Hip Pain

Anatomy

The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. It has a high degree of stability and range of motion.

The “acetabulum” is composed of 3 components of the hip bone; the ilium, ischium and pubis which merge together in a Y-shaped cartilage. 

The peripheral edge of the acetabulum is deepened by the acetabular “labrum” (a rim of fibrocartilage) which further enclose the femoral head.  The joint capsule attaches around the labrum and to the neck of the femur. The capsule is loose to allow movement but is extremely strong.  

Stability of the hip joint is enhanced by ligaments, including:

• ligament of the head of the femur (ligamentum teres) 

• the iliofemoral ligament

• pubofemoral ligament

• ischiofemoral ligament

How does hip pain present? 

Hip pain tends to affect certain age groups more commonly; the young (0 to 15 years old) 

and people over 45 years old.  Hip pain may present in the buttock, groin, inner thigh or sometimes the knee.  The pain can be dull or sharp. There may be associated stiffness, locking or catching of the joint. Pain may be worse lying on the affected side, or at night. The symptoms may be aggravated by prolonged standing, sitting or certain movements such as stepping out of a car or climbing stairs.  Hip pain may be acute, or chronic (lasting more than 3 months). 

Hip Conditions

There are several common conditions that affect the hip and muscles. However, it is important to exclude referred pain from the spine or other pathology which may require further investigation.  During your examination we assess your gait, posture, lower back, pelvis, hip, knee and ankle joints.   We use osteopathic, orthopaedic and neurological examination to determine a diagnosis for your symptoms.

The most common causes of hip pain that we see include: 

• Osteo-arthritis of the hip joint 

• Tendinopathy affecting the gluteus medius muscle insertion

• Trochanteric bursitis 

Osteopathic treatment aims to restore balance to your whole body, not just the symptomatic region.  We look to:

• increase mobility of the lumbar spine and hip joint

• decrease myofascial tension of the gluteal, piriformis and ilio-psoas muscles

• improve lymphatic drainage

• address strains of the pelvis, sacro-iliac and the lower limb joints

• restore balance and a sense of neutral to your whole body, allowing healthy function.

Depending on your diagnosis, we may recommend heat, ice or specific stretching and strengthening exercises to to help you manage your pain.