According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, more than 285,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States. As many as 60 percent of patients who opt for hip replacement surgery will end up with clots in the deep veins, clots which pose a serious risk of death or disability. More conservative, cutting edge options for your hip pain are available.
Hip complaints are a big reason people seek medical help and our office sees its share of patients suffering from some type of hip pain. A majority of hip pain results from recent or past injuries such as falls, sports injuries and motor vehicle accidents. Patients that suffer from acute or chronic hip pain don’t always have isolated direct hip involvement; in fact, rarely the hip joint itself is not the main contributor of the pain. Narrowing disc space in the low back and areas like lumbosacral joint, sacroiliac regions, piriformis muscle and bursas cause pain. If these secondary areas are ignored, total resolution of the pain in unlikely.
Anatomy of the Hip
The hip joint is a ball and socket joint much like the shoulder. The ball portion is made up of the top of the thighbone and the socket is formed by an area of the pelvis called the acetabulum. Within the joint is a ring of cartilage called the labrum. This surrounds the acetabulum and provides a smooth surface and forms a fluid seal for proper joint lubrication. Muscles, ligaments and tendons are responsible for keeping the joint stable and functioning pain free.
What causes hip pain? Hip pain can be the result of a number of injuries or conditions. Some of the specific conditions that affect the hip include the following:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis also known as “degenerative joint disease” is one of the most common causes of hip pain in elder adults. Arthritis means “joint inflammation.” Inflammation and injury to the joint causes a breakdown of the ring of cartilage discussed earlier and eventually, your cortical bone that lies under the cartilage rubs together producing pain, swelling, decreased painful range of motion and at times deformity. Some risk factors such as being overweight, age, improperly treated injuries, muscle weakness and poor biomechanics increase your chances of developing hip osteoarthritis.
Bursitis
A bursa is a saclike structure between the skin and bone or between tendons, ligaments and bone. Bursae line by synovial tissue which produces fluid that lubricates and reduces friction between these structures. Often these bursas can become inflamed, producing pain and swelling, leading to a condition known as Bursitis. Bursitis of the hip is a very common cause of hip pain.
Sciatica
Sciatica hip pain is an excruciating and often times debilitating condition that millions of people suffer from each year. Hip pain from sciatica is extremely common. The sciatic nerve begins in the lower back and runs through the buttock and hip to the foot. Several spinal disorders can produce nerve compression creating pain into the hip region with spinal stenosis and disc compression being the most common.
Conservative, Cutting Edge Treatments
After a proper diagnosis, treatment aims at restoring function to the area that is producing the hip pain. Multiple cutting edge treatments include non-surgical spinal decompression, class IV laser therapy, Neurophysiologic rehabilitation and chiropractic manipulations.
Decompression of the lumbar spine specifically L2-L3 restores appropriate nerve flow by slowly lengthening and decompressing the spinal segments.
Laser therapy is a medical breakthrough therapeutic device with unparalleled applications and treatment outcomes. The Laser works by converting light into biochemical energy, resulting in normal cell function, which causes symptoms (PAIN) to disappear. Laser is placed directly over the hip region. This reduces pain and inflammation.
Performing specific neurophysiologic rehabilitation of the part of the brain that controls muscle tone of the hip flexors and extensors helps to create long lasting stability.
Lastly, chiropractic manipulation of the sacroiliac and hip joints can aid in restoring proper biomechanics and hip motion.
Dr. Travis Lamperski is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. Dr. Lamperski opened Palm Beach Chiropractic & Rehabilitation in 2016. The conditions treated range from orthopedic injuries such as lumbar disc herniations and shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis to Personal Injury cases. Reach the office at 561-708-5700 and at ChiroPalmBeach.com.
