When you've got problems with your hips, you can’t move freely. You feel stuck, losing your ability to easily do what you love. When your hips aren't working, your ability to move independently becomes threatened: Walking, bending, or even standing can become a difficult challenge. 

A condition like hip instability takes away many of your basic functions. Chiropractic can help. 

With chiropractic care, you can regain your stability. You can move with confidence again. With proper treatment, you can stay active and enjoy life without fearing pain and dysfunction.

Hip Instability has quite a few causes. 

Hip instability can happen for many reasons, including: injuries and too much time spent sitting. Any lifestyle that causes muscle weakness or imbalance over time can cause hip instability. 

In some cases, the shape of your hip joint, or even changes from pregnancy can lead to symptoms of hip instability. 

We recently had a 90-year-old patient who came to us with significant weakness and pain in his hips. 

He had difficulty transitioning from sitting to standing, and his gait was unsteady. He walked with a noticeable shuffle and sway. 

His hip muscles were visibly smaller and weaker, making it hard for him to perform basic tasks like dressing or moving around his home. Having to rely on his partner for daily activities, he felt less confident from his lack of independence.

The symptoms of hip instability are dependent on the source of your hip dysfunction.

With hip instability, you might feel pain in the front, back, or side of your hip. 

Pain in the front of your hip is often linked to tight or overworked hip flexors, like the psoas muscle. 

Pain in the back of your hip could be your hamstrings or glute muscles struggling to do their job. 

Pain on the side of your hip often involves the IT band or smaller stabilizing muscles like the gluteus medius. 

How do chiropractors diagnose hip instability?

For our patient mentioned earlier, we looked for causes of his specific hip pain and weakness. 

We carefully assessed his ability to move and tested the strength of the muscles around his hips. 

We noticed that his hip muscles were weak and not firing properly. This weakness contributed to his instability and pain. 

Once we identified the specific areas causing his discomfort, we created a plan to help him regain strength and mobility.

Diagnosis of hip issues includes testing movement, strength, and stability. 

To figure out if hip instability is causing your problem, we start by looking at how you move. We'll also test the strength of the muscles around your hips. 

We’ll ask you to perform simple movements: bending, lifting, or rotating your leg. This helps us see where you might feel pain or stiffness. 

Next, we’ll test the muscles that support your hips—like your glutes, hip flexors, and hamstrings—to check for weakness or imbalances. 

We’ll also gently move your hip joint to feel for any snapping, clicking, or areas of tightness. 

If needed, we may recommend imaging like X-rays or MRIs to help us get a clearer picture, especially if your hip instability is severe or long-standing.

How do chiropractors diagnose hip instability?

For our older patient, we concluded that his hip instability was from muscle weakness and joint imbalances. 

We found that his hip muscles weren’t engaging properly, and his range of motion was limited. This explained his difficulty standing and walking. 

We developed his treatment plan to reduce his pain, increase his range of motion, and increase his strength.

Depending on the cause of your hip instability, we may use a combination of treatments to restore strength, stability, and proper movement. These could include:

• Chiropractic adjustments
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Activator adjustments
• Flexion-distraction therapy
• Kinesiotaping
• Pelvic blocking
• Progressive physical therapy exercises focused on stretching, mobilizing, and strengthening the affected areas

How does chiropractic work for hip instability?

After starting treatment, our older patient experienced significant improvements in his mobility and quality of life. 

Over time, he:

• Regained the ability to stand up and walk more confidently
• Experienced less pain and better stability
• Found daily activities, like getting dressed or moving around his home, manageable again
• Felt more independent and optimistic

His partner even shared with us how much happier and easier life became for both of them.

How well chiropractic works for you can depend on various factors, including the cause of your hip instability. When your needs are greater than the scope of our practice, we’re happy to refer you to other healthcare professionals we like and trust.

What’s the best self-care for hip instability?

Your long term wellness as a patient will come from taking care of your hips during and after treatment—it’s about creating habits that keep you moving well and feeling strong. 

Some new habits you may be advised to develop include:

• Committing to regular strength and conditioning exercises to maintain hip stability
• Adjusting your sitting or working posture to reduce strain
• Using an SI belt for stability
• Applying CBD topicals for pain relief
• Scheduling routine chiropractic care, weekly or bi-weekly, to keep your hips aligned

It’s also good to pay attention to early warning signs.

Pain, clicking, or difficulty balancing could mean you need to seek treatment before your life is radically affected. It’s always best to address small issues before they become big problems.

What happens if you don’t seek treatment for hip instability?

Problems that could develop over time include:

• Further degeneration of the joint capsule in your hip, restricting your movement even more
• Reduced mobility, making everyday tasks and activities harder 
• Increased friction in your hip joint, causing snapping sounds and sharp pain
• Impingement of tendons and ligaments, as they lose the space they need to move and function properly

Without treatment, these problems can build up, leading to chronic pain, a lower quality of life, and an increased risk of severe joint damage or injury.

When is it urgent to get care for hip problems?

There are signs that you should try to get help with your hips as soon as possible. 

These include:

• Difficulty moving your leg in a flexed, extended, or rotated position
• Everyday tasks, like bending down to pick something up or putting on pants or socks feels very difficult
• Snapping or clicking sounds in your hip joint become persistent and noticeable with every movement

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to seek care immediately to prevent further damage and get back to moving comfortably.

Having problems with your hips?

If you’re experiencing symptoms of hip instability, don’t wait to get the care you need. 

Our team of skilled chiropractors in Aptos is here to help you regain strength, stability, and confidence in your movements. 

You can easily schedule your appointment online at this link. 

Learn more about hip conditions that chiropractors treat.

Read Hip Pain and Chiropractic Care