Hip Pain and Chiropractic  

When patients present with a complaint of “hip pain” the first step is to determine what they are considering the “hip.”  It is a large area and patients will define one of three general locations:  the posterior aspect (gluteal region), the lateral aspect (the lateral upper thigh region) and the anterior hip region (the groin area).  

Posterior Region –  

When patients define a gluteal region pain we are often times looking at a lower lumbar, pelvic region or a gluteal area muscular complaint (or perhaps some combination).  These can cause considerable pain and, in some instances, pain to radiate or migrate to a portion of the leg.  This is an example of leg pain that is frequently NOT neurological in nature.  It is absolutely imperative that the condition be accurately diagnosed so as to rule out possible neurological involvement, but it is just minutes of diagnostic effort that will help us define the nature of the complaint and offer you the most prompt and effective course of care.  Some combination of manipulative therapy and soft tissue therapy (both in-office and home care) will see you to a timely return to comfort and normal activities.

Lateral Region –  

Patients presenting with lateral thigh pain will also describe their pain as “hip pain.”  This complaint can range from mild and irritating to being an acute pain event that interferes with most normal activities of daily living.  There can also be a component of pain that can migrate down the lateral and/or anterior thigh region.  This generally stops at the knee or just below the knee.  

In the vast majority of cases we are looking at a case of bursitis.  Painful, limits activity and can profoundly disrupt sleep.  Again, with appropriate diagnostic procedures being performed we can discriminate this from other less likely issues and advise you on the course of care that will see to back to normal in no time.  

Anterior Region –  

With pain in this region we have the possible presence of true hip joint issues.  There can also be pain of the groin area that is a referral from the lower back.   

If through examination we are looking at a hip joint issue it is very likely that we will be referring you to your primary care provider for further evaluation.  Hip joint pain issues are a very small percentage of patients that present with Anterior Region pain.  If we are seeing this as a referral of pain from the lower back then we are likely going to see a rather speedy recovery.  

It is absolutely amazing the number of instances that a patient will present with acute pain issues and have themselves convinced that they are looking at the need for some surgical procedure, when, in fact, it is an acutely painful issue of a relatively simple origin that is best treated conservatively by a chiropractor and will see very prompt results.  

As stated in most cases described within this section of conditions treated, it is absolutely critical that a complete history and examination be performed so as to accurately diagnose the nature of the complaint and allow us to advise you on the most effective course of care.  You would be amazed at the number of instances wherein a patient will see another chiropractor OR even an MD at a regional clinic and there is a rush to diagnosis without appropriate examination being performed.  In these cases the patient is “brushed off” with a quick therapy session from the chiropractor or a complete lack of any form of care or instructions from the MD.