Why am I having hip pain?
There are many reasons this could be happing!
Are you experiencing pain at the front of your hip or have trouble when squatting due to hip restriction?
The squat is the king of all exercises in its ability to build hip strength and power. Many individuals develop hip pain or tightness making squatting very difficult. The hip is a complex joint, and it relies on the surrounding muscles for stability. If these muscles are tight, they can pull on the hip joint and cause pain.
The hip joint or femoroacetabular joint, is a large ball-and-socket joint that connects the femoral head to the acetabulum, or the thighbone to the pelvic bone. This allows for a high degree of hip mobility. This joint is held together by ligaments and muscles and is protected by a layer of cartilage. When you squat, these structures must work together to support your weight and keep the joint stable.
Although this ball-and-socket joint is able to move in all directions, the hip is broken down into six movements: flexion, internal rotation, adduction, extension, external rotation and abduction.
Our butt or glute muscles are responsible for extending, abducting, and externally rotating the hip. Our hip flexors and adductors are responsible for flexing, internally rotating the hip and bringing our leg back to the midline.
Limitations in these movements cause symptoms that feel or look like groin pain, clicking, locking, limited range, pinching and inability to weight bare.
Why may you be having hip pain??
Despite the hip joint having great durability, it is not invincible.
Hip pain is caused by many different factors both genetic, lifestyle and/or caused by a traumatic event.
Some causes of hip pain include:
Falls are one of the common ways the older generation can injury their hip, and in some cases, fracture. As we age, our bones are not as strong, and it is common when we age to break bones when having a fall.
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are amongst the common causes of hip pain. Arthritis leads to inflammation within the hip joint leading to the breakdown of the cartilage that cushions the hip. This often causes individuals to have stiffness and reduced range.
Bursitis is commonly brought on by repetitive activities overworking that joint. Bursitis are sacs of liquid found within the bones and tendons, when inflamed they can cause a lot of pain.
One common cause of hip pain is tight hip flexors. Tight hip flexors can be a bony or muscular pain causing the femoral head to shift forward. When this is shifted forward, it causes our hip flexors to tighten, glute-based exercises will need encouraged to reset the humeral head.
Here are just a few of the common causes of hip pain.
Please contact your local Physiotherapist, who will assess your hip deficits and tailor your rehabilitation program to help improve your pain and mobility.
Katelyn Lynch – Physiotherapist