Hip Pain

There are many reasons why a person can have hip pain. The following are common diagnoses that humans may encounter during their life. While having a diagnosis like this can be helpful, they do not give the reason the pain started. Having a movement assessment to see if the hip is being overloaded for one reason or another should always be the first place to start.

Osteoarthritis is the gradual wearing away of the hip joint cartilage due to inflammation inside the joint. This can have many different causes ranging from repetitive overuse of the hips or lack of movement to other conditions that weaken the cartilage. The pain from osteoarthritis can be found at many different locations including the thigh, glutes, knee, or groin.
Bursitis- The bursa is a fluid-filled sac that helps reduce friction between moving tissues of the body. The Trochanteric bursa which is found on the outside of the hip usually causes pain and tenderness on the outer hip or thigh. When the muscles and tendons over the bursa are not able to slide very well, the bursa becomes swollen and may cause pain.
Labral tear- The labrum is a ring of cartilage around the rim of the hip joint socket. The labrum acts like a gasket to hold the head of the femur (ball of the thighbone) within the hip socket. When the hip joint is not centrated, meaning the muscle tension around the hip is not balance, will cause more pressure in specific areas of the labrum. This extra pressure will cause fraying or deterioration of the labrum.
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)- FAI is an extra bone growth on either/both femur (thigh bone) or acetabulum (socket holds the head of the femur). There are three types of impingement one can find.
Pincer deformity- Extra bone that protrudes from the acetabulum. This piece of bone can put extra pressure on the labrum of the hip.
Cam deformity- Bone growth that is found on the head of the femur. This can inhibit the motion and rotation of the femur inside the acetabulum.
Combined- This deformity has both cam and pincer types at the same time.

How KCR can help!

At Kalamazoo Chiropractic & Rehabilitation, you will be taken through a thorough medical history and full body assessment to make sure you receive a proper diagnosis. In most cases, treatment will begin on your first visit once we decide that conservative care (i.e. without the use of surgery, drugs, or injections) is right for you.

A majority of muscle, joint, and nerve pain can be resolved quickly -within days to weeks- with a proper movement assessment and treatment strategy. If your pain changes while moving, this is typically a sign that movement can help resolve your current problems.

Dr. Kopp uses a combination of Mechanical Diagnosis & Therapy (McKenzie Method) and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) to assess and treat both the hip pain and the function of the spine, hip, and foot to keep this pain from coming back.

Once we have found a movement or movements that decrease your symptoms and improve how your body is functioning, you are on the way to living life the way you want! If your condition is something we are unable to treat in the office, Dr. Kopp will know within the first few visits. He will then recommend the correct medical provider that can find a solution for you.