Hip Physical Therapy Rehab Exercises

If you’re struggling with hip pain and limited mobility, you’re not alone. According to a study in Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 1 in 4 adults will develop symptomatic hip osteoarthritis in their lifetime.

While there’s no cure for hip pain, physical therapy can be an effective way to manage a variety of symptoms to improve your quality of life. It is one of many treatment options but includes strengthening exercises you can do at home to keep your hips in good shape.

We will share some of the best hip physical therapy exercises for hip pain, so you can develop an effective exercise program to treat hip pain.

Causes Of Hip Pain

There are many potential causes of hip pain. It could be because of a hip injury, arthritis, pelvic tilt, or even something as simple as tight muscles.

Arthritis is one of the most common causes of hip pain. Arthritis is a condition that causes joint pain and inflammation. Many different types of arthritis exist, such as rheumatoid arthritis, but osteoarthritis is the most common type affecting the hip. It’s the result of wear and tear of the cartilage that cushions the joint.

Another common cause of hip pain is muscle strain or injury. The hips are a ball and socket joint supported by a group of muscles called the hip flexors. These muscles can become weak or tight from overuse, leading to hip joint pain.

Other causes of hip pain include:

• Hip bursitis (inflammation in the fluid-filled sacs called bursa that protect the hip joint)

• Tendonitis

• Pelvic floor issues

• Labral tears

• Nerve impingement (also called pinched nerve, causes a burning-type pain because of pressure from nerves)

• Femoroacetabular impingement (or hip impingement)

Your lower back and hips work together and depend on one another. Issues with one area may cause problems in the other. If you have tight hip muscles, your body may engage in compensatory motions that lead to lower back pain.

One way to tell that the pain is related to your hip, rather than your back, is if you feel groin pain.

Understanding The Hip Muscles

The hip muscles are responsible for moving the thigh and leg. The muscles in the front of the hip are called the iliopsoas and attach to the thigh and pelvic bone. They help to flex the thigh and lift it forward.

The muscles in the back of the hip are called the gluteus Maximus and attach to the thigh and pelvic bone. They help to extend the thigh and lift it backward. The gluteus medius helps to rotate the hip. The gluteus minimus helps to rotate and stabilize the hip. The piriformis muscle assists in hip rotation and abduction.

Benefits of Physical Therapy

Hip strengthening exercises bring the area relief and are a great way to combat recurrent pain, whether it be arthritic pain or acute hip pain from excessive exercise. Also, Hip strengthening exercises bring the area relief and are a great way to combat recurrent pain. With strength training, you will learn to move easier. Hip pain is a complicated complaint that can be caused by a variety of things but learning how to strengthen your hips correctly will go a long way towards bringing you much-needed abatement.

Understanding Hip Pain

Most refer to the hip joint as the ‘ball and socket’ because of the way that the round head of the thigh Most refer to the hip joint as the ‘ball and socket’ because of the way that the round head of the thigh bone is cupped within the pelvic bone. Ligaments and muscles hold the large joint in place. Sadly, the joint is often struck by osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, but there are ways to protect the joints by strengthening the muscles to create a firm foundation. Also, you might not know your hip is what controls your leg and knee. If you have knee pain, then you might favor the leg and place extra strain on the hip which can lead to hip joint pain as it strives to compensate.

Physical Therapy Stretches and Exercises for Hip Pain

Warm-ups are crucial for helping to slowly prepare your body for the workout ahead and prevent excessive pain. The blood flow increases to your muscles, your joints become looser, and your heart rate increases. Skipping warm-ups could make your hip pain worse in the long run.

As with any workout, your goal is strength training to build strong, dependable muscles. Performing exercises for hip pain improves not only your muscles but also your hip joint which might prevent the need for hip replacements as you age.

Here is a list of simple exercises and common stretches for patients with hip pain that can be done at home as part of your private exercise routine. Each exercise is easy to perform and helps build muscle while combating discomfort. You won’t feel like you must jump through hoops to find relief because the various simple stretches are easy to perform and doable for any age.

If you start to feel intense pain during any of these workouts, that means you’re going too far. None of these workouts should cause persistent pain. If you feel sudden pain during flexibility exercises, stop and check in with your doctor. Always pay attention to your pain levels.

How PT Can Help Hip Pain

Physical therapy treatment can help to treat people with hip pain and improve their hip mobility. A physical therapist helps you stretch and strengthen the muscles around your hip joint and knee joint. They can also help you with home exercises targeting a variety of muscle groups that will improve your loss of range of motion and help to relieve pain.

With the help of therapy for hip pain, you should be able to return to your normal daily activities. You may find that you have less pain when you perform daily hip functions like walking or climbing stairs.

Rehab Exercises and Stretches for Hip Pain

These exercises and stretches should not cause intense pain, but if they do, stop performing them and speak with your physical therapist. Some of the best hip stretches and exercises for chronic hip pain include:

Hip Flexor Stretch

This is an effective way to stretch your hip flexor muscles and quadriceps for pain relief. If you have movement difficulties, keep a chair nearby for additional stability.

Single-Leg Bridges

This challenging move targets your glutes, hamstring muscles, and core muscles and can be done anywhere without equipment.

Relieving Hip Pain

For effective pain relief, focus on strengthening the muscles around your hip. This will help support your joint and take some pressure off it. You can do strength-training exercises a few times per week. Aim for at least 10 minutes of motion exercises every day.

How Do I Get Started With Physical Therapy For Hip Pain?

Getting started with a physical therapy program involves getting a referral from your primary care provider. Once you meet with your physical therapist, you’ll get assessed and receive a set of stretching exercises to help improve functional mobility. Physical therapy is an important part of your journey toward pain relief, so it’s important that it’s done correctly and with a doctor’s guidance. 

For more information on stretching and exercise, please click at the link here.

Dr. Kristina DeMatas https://sportydoctor.com/