Suffering hip and groin pain in Caloundra?

Do your hips click? Do you find it difficult to squat right down because of hip or groin pain? Caloundra Sportscare physiotherapist Scott Russell may have the answer for you. He has recently attended a symposium on hip injuries and following are some interesting points that were covered during the symposium.

Hip pain and Labral Tears

The hip and pelvic complex is an important region of the body and one that commonly causes pain.  The structure of the joint involves a ball (formed by the top of the thigh bone) and a socket (formed by the pelvis) which allows movement of the leg.  During our daily lives this area transmits forces between the upper body and the lower limb – if this area is not performing correctly then the structures around the hip joint can be injured.

One common structure that is damaged is the labrum – the cartilage lining of joint.  Symptoms of a labral injury include pain at the front of the hip and/or groin, clicking, and difficulty with sitting, squatting, walking and running.

When hip pain occurs without an acute injury (eg. car accident or fall) there is often a dysfunction in hip/pelvic complex which is placing undue strain on the hip labrum.  These include:

• Incorrect posture – those who slump their shoulders and tighten their buttocks in standing are prone to hip pain – think Mr. Burns from the Simpsons
• Tightness in the buttock region – when there is hypertonicity (also known as tightness or knots) in the buttock area it forces the hip to slide forward in the joint causing pain.
• Instability – weakness of the ligaments and/or muscles deep in the hip joint also allow the hip to slide forwards in the hip joint
• Poor movement patterns – movements such as squatting, standing and walking all require hip movement and if not performed correctly can result in hip pain.Examples include mothers who nurse children on one hip and those that walk/run with toes pointed outwards.

Assessment by a physiotherapist is crucial to address these problems as treatment must be individualised to each patient’s issues and goals.  Our physiotherapists can address your hip pain using techniques to release tight muscles and stiff joints and also provide instruction on exercises to improve posture, increase strength and correct movement patterns.