Hip & Thigh

Hip (and groin) and thigh pain & injury is a common problem affecting everyday people and active/sporting people alike.

There are a range of causes

• Injury to muscle, tendon, ligaments, joint including labral tear(s)

• Trauma including falls onto hip or buttocks

• Overuse or weakness in hip muscles

• Compensation from

             o wearing a moonboot, crutches or cast,

             o recovering from a lower limb fracture

• The lower back can refer pain to the hip/pelvis

• Sacroiliac joint problems

Common Hip, Groin & Thigh Problems we see:

• Hip / Groin muscle strains

• Thigh (quad/hamstring) muscle strains

• Osteoarthritis

• Hip flexor pain

• Bursitis

• FAI (impingement)

• Labral tears

• Sacroiliac joint-related pain

• Nerve pain (Referred from the lower back)

• Post-surgery hip pain or stiffness

• Bruising/contusion

• Stiffness getting in and out of chairs, cars or bed

• Difficulty walking, climbing stairs or squatting

Other Less Common Problems

• Gluteal tendinopathy

• Greater trochanteric pain syndrome

• Snapping hip syndrome

Physiotherapy approach to treatment

We provide a comprehensive assessment of the hip and the areas that affect it. That may include the lower back, pelvis, knee and foot. Once we are aware of the structure(s) causing your problem, we act. The plan is to help relieve symptoms, improve function and reduce the risk of recurrence. Strategies include:

• Manual therapy and soft-tissue mobilisation (to improve movement and reduce pain)

• Programme of corrective exercise and strengthening (to restore mobility, strength & control)

• Taping (or support strategies – where helpful)

• Education about arthritis and preventing joint replacement

• Activity modification, including advice around walking, stairs, sitting, exercise and sleep positions

• Many people have difficulty activating their glute muscles. If this is you, it is important to find out why and to correct this and so the large gluteal muscles can play their essential role as the biomechanical bridge between the lower limb and pelvis.

At Vigeo, I have decades of physiotherapy experience, treating hip problems including rehabilitation after hip/pelvis injury or fracture or after surgery.

Integrated connections between the hip and other parts of the body

The Pelvic Connection. Synergy enables the hip joint and pelvis/lower back to work together. Lower back or sacroiliac (SI) joints stiffness can force the hip to overcompensate. Leading to pain and poor motor control.

The Foot-Hip Link.  Instability or poor biomechanics in the feet and ankles can affect your hip causing an improper shift or rotation of your hip inside the socket. This can lead to chronic wear or pinching (e.g., a limp or altered gait pattern due to a leg/ankle or foot fracture).

The Thorax Co-Driver. A rigid or rotated ribcage alters the body's centre of gravity and breathing patterns affecting force transfer through the core and into your hips.

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