Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the hip can vary. Your first sign may be a bit of discomfort and stiffness in your groin, buttock or thigh when you wake up in the morning. Commonly, there is a gradual increase of pain over the side of the hip into the groin, with pain down the front of the thigh and into the knee joint. Loss of muscle strength and mobility is often seen, resulting in difficulty running or even walking. It is common to see a, so called, flexion fixture of the hip, resulting in a very characteristic limp with the person unable to extend the thigh back.
Your Hip Pain Could Be “Referred Pain”
Often what patients describe as “hip pain” may actually derive from a different part of the body. Some patients that experience pain in the lower back and hips may actually be suffering from dysfunction of the sacroiliac joints, or the joints that connect the sacrum to the iliac bones. Pain in the groin and hip can also be a result of a hernia, when the abdominal wall is torn or weakened.
One of the more common types of referred pain is sciatica, or inflammation or irritation of the sciatic nerve. This can result from conditions like disc herniation, spinal degeneration, narrowing of the spine due to osteoarthritis, or Piriformis syndrome. Irritation of the nerve root can cause pain the in low-back, buttocks, hips, as well as radiating leg pain.
Treatment for Hip Pain in Augusta GA
Depending on the cause of your hip pain, customized treatments at Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic could help.
Multiple studies have found that chiropractic adjustments are effective in relieving sciatica, a common cause of pain in the hip and lower back. In a study comparing the efficacy of chiropractic to surgery for sciatica, 60% of chiropractic patients with severe sciatica had substantially improved symptoms that enabled them to avoid surgery. Cases studies have also suggested that chiropractic can relieve pain associated with sacroiliac joint dysfunction and Piriformis syndrome, which both frequently result in hip pain.
Many patients with hip osteoarthritis (HOA) have also benefited from chiropractic care. In one study, 83% of HOA patients improved after receiving chiropractic care. Here at Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic we have successfully treated patients with various types of hip pain through our customized treatments. To find our if our specialized, hip pain-specific treatments are right for you, call us today or use our online request for a complimentary consultation.
The Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic Blog is written by Dr. Mark Huntsman.
Augusta GA Chiropractor Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic provides customized chiropractic care to the Augusta GA, Martinez GA, and Evans GA communities. Visit our main website at www.georgia-clinic.com for customized chiropractic in Augusta GA.
Choose several options to schedule your appointment: call (706) 814-5053, use our online voicemail, or use our online form.