy exercises to not only stretch the groin muscles and get them moving again, but to help patients prevent future strains once they return to their favorite activities and chronic groin pain.
Resources
- Strengthening Your Hip Muscles – Some Exercises May Be Better Than Others
- Total Hip Replacement – How Long Does it Take to Recover
Hip Replacement Recovery
Hip replacement surgery is one cause of hip pain that absolutely requires physical therapy for recovery. Typically performed to help relieve hip joint pain caused by arthritis or osteoarthritis, it can take anywhere from 8-12 months to make a full recovery from hip surgery. Physical therapy can help relieve the pain associated with hip replacement surgery, by providing exercises that improve your range of motion, decrease post-op pain and help strengthen the hip and surrounding muscles. It can also help you get back to the activities you love the most such as hiking, golfing and tennis, without having to worry about injuring the affected area. Looking for help treating your hip and groin pain but don’t know where to start? Let Total Motion Physical Therapy restore your total function for a total life. Remember a referral may not be necessary. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.