Dull hip pain, that occurs upon movement, can be localized at the major tendons, muscles or bone surrounding and making up the hip. Sustained and sharp hip pain, however, is usually due to something serious that might call for professional help. Injuries of the lower back can manifest in the hip area as well. These sources of hip pain are beyond the scope of this article. Provided here are some simple at-home techniques for alleviating hip pain from tendonitis, muscle strain and arthritis.
Tendonitis: Once a serious ballet dancer, I myself dealt with the most common overuse injury of the hip area: tendonitis. Somewhat of a chronic condition upon initial appearance, hip tendonitis can be quieted through four home remedies:
1.Warm-up:
• “Grease’em up” is what my ballet instructor would make us do before taking our place at the bar. This exercise simply involves laying on your back with your legs in the air-slightly bent-while turning your knees in and out-facing each other then facing away from one another. This rotating of the legs consequently rotates your hips in their joints in a gentle manner with little gravitational pull.
• Gentle stretching is possible only after warming up. Kneel on one knee, (it is recommended that you kneel on a soft surface-you don’t want any knee problems to add to the hip pain that is already there!) put your chin to your chest and lunge a bit. Lean against a wall or hold on to something for support. You will be surprised at how much of a stretch you feel in your “hip flexor” or the front of your hip; this is usually the area most tender from hip-tendonitis. If at first you don’t feel this pull, then readjust and you will find it.
2. Ice down:
• After exertion, your tendon(s) might be inflamed. Any source of coolness will take the swelling away. An ice-cube works just fine, but if this is unbearable, you can make a cold-pack with a plastic baggie and ice. If baggies aren’t available, ice wrapped in a paper towel will do. A cold or frozen bottle of water works well too. Use anything you can get your hands on, as this is the most important step in controlling your tendonitis. When the area is numb and slightly red, stop icing.
3. Topical creams:
• There are many names for these creams. Our ballet studio would reek of this minty stuff! It warms-up and ices down at the same time-allowing for greater mobility and flexibility. It will not completely take the pain away, but definitely alleviates it and prevents it from becoming too much worse.
4.Anti-inflammatory:
• Ibuprofin, Motrin and Aleve are over-the-counter medications that are specialized for reducing swelling of inflamed areas. Over-use of these meds can lead to stomach irritation and as with all medications, be aware of the warnings on the bottle.
Strained muscle: if your hip pain is concentrated in your groin area, you are actually in luck! This is most likely a temporary condition due to pulling your muscle fibers a bit further than they are meant to go. You might experience muscle spasms with this condition. Home remedies for strained hip muscles are:
1. Rest:
• The best way to alleviate this type of strain is to chill out for a couple of days so that the damaged muscle fibers can repair themselves naturally. Try not to take a hot bath-heat will exacerbate your condition by causing increasing blood flow to damaged areas and thus causing swelling.
• While resting, make sure there is no strain on your already strained muscles by placing a pillow in a comfortable position underneath your thigh, knee and/or lower back-whichever feels best.
2. Strengthen:
• If you are planning on resuming the sort of activity that brought you pain, you need to strengthen these vulnerable muscles-and perhaps more importantly, the opposing and surrounding muscles. Warm-up by repeating lesser versions of the exact motion that is to blame (usually lifting or squatting).
• Ice-down: As always, ice is a crucial component if inflammation is present.
3.Anti-inflammatory:
• Ibuprofin, Motrin and Aleve can be used during that healing and strengthening period of time-but limit daily use to a couple of week’s time.
Arthritis: Arthritis is the most common source of hip pain in individuals of fifty years or older. Symptoms of hip pain due to arthritis include stiffness and a limited range of motion. Here are some remedies:
1.Optimizing weight
• Weight loss: not necessarily the answer for everyone, but it is true that the less weight the hip has to carry, the less chance that pain will be felt during activities.
• Weight gain: If you are like my itty-bitty great grandmother who was prescribed milkshakes for her hip arthritis, you are dealing with the sometimes devastating weight loss that occurs with aging. In this case, the body isn’t able to repair itself efficiently which means arthritis will worsen.
2. Walking aids
• Holding onto something while walking can make your life much less painful as pressure is transferred from your hip(s) to this object. Why not make your home a place to feel no pain by having it arranged it in a way that allows for this sort of mobility?
3. Joint supplements
• Glucosamine and Chondroitrin are composed of the very molecules that make up joint cartilage. As we age, our bodies are not as efficient in accomplishing the sort of tasks that prevent arthritis and heal wear-and- tear-this problem is addressed by taking these supplements.
