Why Do You Get Hip Pain?
Hip pain rarely appears overnight. More often, it develops over time based on how you move, work, exercise, and live your day-to-day life.
Common causes of hip pain include:
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Hobbies and sports: Activities like running, weightlifting, dancing, or cycling place repetitive stress on the hips. Over time, this can irritate the joints, muscles, and tendons.
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Daily habits and posture: Sitting for long hours, sleeping in awkward positions, or standing unevenly can add strain to the hips and lower back.
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Poor biomechanics: Faulty movement patterns—such as overpronation while walking or muscle imbalances—can overload the hip joints.
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Lifestyle factors: Limited flexibility, weak core muscles, or carrying excess body weight can increase stress on the hips and lead to discomfort.
Conditions That Can Cause Hip Pain
Hip pain can come from several different sources. Chiropractors are trained to identify problems with joint movement, muscle balance, and nerve function that contribute to pain and stiffness.
Conditions commonly treated with chiropractic care include:
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Hip joint dysfunction: Restricted or misaligned hip joints can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion.
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Sciatica: Irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve can lead to pain that radiates through the hip and down the leg.
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Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI): Also known as anterior hip pinching, this occurs when abnormal bone shapes cause the hip socket and thigh bone to rub during movement.
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Piriformis syndrome: Tightness in the piriformis muscle can irritate the sciatic nerve, leading to hip and leg pain.
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Hip bursitis: Inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around the hip joint, often worsened by poor mechanics or repetitive stress.
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Muscle strains and tendon irritation: Overuse or sudden increases in activity can cause tightness, inflammation, or small muscle tears.
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Referred pain from the spine: Sometimes, the pain felt in the hip actually originates in the lower back due to nerve irritation.
The Best Chiropractic Methods for Hip Pain Relief
We go far beyond short-term pain relief. By addressing the structural, muscular, and functional components of the hip, chiropractors help restore balance, improve mobility, and support long-term comfort.
Rather than focusing only on symptoms, chiropractic treatment aims to correct the underlying issues contributing to hip pain.
Below are some of the most effective chiropractic methods used to relieve hip pain and improve function:
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Chiropractic adjustments: Gentle, targeted adjustments to the spine and pelvis help reduce stress on the hip joints, improve joint movement, and decrease inflammation.
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Active Release Technique (ART): This hands-on soft tissue therapy targets tight muscles, scar tissue, and adhesions that restrict movement and cause pain. ART is especially effective for athletes and highly active individuals.
- Shockwave Therapy: Uses high-energy acoustic waves to stimulate healing in injured or chronically irritated hip tissues. It increases blood flow, promotes tissue regeneration, and helps break down scar tissue and calcifications that contribute to pain and stiffness.
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Graston Technique: Using specialized instruments, this technique breaks down scar tissue and fascial restrictions while increasing blood flow to promote healing in overused or injured tissues.
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Class IV Laser therapy: Low-level laser therapy stimulates cellular repair, reduces inflammation, and accelerates healing for both acute and chronic hip pain.
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Sports rehabilitation: Customized exercise and rehabilitation programs rebuild hip strength, stability, and flexibility while helping prevent future injuries.
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Performance and wellness care: Ongoing chiropractic care isn’t just for pain relief—it helps maintain hip health, enhance athletic performance, and keep your body functioning at its best.