Alpine PT is always looking to progress our great services to the community through keeping an eye on research, trends and new treatment methods. Here are a few tidbits to contemplate while you’re enjoying central Oregon’s activities or your favorite local craft beverage. Heck, it may even be even ours.  Today, we’re discussing the all important hip, low back pain recurrence, and yoga’s influence on relieving pelvic pain.

The all important hip!

Lower extremity injuries are a very common reason that patients seek care for at Alpine Physical Therapy. From an acute injury to chronic overuse, oftentimes the culprit is a weak hip.  The hip is a ball and socket joint surrounded by large muscle groups that provide both stability and power with lower extremity movement. Weakness present in these muscles leads to a mechanical (movement) fault that collapses the lower leg. This collapsing results in the hip/pelvis dropping, a medial translation force on the knee and a flattening of the foot. Common injuries associated with this weakness are hip bursitis, IT band syndrome, meniscus/ligament strain and tendinitis/plantar fasciitis.

Research has shown that physical therapy exercise is effective into controlling the forces that increase injury risk. In the study Snyder et al. Resistance Training is accompanied by increases in hip strength and changes in lower extremity biomechanics during running. Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon). 24:26-34 2009 researchers mapped the 3D kinematic and kinetic gait analysis of runners before and after a 6 week hip strengthening protocol with results showing improved proximal hip strength leading to decreased rearfoot eversion (pronation) while lessening lower leg internal rotation when tested after the strengthening program. The take home implication is that strengthening the hip musculature has a positive effect at the knee and ankle joint. By controlling medial forces strengthening lessens injury risk and improves healing time.

Give us a call today to talk about safely getting back to exercise after injury. We’ll make sure you’ve got “Hips 101” as part of your Alpine Experience.