Over 51 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. If you count yourself among the millions of people who suffer from chronic hip pain, movement and even sitting still can be painful, even debilitating, wreaking havoc on your quality of life.
Finding relief, especially when you don’t want to depend on narcotics and prescription medications, can be frustrating, but is there really an alternative? Brian Murphy, DC, MS, and the chiropractic specialists at Stamford Spine in Stamford, Connecticut say yes. You don’t have to suffer. Chiropractic adjustments can help.
Common causes of chronic hip pain
Sources of hip pain, include:
- Degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis
- Swelling and inflammation in the hip joint or the ligaments and tissue around the joint
- Wear-and-tear on the cartilage around the hip joint
- Injuries and trauma like fractures, strains, and strains
No matter the reason for your hip pain, our team can provide an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Hip pain and sciatica
Sometimes, hip pain is a symptom of an underlying condition like sciatica. The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the human body and runs through your buttock and hip on each side. For many sciatica sufferers, the condition manifests as radiating pain that moves along the length of the sciatic nerve with numbness in the leg or shooting pain in the hip.
Sciatica is a common condition affecting about 40% of the general population. Bone spurs and herniated discs are the most common causes of sciatica. Although anyone can get sciatica, the risk of developing sciatica increases with age and is more common among patients who are overweight or obese, live a sedentary lifestyle, or whose work requires repetitive twisting of their back.
Why hip pain can be so life-changing
If you or someone you know suffers from hip pain, it can change your ability to live a full-productive life, but why is that? After all, it’s not like it’s back or neck pain.
While it’s true that 60-80% of adults in the United States will experience back pain, and 20-70% will have neck pain, your hip joint plays a key role in enabling movement. The hip joint is a ball and socket joint that facilitates movement in almost every direction.
It also holds the distinction of being one of the largest joints in the body. When your hip joint is healthy, it gets a constant workout by creating pain-free movement that helps you maintain balance and supports your weight.
Chiropractic adjustments can help
Regardless of the underlying cause of your hip pain, chiropractic care can help you get relief. Treatment goals include:
- Increase mobility
- Strengthen weakened muscles
- Reduce inflammation
- Relax tense muscles
An appointment at our practice begins with a physical examination and a review of your medical and family history. Our team assesses this information to identify the root cause of your hip pain and develop a treatment plan.
How treatment works
For many patients, the best treatment strategy is a holistic plan. Chiropractic care is often beneficial since it leverages the body’s natural healing power to relieve pain and inflammation, restore balance, and provide the ultimate reset.
Chiropractic care can also complement other treatment options in an integrative treatment plan that includes massage therapy and rehabilitative exercise, stretches, and coordinated care with other physicians.
If you suffer from hip pain, book an appointment with us at Stamford Spine to learn how we can help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment, and take the first step on your journey to feeling more like yourself again.