By Matthew Enright AP – Parkland, Florida – Hip pain is a familiar condition with the American population. It affects women more than men. Though it affects a lot of people all across the US, hip pain can be effectively treated using acupuncture. Acupuncture can effectively reduce inflammation, spasm and pain in and around the hip joint and is safe and painless. Here is some information to help you understand hip pain and what causes it as well as the common ways to treat it:
Hip pain involves any pain in or around the hip joint. You may not feel pain from your hip directly over the hip area. You may feel it in your groin or pain in your thigh or knee. Hip pain may be caused by problems in the bones or cartilage of your hip or as a result of issues in your low back.
Most common causes of hip pain
Arthritis – It commonly affects people with osteoarthritis. The ball and socket joint at the hip wears over time as we get older, causing severe pain. The swelling and stiffness of the joint causes the pain to be felt at the front of the thigh or the groin, which is a result of stiffness and swelling at the joint.
Hip fracture – Aging women will commonly experience this problem. Bone density reduces with age, which makes the person more predisposed to fractures. A hip fracture will typically cause pain when you stretch your legs, walk or stand. The fracture can also give your toes the appearance of turning outside, a sign that many doctors check when you go for treatment.
Hernia – It is also referred to as a sports hernia; it is a medical condition that causes chronic pain at the frontal hip especially for women. Pregnant women often have an inguinal hernia, which comes about due to over stretching of the abdominal walls.
Tendonitis and Bursitis – The hip area has tendons that connect muscles to the hip joint. These usually get inflamed due to overuse. Runners often experience hip pain due to iliotibial band syndrome, also known as IT Band, which is a thick bridge of tissue extending from the outer pelvis to the lateral side of the knee.
Gynecological issues – Endometriosis can also cause hip pain. This is a condition where the uterine lining grows abnormally.
Symptoms of hip pain or injury
You will find one of the major joints in the body at the hip. The hip joint is made up of ligament, muscle, bone and cartilage and lubricating fluid. Hip pain is not easy to describe and most patients just report having a painful hip. The location, intensity, frequency and description of the pain can vary depending on cause. Such pain can be felt in the groin, buttock area, above the trochanter or even in the knee. Patients typically experience;
- Stiff muscles
- Spasm
- Limping
- Stabbing, throbbing or aching which may extend to the legs, lower back and the groin
- Pain can worsen when sitting or walking for long periods or in the morning
- Difficulty and stiffness when moving the hip joint
Treating hip pain with Western medical technologies
Treating hip pain usually starts with the practitioner performing a physical examination. There are a number of ways through which the doctor can assess the severity of your hip pain;
- Arthrogram
- Bone scan
- X-ray
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Once the condition is fully assessed, the doctor recommends a number of treatment approaches including:
- Medication – pain killers such as opioids, steroidal anti-inflammatory medications NSAIDs can be used to alleviate hip pain.
- Physical therapy – low-impact exercising, stretching, yoga and core training are the most used techniques in reducing the symptoms of hip pain.
- Surgery – It is only recommended when all options have been used with little or no success
Treating hip pain with acupuncture
A lot of patients are seeking alternative ways to treat pain in various parts of the body and acupuncture is one of the most commonly used options. A form of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture has been used for centuries to treat a host of illnesses, especially pain. When it comes to hip pain, acupuncture has proven to be an effective means of treatment that reduces symptoms and in most cases resolves the problem completely.
Acupuncture is administered by inserting sterile acupuncture needles just below the skin at specific points known as acupuncture points. The therapy has been shown to help patients of chronic pain heal naturally. Acupuncture for hip pain helps facilitate blood flow, reduces inflammation at the joint, reduces spasms in the muscle surrounding the joint, and also has an analgesic pain relieving effect.
Have you tried everything to treat your hip pain? You should consider having a session at our Parkland Florida wellness center and see what results it brings. Patients who want to avoid going for surgery are strongly advised to try acupuncture as a non-invasive way to treat their pain. Dr. Enright has been offering relief to patients suffering from chronic pain for years, including hip pain. You can also get the relief you so desire by simply asking for free consultation from us. Take advantage of the offer and you will be happy you did. Our office serves the residents of Parkland, Florida.