Chiropractic Care Can Help With Hip Pain

Sharp and nagging joint pain can be very distressing.  Hip pain can be especially exhausting because you are constantly putting stress on the hip joint while walking, standing, lying or sitting.  Fortunately, chiropractic care can provide welcome non-invasive relief.

The hip joint is entrusted with a lot of work. This ball-and-socket joint composed of bone, cartilage, ligaments, muscles and an outer sac called the bursa must support your weight while also providing full range of motion for all kinds of positions and activities. This constant workload also makes it inherently prone to injury, disease and age-related wear and tear. Pain in this joint may be caused by a variety of issues such as:

• Osteoarthritis - One of the most common joint problems, osteoarthritis occurs when the cushioning cartilage within the joint thins out and deteriorates.
• Injuries - An auto accident injury or sports injury can cause acute dislocation and tissue damage. Repetitive motion injuries develop over time when excessive stress is constantly placed on the joint.
• Spinal stenosis - Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the protective canal around the spinal cord. This narrowing can pinch nerve tissue, sending pain signals into the hip.
• Sciatica - Another form of referred pain, sciatica occurs when a herniated disc pinches the sciatic nerve that runs through the hip and leg.
• Piriformis syndrome - This form of sciatic nerve impingement is caused by pressure from the piriformis muscle in the buttock.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help You

Chiropractic care can address many of the problems listed above by correcting spinal misalignments that cause or worsen hip pain. For example, chiropractic adjustments that correct your balance can relieve uneven hip joint stress, slowing the progress of osteoarthritis and making you less prone to hip injuries. Spinal adjustments can also guide herniated discs back toward their normal orientation, relieving sciatica and spinal stenosis pain.

Other natural treatments complement chiropractic care beautifully for the treatment of hip pain. If you suffer from muscle strain or other soft tissue pain in your hip area, Dr. Ringer may prescribe massage therapy to take away tightness, relieve inflammation and speed the healing process. This therapy can also play an important supportive role in helping you control hip pain without drugs or surgery. Gentle stretches and other corrective exercises can rehab damaged tissues safely and effectively. Arthritis sufferers can gain relief from an exercise program designed to keep the hip joint as flexible and healthy as possible. Get "hip" to our natural solutions by calling Dr. Ringer at (209) 835-2225 for more information!