Hip Pain

The hip is the biggest of the joints of the body and is a major weight bearing joint. As such the hips are susceptible to several conditions that can cause pain. Physiotherapy at The Leeds Back Pain Centres can help overcome this pain.

The hip joint is a synovial (ball and socket) joint formed by the rounded head of the femur (thigh bone) and the cup-like acetabulum of the pelvis. This anatomy enables a large range of motion to the joint. Cartilage helps prevent friction between the femoral head and the acetabulum. Hip movement is controlled by several very powerful muscles attached to the bones.

The hip’s main function is to support the body in both static and dynamic postures. The hip joints are the most important part in retaining balance.

Possible Causes of Hip Pain

Some of the common conditions we see at the clinic for hip pain include:

• A groin strain – damage to the adductor muscles on the inside of the thigh
• Arthritis – wear and tear of the hip joint
• Labral Tears – damage to the ring of cartilage called the labrum that follows outs rim of the acetabulum
• Bursitis of the Hip – inflammation of the bursa(fat pad) due to friction
• Following hip replacement surgery
• Hip Injury due to participation in Sport

Assessment at The Leeds Back Pain Centre

An assessment for hip pain will include a detailed history of the onset of the pain including whether there was an injury. We assess the range of movement, muscle power and muscle length. We assess by gait assessment, looking for a limp or any altered biomechanics. If it is deemed helpful for diagnosis purposes we arrange a joint assessment with a podiatrist to look at the body as a whole.

Treatment for Hip Pain

Hip pain can be alleviated and prevented by maintaining flexibility and muscle tone around the hip joint.

Muscle Balance

This is improved through specially targeted exercises and soft tissue work to strengthen weak muscles or release tight muscles.

Mobilisation

Hands-on treatment can help restore the range of hip movement,refer to our podiatrist Jonathan Stanley for a biomechanical assessment.

Rehabilitation

After a hip operation physiotherapy can help increase range of movement.

If necessary we can refer patients with hip pain for imaging at the X-ray suite at the Clinic to aid diagnosis.