The hip is the largest joint in the body. As a ball and socket joint with many layers of cartilage, ligaments, muscles, and tendons surrounding it, the hips are very mobile. Bones like the femur and pelvis and muscles like the glutes, psoas, and hamstrings all play a role in the health of the joint. Misalignment in the hip can cause the entire body to compensate, creating issues from head to toe, potentially sciatica, knee pain, lower back pain, and obviously pain in the hip itself.
Hip pain that is due to a joint misalignment cannot be corrected with painkillers or over-the-counter medications. The joint misalignment must be specifically addressed in order to restore function and alleviate pain. Chiropractors specialize in finding the root cause of the problem which is essential to understand when properly treating and managing your hip pain.
$59 Complete Chiropractic Health Screening For Hip Pain
$59 for a complete chiropractic health screening including a consultation, exam, X-rays if necessary, a report of findings, and a plan of action.
How Our Chiropractic Care Works
1. Get To The Root Cause
Schedule a time you can sit with a chiropractor who will take a thorough history and exam to find out the root cause of the problem
2. Customize A Plan Of Attack
The chiropractor will create a customized care plan to not only get you out of pain but work toward keeping you well long term.
3. Change Your Life
Start doing all the things you couldn’t do, or were afraid to try because of pain, and change your life for the better.
How We Treat Hip Pain in Belmar, NJ
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
A detailed history and consultation are so important to the efficacy of any hip pain treatment. At Kinney Chiropractor, we understand the importance of really listening to your problems so that we can fully understand the scope of the situation. We’ll perform chiropractic, function, orthopedic, and range of motion testing to get a full picture of the problem. Getting to the root of the problem is always the main goal.
Digital X-rays
We take state-of-the-art digital X-rays on-site to obtain the clearest images of what is going on with the hip. Visualizing the joints of the hip allows us to rule out other pathologies or degeneration. It’s important to know exactly what we’re dealing with before we start care. X-rays help us create the most effective hip treatment plan that will yield the best, fastest, and longest-lasting results.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Belmar, NJ
The hip joint is the largest in the body, responsible for covering a wide range of motion. Identifying the particular joint restriction or subluxation is so important. We use very specific adjustments to the hip to correct misalignments and maximize motion and function.
The many supporting tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and muscles that surround the hip joint require us to work with the soft tissue to address tension, strains, and sprains. Loosening up tight muscles to allow for proper motion is so important and a great complement to chiropractic adjustments.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
When we find that muscle weaknesses or imbalances are part of the problem, we provide specific exercises to support hip function. Strengthening the glutes and the hip flexors will protect the hips from future injuries. Sitting is the enemy of the gluteals and the hip flexors. Getting up and performing proper exercises throughout the day, especially if you are someone who sits all day for work, is critical to managing hip pain. We’ll work to strike the right balance between stability and mobility without over-emphasizing either one which could be detrimental and lead to more problems.
Common Causes of Hip Pain in Belmar, NJ
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis is a wear and tear disease that affects many joints, especially in those with an older spine, but it can also affect the cartilage and overall ball and socket joint of the hip. Osteoarthritis in the hip can result in pain, stiffness, tenderness, swelling, loss of flexibility, and sometimes bone spurring. Usually, arthritis is most prevalent in people who are over 50 years old or overweight. Old injuries to the hip, like untreated sports injuries or accidents, can certainly give rise to advanced osteoarthritis and repetitive stress. This is especially prevalent in patients who played sports or had a manual labor job. These activities can give rise to early-onset arthritis. Osteoarthritis cannot be reversed, but the symptoms can be managed with chiropractic care.
Tendinitis
Tendinitis is the thickening of the tendon in the joint area. It causes stiffness that restricts mobility of the hip joint and results in pain and swelling. Hip tendinitis can be the result of an acute injury or accident but is more likely from an occupational or sports-related repetitive movement. The RICE treatment, Rest Ice Compression Elevation, can provide much pain relief, though it can be difficult to treat the hip because it is so critical to everyday movements.
Muscle or Tendon Strain
Repetitive activity that puts strain on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments supporting the hip is also a common underlying problem in patients with hip pain. Overused, strained, or sprained muscles or tendons can become inflamed and specific stretches would need to be prescribed to address the tension limiting mobility and function of the joint.
Hip Labral Tear
A hip labral tear, when the cartilage that hugs the ball and socket joint tears, can be extremely painful. This is usually the result of trauma but is also prevalent among athletes. Contact sports, runners, weekend warriors, or those that decide to do a 5K with no training will experience labral tears. Because the hip labrum is so deep in the joint, orthopedists often turn to surgery to correct the issue. We always opt for a less invasive, natural approach to healthcare. Even though it’s painful, hip labral tears can be managed conservatively with chiropractic care and soft tissue work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I go to a chiropractor in Belmar, New Jersey for hip pain?
Yes, certainly! Our goal is to find out what the underlying problem is and the way to do that is by having a thorough exam, possibly with X-rays, to rule out any serious other hip pathology.
What happens when the hips are out of alignment?
When the hips are out of alignment, weight distribution is uneven and the body experiences stress unevenly. This can cause pain and dysfunction in one hip and not the other as that one hip is primarily responsible for the brunt of the workload.
What can a chiropractor do for hip arthritis?
We can certainly get better motion and movement in the hip and spine with chiropractic adjustments, mobilization, and soft tissue work. Unfortunately, a chiropractor can’t take away arthritis that’s already there, but we can certainly help to prevent it from getting worse.
Can uneven hips be fixed?
Yes, chiropractic adjustments do wonders to help fix unlevel or uneven hip joints.
How do I loosen my hip flexors?
Specific stretches are so important in helping loosen very tight hip flexors. We prescribe specific hip stretches when patients have hip flexor issues.
$49 Complete Chiropractic Health Screening For Hip Pain
$49 for a complete chiropractic health screening including a consultation, exam, X-rays if necessary, a report of findings, and a plan of action.