According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two types of hip pain. Hip pain originating from the outside of your hip, upper thigh or outer buttock. This type is caused by muscle, ligament, tendon and soft tissue damage. The second type, pain originating from the hip joint itself, usually results in hip discomfort on the inside of your hip or groin. Being able to determine where hip pain originates from will determine the type of treatment necessary to alleviate symptoms.
Hip Pain Symptoms:
- Limps
- Fractures
- Pain
- Overuse Injury
- Trauma
- Sciatica Pain
- Arthritis
The hip joint is a space within the body where a minimal amount of fluid allows joints to glide comfortably for motion. An injury or illness that causes inflammation will cause this space to fill with extra fluid or blood, which stretches the hip capsule resulting in modest to severe hip pain.
Causes of Hip Pain:
- Injuries – bursitis, dislocation, hip racture, tendinitis, sprains & strains, pelvis fracture
- Arthritis – Juvenile rheumatoid, osteoarthritis, psoriatic, rheumatoid, septic
- Pinched nerves – herniated disks, sciatica, spinal stenosis, sacroilitis
- Cancer – bone, leukemia, metastatic
Acupuncture treatments provide a safe, natural way to alleviate hip pain. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees the human body as an integrated being. It works with vital energies inherent within all living things to promote the body’s ability to heal itself. Qi (pronounced “chee”) is a vital energy that flows through meridians, pathways that run throughout the entire body. Qi protects the body from illness and provides nourishment to cells, tissues, muscles and organs.
Acupuncture Helps Hip Pain:
- Release obstruction
- Eliminate pain
- Reduce inflammation
- Relax muscles
- Improve circulation
- Promote healing, and correct imbalance.
Acupuncture practitioners recommend a holistic health approach inclusive of herbal remedies, massage and stretching. According to Eastern holistic medicine, treatment of hip pain requires lifestyle changes with overall health as its goal.
- Exercise increases flexibility, maintains weight and strengthens muscles
- Diets including anti-inflammatories, unprocessed and organic foods
- Stress reduction through breath, meditation and yoga
- Achieving a balance of rest and relaxation
