What could be causing that sharp pain in your hip? There are several possible causes, and a professional can help you pinpoint the source. In the meantime, understanding common factors that trigger or worsen hip pain can help you recognize what might be contributing to your discomfort and what to avoid to prevent flare-ups.
You can also learn how a physical therapist at Forever Fit can provide personalized care to relieve hip pain and restore movement. We offer treatment options including stretches, strengthening exercises, manual therapy and the Graston Technique®. You can learn more about our hip pain treatment here.
What could be making your hip pain worse?
A few day-to-day habits might be causing your hip pain, aggravating it or preventing it from fading. These might include:
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Unhealthy posture while standing
Your posture only affects your back, right? Unfortunately, that’s a common misconception. Your posture can affect joints like your hips. Slouching and leaning more to one side than the other may make your hips hurt. To avoid this, try to stand up straight and shift your weight to the center of your body.
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Spending too much time sitting
Sitting for prolonged periods, especially while slouching or in an unusual position, can lead to hip pain. You may be able to reduce pain by keeping your back straight and distributing your weight evenly on both sides of your body. That means not crossing your legs or curling up with your feet on your chair. Take breaks occasionally to walk or stretch.
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Wearing unsupportive shoes
Your shoes might or might not support the joints in your feet. If they cause any issues in your feet, these can ripple through the rest of your body, leading to pain in other joints like your hips. You may feel more comfortable when wearing supportive, well-fitting shoes.
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Having untreated hip health issues
A variety of conditions can create hip pain. These include acute injuries, prior injuries, bursitis, osteoarthritis and pinched nerves. Your hip pain may have a cause — like that time you fell out of bed and landed on your hip, or a family history of sciatica — and it may be treatable.
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Having underlying medical conditions
Health issues elsewhere in your body may also affect your hips. Back problems like scoliosis may lead to hip pain, causing sharp pain in a hip in uncomfortable positions. Hip pain may appear as a symptom of Lyme disease, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. If you’re dealing with a chronic medical condition, ask a professional whether it may be contributing to your hip pain.
What can you do to ease hip pain?
A few of the problems above, like posture and unsupportive shoes, are things you can address yourself. But they may be easier to correct with an expert’s guidance, and others like health issues may require help from a professional, like the licensed physical therapists at Forever Fit.
A physical therapist can take the following into account when personalizing treatment:
- Your hip pain
Does your pain appear in short bursts or last for more time? Is it occasional or constant? Is it sharp, burning, tingling or aching? Identifying the specific sensations that you feel will help your physical therapist identify the underlying issue and customize treatment to it.
- Your overall health
Your hip pain might be one small part of a larger picture of a condition like arthritis or scoliosis. It could even come from an issue in another part of your body, such as sciatica. A professional can look at the bigger picture and offer advice.
- Your lifestyle
You may have a job that requires extensive sitting or demands physical labor that could strain your hip. Your pain could be related to a sport, hobby or exercise. This could affect more than your hips; it could damage other joints or your back. A physical therapist can show you how to do what you want to do in a healthier way.
- Your recovery goals
Maybe you want to get back on the field as an athlete or keep moving at work. Maybe you want to keep up with your kids, handle housework without pain or prevent more pain later in life. No matter what your goals are, your physical therapist can create a plan to move toward it.
If you’re experiencing hip pain, reach out to the experienced team at Forever Fit. You can find our list of locations here. To get started, call us for more information or book an appointment.
