hip-pain

Common conditions affecting the hip include arthritis, sciatica, trochanteric bursitis and iliotibial band syndrome. Conditions such as this are caused by biomechanical imbalances readily identified at Podiatry clinics using in-depth biomechanical assessment and gait analysis.

When considering long-term treatment options your Podiatrist will be interested in establishing why you developed the condition in one hip and not the other, and will look at addressing any underlying causes. Such causes may be related to muscle imbalance, leg length differences or correctable pelvis mal-alignments that are often mistaken for leg length differences. Only when the mechanism of your hip pain is established can an appropriate rehabilitation exercise regimen can be provided. As part of your rehabilitation regimen you may also be offered temporary functional foot orthoses to help reduce excessive internal thigh and leg movements during the gait (walking) cycle.

 

What would a foot problem have to do with hip pain?

The feet are the foundation of your body; they support everything above them, including the hips. Feet function something like the basement in a house: if the basement doesn’t support the weight of the floors above it, stress cracks can appear in walls at any level. And feet that aren’t properly aligned can contribute to stress pressure at the hip joint. Your feet also help to protect you against heel-strike shock. Every time the heel of your foot hits the ground, a shock wave travels up through your body, all the way to your head. The healthier and more posturally stable your body is, the more likely this shock is either dissipated or absorbed safely. But if your feet are not in their correct functioning position at all times, more of this shock is allowed to move through the body to weaken other joints — including the hip.
Treatment will typically involve • Exercise to build muscle strength and joint stability. • Use of foot orthotics to help restore foot stability and absorb heel-strike shock. • Strengthening hip muscles helps to stabilise the joint and lower the incidence of further injury.