Hip pain can be frightening, conjuring images of invasive hip replacement surgery. But the good news is, there are numerous causes of hip pain, and most can be resolved without a hip replacement. Hip pain treatment that is non-invasive has been proven to alleviate the pain and discomfort.

What Causes Hip Pain?

The hip is one of the most important joints in the body for mobility, and so our hips need to move properly for us to be able to stabilize and engage our core muscles such our abductors and gluteus maximus. Strong and healthy hips also allow us to distribute our weight whether we’re sitting, walking, bending or twisting.

The most common cause of hip pain is osteoarthritis, which is when the joint slowly deteriorates with age. The deterioration causes the protective cartilage to break down, and the bones rub together.

Hip bursitis, which is when the bursa surrounding the head of the femur becomes irritated, causes hip pain.

Overuse injuries, either through strenuous activities such as sports, or repetitive motions like you’d find in a manual labor job, can cause hip pain. Muscle imbalance or weakness in the legs or core muscles can cause the hip to work harder leading to pain. A sudden accident such as a fall can lead to broken bones, ligament strain, or muscle spasms.

Sometimes, hip pain is actually a reaction to an injury elsewhere. A herniated disc in the spine, or spinal stenosis, for example, can cause pain to radiate through the hip. Serious knee issues can also cause hip pain.

How is Hip Pain Treated?

More than 300,000 Americans have hip replacement surgery every year, but it’s a significant procedure with a long and arduous recovery. And most conditions that cause hip pain can successfully be treated without a hip replacement.

Chiropractors believe that many painful conditions are caused a misalignment somewhere in the body. A full medical examination to determine the cause is the first step in hip pain treatment in Garden City, MI.

Your chiropractor will determine a course of treatment that will include chiropractic adjustments, which numerous studies have shown to be effective in relieving hip pain. Hands-on adjustments of the spine and the hip joint correct any misalignment that is causing pain, relieving pressure and inflammation on nerves and other affected tissue in the lower back and hip.

Chiropractic care will also include prescribing stretches and strengthening exercises that will correct any imbalances and prevent the pain from worsening. Chiropractic care is personalized because each patient is different. Chiropractors are not just treating the symptoms, but are correcting the cause of the hip pain, and so will design a treatment plan specifically for you.