Hip Pain

Hip Pain

The twentieth century wasn’t kind to the hip. From the hula hoop to hip-hop, boogie-woogie to break dancing, calypso to disco, the joint was jumping, bumping, and grinding at a mind-swiveling pace.

Yet these gyrations and dance sensations were hardly the hip’s worst enemies. It’s what Americans didn’t do in this increasingly sedentary age that really sapped the zap from the hip.

“If anything, swinging your hips on the dance floor, walking to the post office, or just doing a few stretching exercises every day helps keep the muscles and bones of the joint strong. But we’ve gotten away from doing those things. The vast majority of Americans have become couch potatoes, and they’re paying the price for it later in life in the form of thinner, weaker bones and an increased potential for hip fracture,” says Jan I. Maby, D.O., director of the Geriatric Medical Home Care program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

But it’s never too late to make lifestyle changes, including regular exercise, to ease mild hip pain, strengthen weak bones, and reduce your susceptibility to hip fractures, Dr. Maby says. In fact, many of the underlying causes of hip pain in older Americans, such as arthritis, bursitis, and tendonitis, can easily be treated with these home remedies.

Try This First

Seek the heat. Heat is one of your most potent allies against occasional hip pain, says Scott Marwin, M.D., vice chairman of the department of orthopedics at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York. Try placing an electric heating pad over your hip for 20 minutes three or four times a day, he suggests. If you don’t have a heating pad, soak a towel in hot water and wring it out.

Other Wise Ways

Chill out. If heat isn’t helping, apply ice where you feel hip pain to help reduce pain and swelling, says Craig Cisar, Ph.D., professor of exercise physiology at San Jose State University in California. To protect your skin, put a towel between your skin and the ice. Ice may be used for 15 to 20 minutes every one to two waking hours.

Reach for reliable relief. Over-the-counter extra-strength anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen can reduce swelling and ease hip pain caused by arthritis, bursitis, and other muscle or joint injuries, says Jacob Rozbruch, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. If the recommended dosage on the label doesn’t help, alert your doctor. You may have a hip fracture or another serious underlying problem that should be evaluated, he says.

Sidestep the ache. When getting out of a car, lift and swing both legs out of the door before standing, Dr. Marwin suggests. By rotating on your rear instead of twisting your pelvis, you’ll lessen the strain on your back and hips. “If you step out of the vehicle one leg at a time, you put yourself into a spread-eagle position that is very aggravating to your hips,” Dr. Marwin says.

Size up your assistance. A cane or walker is your best friend if it eases your hip pain and helps you stay independent, Dr. Maby says.

If you need a cane or walker for stability, be sure it is the right size, Dr. Marwin says. An ill-fitting assistive device will increase your hip pain, not relieve it. Ask your doctor to refer you to a medical supply store where you can be properly measured and outfitted with an appropriate cane or walker.

Be more able with a cane. When you use a cane, hold it in the hand opposite the injured hip, Dr. Marwin says. Move it forward at the same time that you step out with your injured hip, so you’re distributing weight away from your bad hip and onto the cane. Then move your good hip forward as you take another stride.

Shed some pounds. Getting rid of excess body weight can help relieve the strain on your hips, Dr. Marwin says. In fact, each pound you lose will take two or three pounds of pressure off your hips.

“As you get older, it becomes more difficult for your muscles to offset your increased weight. As a result, your joints bear more and more of the brunt of the load, and they degenerate,” Dr. Marwin says. “So keeping your weight down and staying physically fit are two of the best things you can do to preserve your hips.”

Limber up. Stretching exercises often can relieve both hip and back pain by strengthening common muscles and increasing your flexibility, Dr. Rozbruch says.

Over time, Dr. Rozbruch says, loosening your hips will translate into more fluid, graceful, and pain-free movement. You can do the following stretches once a day to coax hip muscles into lengthening gently and slowly. But if you start to feel pain, stop. (And if you have a herniated disk, you should consult your doctor or physical therapist before trying any of these stretches.)

1. Lie down on a bed or on the floor on a mat, with your knees bent and your feet braced about 24 inches high on a wall, letting your head, upper body, and arms relax completely on the floor. (Hint: The farther from the wall you are, the easier this stretch will be.) You can support your head with a pillow or towel. Keep your buttocks on the floor. Keeping your right foot on the wall, cross your left foot over your right thigh, bringing the outer edge of your foot just below your right knee. If you are too stiff to reach that point, let your left leg cross farther over your right leg as much as needed.

Then, lift your right thigh toward your chest and reach your hands through to interlace around the back of the thigh. Create just the amount of stretch that is good for you by slowly drawing your right leg toward your chest. Hold for up to one minute. (If the reach is too difficult, use a towel to raise your thigh to your chest with out lifting your head and shoulders off the floor.) Release and repeat on the other side. Note: You should feel this in the back of your left thigh, hip, or outer buttock, not in your lower back.

2. Lie down on your back on a bed or on the floor on a mat, with your legs extended and your feet wedged snugly and pressing against a wall. You can support your head with a pillow or towel. Make sure your toes point up toward the ceiling. On an exhalation, slowly draw your left knee toward your chest, interlacing your hands behind your knee/upper thigh. Hold this position for up to a minute, breathing evenly, then release. Repeat with your right leg. Avoid letting your straight leg bend and rise up. The most important part of this stretch is keeping one thigh pressed down onto the floor while you’re flexing the other. Getting your knees to your chest is secondary.