Chiropractic For Hip And Leg Pain

Your hips and knees are two of the largest joints in your body and are extremely important in many different actions such as standing, walking, running, and squatting, just to name a few. While they are designed to withstand repetitive motion and general wear and tear, the knee and hip joints can become damaged with age and overuse. Abnormal function of these joints can also lead to poor movement, pain and degeneration if not corrected.

DISCOVER IF CHIROPRACTIC CAN HELP RELIEVE YOUR HIP AND KNEE SYMPTOMS

CAUSES OF HIP PAIN

Pain in the hips can come from many different causes, and the source of the pain needs to be accurately determined.

Osteoarthritis, overuse of the joint, injury, trauma to the hip or pelvis area or even referred pain from the spine and/or sacroiliac joints are also known to contribute to hip pain.

The pain you experience in your hip may actually be coming from another area that is placing stress on the hip such as your lumbar spine pelvis or even incorrectly aligned feet. It may also be being triggered by poor gait and posture.

TREATMENT OF HIP PAIN

Before any treatment starts it is important to examine the hip and also  your spine, gait and posture to assess where exactly you pain is coming from and what is causing it. Treatment for your hip pain will often involve a number of allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors and exercise physiologists and will usually involve treatment of the hip, pelvis, spine and associated musculature. It will most often also involve specific stretching exercises to the affected region.

WHAT STRUCTURES MAKE UP THE KNEE?

The knee is made up of three bones, two cartilages, four ligaments, muscles and tendons. During normal steady motion and activity, the knee can move optimally and free of pain.

CAUSES OF KNEE PAIN

There are many possible causes of knee pain including osteoarthritis, damaged cartilages, and ligaments which can lead to severe pain. Increased body weight, overuse of the joints, traumatic injury and poor gait could also be a contributing factor to your knee pain.

Wearing improper footwear may worsen the situation as it can shift the angle of your foot and lower leg changing the angle and the way your knee naturally glides.

TREATMENT OF KNEE PAIN

The treatment of knee pain is as varied as the cause. Treatment for your knee pain will often involve a number of allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors and exercise physiologists.

They may suggest you look closely at your lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise choices.  They may also encourage you to choose your footwear carefully, shed a few pounds, improve your fitness levels or even learn proper squatting and exercise techniques to avoid any further strain and injury.

Chiropractic care that is aimed to reduce knee pain will usually includes gentle, controlled and directed adjustments delivered to the relevant part of the leg and spinal joints to restore optimal movement and function. The overall aim of the treatment is to reduce inflammation, improve movement of the joints, relax any painful muscle spasms and strengthen your weakened muscles which will in turn ease the pain and lessen the symptoms.

WHAT IF I NEED SURGERY FOR MY HIP OR KNEE PAIN?

In some cases of hip and knee pain you may need to consult an orthopaedic surgeon to see if you require surgery. In our opinion this should only be considered when the less invasive approaches, such as physiotherapy, chiropractic and massage have been tried where relevant.

HOW CHIROPRACTIC CARE CAN HELP HIP AND KNEE PAIN

Chiropractic Care, if appropriate, may help in two ways:

First they can work directly with both the hip and the knee to try to improve the movement of these joints.

Secondly our Chiropractors can examine the pelvis and lumbar spine  and if appropriate provide treatment for problems that are found in these areas. Clinically we often find that problems in the pelvis and lower spine affect a persons gait which can in turn lead to hip and knee pain.

If appropriate we will then create a personalised plan that includes necessary chiropractic adjustments, exercises, posture advice and stretching to try to remove your symptoms and improve function.

Book your appointment today to find out if we can help you.