Hip pain keeps you from doing everyday activities like walking or climbing stairs. When you've got hip pain, it’s hard to get around and almost impossible to get everything done. The good news: with chiropractic care, you can get relief from hip pain symptoms, get moving and get back into life.

When should you seek out immediate care for hip pain?

If you hurt your hip in a bad accident or fall within the last week, you should seek medical help ASAP.  Also, if you can't walk on your leg, have a bump in your groin, or have pain or swelling in your testicles, it's important to get it checked out.

What makes your hip hurt?

The hip joint connects the thigh bone to the pelvis. This joint is essential for walking, running, sitting, and just about any other physical activity you perform. It’s also responsible for supporting the weight of your body. When your hip joint isn’t functioning properly, you experience pain, discomfort and difficulty doing just about anything.

Common hip pain causes

• Osteoarthritis: a degenerative joint disease caused by the wear and tear of cartilage
• Bursitis: inflammation of the bursae—small fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions between your bones, muscles and tendons
• Hip impingement (aka femoroacetabular impingement/FAI) happens when there is abnormal contact between the ball-and-socket joint of your hip
• SI joint pain, also known as sacroiliac joint pain, occurs when the sacroiliac joint, which connects your spine to your pelvis, becomes inflamed or misaligned
• Snapping hip syndrome: a snapping sensation or sound when you move your leg (often described as having your “hip pop”). It’s caused by tight muscles or tendons, or structural abnormalities in your hip joint
• Groin pain: discomfort or pain where your upper thigh meets your lower abdomen. It can be caused by muscle strains, hernias or hip joint problems
• Lower Cross Syndrome: lower back pain and hip discomfort resulting from an imbalance of overused and weakened muscles
• Hip instability: pain in your hips caused by muscle weakness or imbalances, or changes in the shape of your hip joint

How do chiropractors help with hip pain?

Our chiropractors use a variety of techniques to help manage hip pain.

We may make manual adjustments to your joints to make them move better and make sure they're in the right position. We might also perform soft tissue release to help relax your tight muscles.

We’ll likely give you advice on lifestyle changes, like avoiding certain movements that make your hip hurt, or changing habits that might have caused the problem in the first place.

We might also address problems in your nerves that can make the pain worse, and help ease your pain and make your body feel better overall.

How do chiropractors diagnose the cause of hip pain?

We’ll likely start by asking you questions about your health history and lifestyle, and do a physical examination. We may also perform orthopedic and neurological tests to assess your range of motion, strength, and hip joint reflexes. If we determine you need imaging, we’ll make the proper referral for an X-ray or MRI.

How long will it take for my hip to stop hurting with chiropractic care?

The length of time it will take for you to feel better will depend on the cause of your hip pain and how severe it is.

Some people get better quickly after just a few visits with us; others might need more treatment over a longer period of time. It depends on what's causing your hip pain, your overall health and age, and if you've had treatment before.

We can give you a better idea of how long it will take after we examine you and diagnose your condition.

Are you experiencing hip pain? 

Our chiropractic clinic in Aptos is here for you. Our team of chiropractors can help you manage your hip pain, regardless of the underlying cause. You can easily schedule your appointment online here.