Hip pain physiotherapy Mechelen
The hip joint consists of the acetabulum and the femoral head. It is naturally a stable joint but therefore not spared from complaints. Hip complaints occur at any age and have different causes. This is often due to overload, trauma or wear and tear on the hip.
Osteoarthritis of the hip (hip arthritis):
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of hip pain, especially in elderly people. Because of the daily forces that the hip has to endure, wear can occur in the hip. Arthritis is such a result of wear. It is an inflammation of the joint that leads to the breakdown of the cartilage. People with hip arthritis often experience groin pain that increases with exercise or after a period of inactivity, radiating pain to the knee, reduced hip mobility and/or a feeling of instability.
For a correct diagnosis a visit to your doctor is necessary. Medical imaging can also help to confirm the diagnosis.
The rehabilitation will focus on reducing pain and increasing mobility. In order to prevent further complaints caused by compensatory movements or postures, it is important that the hip can move freely again and that the muscles can function synergistically.
Groin pain or anterior hip pain:
Pain in the groin is a common complaint that can have many possible causes. Various ligaments, tendons and muscles are situated in the groin region. Overload or acute trauma may cause one or more structures to be damaged. It is possible that the pain is experienced immediately or gradually after loading. This injury is common in sports such as athletics, dancing, football, tennis, hockey .... By continuing to practice your sport, the complaints could increase.
Usually it is not necessary to consult the doctor in case of groin pain, unless you experience severe and/or prolonged pain associated with swelling and/or fever.
Most groin pains can be treated conservatively. By exercising in a focused way, the muscles can be strengthened so that they can handle the load more easily and also reduce the pain. Through the right exercises we ensure that the chance of recurrence is minimal.
Lateral hip pain:
Lateral hip pain means nothing more than pain on the outside of your hip. Situated on the lateral side of your hip are the glutes: m. gluteus maximus, - medius and - minimus. There are also two bursae that limit the friction in the joint. The most common cause of pain is an inflammation of the bursae and/or a tendinopathy of the m. gluteus medius and minimus.
In case of inflammation of the bursa, also called bursitis, the pain will get worse if you lie on your affected side. Furthermore, bursitis is also associated with stiffness and pain when pressing the lateral side, in particular the trochanter major.
In the majority of cases, this inflammation is caused by a tendinopathy of the m. Gluteus medius or minimus. This often occurs as a result of an overload for example in distance runners.
On the outside of the hip, you can sometimes feel a click when moving this joint, this is called a snapping hip. The 'clicking' feeling is nothing more than a tendon that jumps over a bony structure. Snapping hip is usually the result of tight tendons, including the tensor fascia latae, around the hip. Children experiencing their growth or dancers have an increased chance of developing a snapping hip.
During rehabilitation, the focus is on restoring the muscle balance. Weaker muscles are trained and shortened muscles are lengthened through dynamic stretches. In addition, it is possible that the posture contributes to this condition and needs to be corrected by specific exercises.
A consultation with a doctor is necessary for making the correct diagnosis. The treatments will in most cases be conservative. The pain and possible swelling can be reduced by means of ice and circulation exercises. It is also important to strengthen the muscles and tendons again in the right way. This way the tendons strengthen and your load capacity will increase.
Femoroacetabular impingement or FAI:
The hip joint consists of a bowl (= acetabulum), which is part of the pelvis, and a head (= femoral head), this is the upper part of the femur. Normally a smooth movement is possible between these two bone structures. However, this is not the case when you have FAI. FAI is a condition in which extra bone growth is present in this joint. Because of this the joint is no longer congruent, friction can therefore arise. This prevents the smooth movement in the hip and can over time cause damage of the cartilage, pain and obstruction. In addition, it is also possible to experience nagging pain at the level of the groin.
There are 3 types of FAI:
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Cam: in a cam impingement the extra bone growth is present on the femoral head. This then grinds on the cartilage on the inside of the hip bowl.
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Pincer: in this case. It is the other way around. Here there is bone growth on the labrum of the acetabulum so that the femur head is more wedged.
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Combined: combined impingement is when there is both an extra bone growth on the femoral head and on the labrum of the acetabulum.
Only after a thorough clinical examination by your doctor can this diagnosis be suspected. On the basis of medical imaging, it is checked whether a deviation of the femoral head and/or hip-socket is present.
Most hip impingements can be helped by mobilisations, strengthening the hip and pelvic muscles, stretching and loosening the surrounding soft tissue. This way the forces on the cartilage can decrease and the pain will also decrease.
Through a screening we can see which exercises will make your hip joint pain free again. You also receive an exercise program for home and we make the chance of recurrence as small as possible.
