How to know if you have a hip stability problem and what exercises to do to help?
Common Hip Stability Problems
- Snapping Hip Syndrome
- Hip Flexor pain
- Groin or Adductor pain
- SI joint pain (see also treating lower back stability)
- Adductor or Gluteal Tendinitis
- Hamstring Strain (may need mobility treatments in acute phase)
How are Hip Stability Injuries Caused?
For an introduction on stability vs. mobility injuries, their causes, and symptoms, click here.
The hips are some of the most mobile joints in the body! They move in 3 different planes or perform six different actions. These movements are referred to as flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, and external rotation. Several muscles work together to perform these different actions. Often times there can be an imbalance in muscles and therefore a lack of stability results. For example, if your hip abductor muscles are weak, but the quads that work to flex the hip and extend the knee are strong comparatively, knee or hip pain can often result.
What are Symptoms of Needing Hip Stability Training?
- Hip pain that gets worse as you continue an activity
- Hip pain that gets worse after you finish an activity
- Hip pain that limits you from doing what you need to get done each day
- Hip pain that is worse at the end of the day
How Can PT Help Treat cases of Lacking Hip Stability?
First off, I want to clarify. In extreme cases of Hip Instability, SEE AN ORTHOPEDIST. For example, if you have fallen and fractured your hip, this is not an immediate PT problem, though your hip is in fact “unstable”. First, get this fixed by an orthopedist, then see PT afterwards :). Other problems that could need further attention include femoral stress fractures and avascular necrosis. Now, let’s move on to the solution. Adding some of these exercises into your daily or weekly routine will help you improve your hip strength in muscles that are commonly weak and causing imbalances.
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