"SICK HIP - SICK MAN"
This is what professor Wiktor Dega said. He was one of the pioneers in the field of orthopedics and rehabilitation in Poland. I could write a lot about him, but I will limit myself to saying that looking at his scientific achievements... He knew what he was doing so it's worth listening to what he has to say on this subject.
The hip joint can be compared to a processor that regulates and affects the function of the entire body. Why? Let's just look at one of the dependencies. Your hip dysfunction follows a certain pattern. At the beginning, the extension movement "falls out", so the hip moves into the so-called flexion contraction, which pulls the pelvis forward so that the lumbar spine must bend to the side and in order to maintain balance, the thoracic spine must react and bend in the opposite direction and of course the neck responds to it all along with its connection with a skull.
WHAT HURTS IN THE HIP?
Usually, when it starts to hurt, we get a referral for an X-ray.X-Ray finds we have degenerative changes and we get a diagnosis of "hip joint degeneration" so basically the message is that when there is damage, there is pain. And in a few years the hip will have to be replaced.
Only... it's not true (phew!).
The degenerative change itself does not have to hurt. Unless there is so a lot of damage to the articular cartilage that the bone rubs against the bone. But that doesn't happen often.
WHY DOES THE HIP HURT THEN?
Muscles that attach to the femur (remember the name: greater trochanter). If your gluteal, piriformis, and tensor fascia latae muscles are still tense, they irritate the trochanter. And as you know, the bone is covered with a special membrane, we call it the periosteum.
The periosteum has many receptors, including those that respond to excessive pulling. And when such tense muscles pull the periosteum, it finally starts sending signals that something is wrong. What is the warning signal? Just the pain.
The second issue is pain transferred from elsewhere. Our body is one whole, and a problem in one area can cause pain in another. That's why I sometimes say that the work of a physiotherapist is a bit of a detective's work.
You may feel hip pain because you have a problem in the joints between the sacrum and the hip bone. Pain can also radiate from the lumbar spine, because this is where the nerves that control the hip work come out.
You may also be surprised that the hip may hurt from a problem in the jaw, and more specifically in the temporomandibular joint. But this is a distant connection, and I will not bother you with the details now.
HOW DO I CHECK IF MY HIP IS OK?
Before you run, take a picture Stand in front of the mirror and check your posture.
Also, do a simple test for both hips. Lie on your back. Bend one leg and bring the foot to the knee of the opposite leg. And make the move as if you would like your knee to reach the floor.
This is already a sign that your hip is starting to fail. It is worth consulting this condition with a physiotherapist.
Why? Because at the stage of a mild disorder, you have the best options to prevent pain in the future.
WHAT IF IT ALREADY HURTS?
What if it hurts? You are not in a hopeless situation. Thanks to well-chosen exercises, you can help yourself. In the next article, I'll show you what you can do. I also encourage you to go see a specialist in your city.
