How Physical Therapy Tackles Hip Pain
You want to take care of some chores or go for a walk — but hip pain is keeping you on the couch. If this sounds familiar, know that you don’t have to suffer! At Advantage Physical Therapy, our physical therapists will guide you through a simple process to address your hip pain so you can get active again.
This newsletter will take you through that process, from understanding your symptoms to the outcomes you can expect from physical therapy. Still have questions? Call us to schedule an appointment!
Pinpoint Your Symptoms
There are several potential reasons why someone might develop hip pain. To treat your pain effectively, we need to pinpoint what that cause could be.
When you visit us for your initial appointment, one of the first things we’ll do is ask you to share your symptoms. “Hip pain” often causes a lot more than just pain, and being able to describe your pain, mobility limitations, and other concerns helps us get a clearer picture of your condition.
For example, you know that your hip hurts. But when do you experience pain (i.e., during activity)? Does your pain come and go? Where do you experience pain? Is it just in your hip, or do you feel it elsewhere? Is the pain a dull ache? Sharp and shooting?
Make sure to share additional symptoms you might be experiencing, too. Here are some common ones:
- Difficulty performing everyday tasks, such as putting on your shoes — and let us know which ones
- Stiffness/limited range of motion in your hip
- Weakness throughout the lower extremities
- Mobility issues, including walking, going up or down stairs, or struggling to stand up
Identify a Cause and Develop a Treatment Plan
Thanks to your detailed symptom description — as well as a health history and comprehensive physical exam — your therapist should be able to determine the underlying cause of your hip pain.
If you’re 55 or older, there’s a good chance your hip pain stems from osteoarthritis. This degenerative condition causes cartilage and bone tissue to break down, leading to pain and restricted mobility.
However, hip pain can also stem from an injury. If you’re an athlete or particularly active person, you may have suffered an acute injury, such as a labral tear, in which a ring of cartilage in the hip socket becomes damaged. You may have also sprained your hip — that is, damaged the ligaments that hold the joint together.
However, even if you haven’t had an obvious injury, an injury could still be to blame. Overuse injuries are injuries that develop gradually and, in the hip, generally affect the soft tissue — your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They usually occur due to repetitive movements or improper biomechanics.
Your treatment plan will vary based on the underlying cause of your pain, but in most cases, we aim to…
- Help manage acute pain with manual therapy, modalities, or gentle stretches.
- Improve mobility and range of motion through targeted stretches and exercises.
- Build strength in the muscles surrounding the hip to support the joint.
- Restore your ability to perform everyday movements, such as going upstairs — and for the athletes, we’ll help restore your ability to perform sport-specific movements.
Patient Success Story
“Before PT my knee was very sore and walking was difficult – almost impossible. I am now walking normally and walking on hills.”
– Helen
What’s A HEP — And Why Is It So Important to Your Success?
HEP stands for “home exercise program.” If you’re undergoing physical therapy with Advantage Physical Therapy, there’s a good chance your therapist will prescribe one to you.
It’s important to note that a HEP isn’t the same as an at-home workout program. With an at-home workout, your goal is general fitness. A HEP consists of curated exercises to help you achieve your rehabilitation goals.
We understand that an exercise routine can sometimes be difficult to work into a busy lifestyle. Therefore, we design our HEPs to be as straightforward as possible, with…
- Exercises you’ve done before
- A small time commitment
- Strategies for managing pain, if needed
However, we also want to make sure you understand why we prescribe a HEP at all! In fact, a HEP has multiple benefits:
- It improves outcomes: Patients who complete their prescribed HEP experience faster and more effective rehabilitation.
- It improves muscle memory: This means movements will become easier, and you’ll be able to more easily incorporate additional exercises during your in-clinic sessions.
- It helps develop a good habit: Even after you recover, regular physical activity is essential for good health. By completing your HEP, you get into the habit of moving daily.
In short, a HEP is a small way to make big changes! And if you think you might benefit from a personalized HEP, call us to schedule a consultation.
Understand Your Outcomes
As with treatments, your exact outcomes will vary based on the underlying cause. However, other factors can come into play, too, such as age, health status, and the amount of time you can spend with physical therapy (whether in the clinic or performing home exercise programs).
For example, osteoarthritis has no cure, but you can manage your symptoms with regular physical activity. If you stick with your prescribed exercise program, you can minimize pain, slow the progression of your condition, and delay or even avoid surgery.
If you suffered an injury, you likely will be able to resolve your hip pain, usually within 1-3 months. However, if your injury was severe, full rehabilitation — the point at which you’ve fully restored strength and function — may take longer. Continuing any prescribed exercises is important even if you no longer feel pain.
Start Your Own Journey to Hip Pain Relief Today
No matter the reason for your hip pain, the physical therapists at Advantage Physical Therapy will guide you toward lasting relief. Call us today to schedule an appointment to get started!
Upcoming FREE Workshops!
Mark your calendar for our upcoming workshops. Click below or call the clinic today to reserve your spot in one of our upcoming workshops.
How To Have a Great Summer–PT Style!
The days are getting longer, the air is getting warmer, and school is winding down. That means one thing: summer is on its way! Here are some tips to ensure a healthy summer for you and your family:
- Drink plenty of water. While you should strive to stay hydrated all year round, it’s particularly important in warmer weather.
- Ease back into summer activities gradually: Whether you’re hitting the pool more frequently or taking more evening walks thanks to the later sunsets, avoid doing too much too soon. Start slow, don’t push too hard, and remember to warm up first.
- Don’t skip your PT sessions. We know summer’s busy. But keeping up with your physical therapy will help you stay active and pain-free throughout the season–and beyond!
Ready to make the most of the summer months? Schedule an appointment with Advantage Physical Therapy today!
Are You Fit for Duty?
Have you recently recovered from an injury and deciding whether or not it’s time to return to work? If so, our Fit for Duty program at Advantage Physical Therapy can help you determine if it is the right time. As stated by WorkSTEPS, “Return to work programs, designed to facilitate speedy returns to productivity for employees after workplace injuries, are quickly becoming the standard in American companies.”
Before an employee returns to work following an injury, illness, surgery, or extended absence, you want to assess their ability to return to their old position and safely perform the essential functions of their job. WorkSTEPS functional return-to-work Fit for Duty testing is scientific and objective, and focuses only on the injured part(s) of the body used in essential job-specific tasks. If you are unsure about your abilities to return back to your normal daily demands, a Fit for Duty program can help you figure out what may be holding you back, and will help get you back on the right track to returning to your job.
