If left to persist, hip pain can cause a range of debilitating, long-term conditions. If you’re already noticing shooting or radiating pain across your hips and down into your legs, you may be at risk of nerve damage or suffering from arthritis or bursitis at worst. Before jumping to these conclusions, remember that hip pain can be common and not always a sign of things to come. Acupuncture for hip pain, leading on, may help to soothe immediate discomfort – and even stave off future damage.
Hip pain is notoriously difficult to diagnose, thanks to the joint’s complex structure. Nearly 30 hip tendons and muscles are working together to keep you moving! It’s crucial for medical practitioners to carefully analyze the severity of pain, as well as its location, to safely diagnose patients.
Hip pain can be attributed to the wearing down or mutilation of cartilage and inflammation around the joints or connective tissue. The latter, for example, is a common symptom among highly active people with hip tendonitis. It’s just one scenario where acupuncture may help to alleviate pain and restore stability to your joints.
Can acupuncture help stop hip pain?
Acupuncture proves to be highly beneficial in reducing inflammation of soft tissue and cartilage, which may be common causes of hip pain and long-term discomfort. Studies into the effectiveness of acupuncture concerning osteoarthritis and chronic conditions are ongoing, but needling remains highly popular for immediate pain relief and gradual restoration of mobility.
Whether or not acupuncture for hip pain is effective at stopping pain relies largely upon the patients in question and the severity of problems they may experience. Athletes, for example, may benefit from regular acupuncture treatment to help relieve inflammation in their hips to better prepare their bodies for further exercise. Hip acupuncture has a firm place in some sports therapy disciplines for this reason alone.
Acupuncture targets trigger points across your body to help promote blood and oxygen flow to affected areas. This does not necessarily mean needling the hips directly – as there are complex mapping acupuncturists use to carefully soothe specific trigger points.
Acupuncture for your hips can help foster more efficient long-term tissue healing – for example, by promoting protein (collagen) dispersal.
Over an extended period, you may find that acupuncture can help relieve common hip pain and restore flexibility and stability to your joints. In any case, it’s essential to discuss your case with a qualified, experienced professional.
When acupuncture for hip pain is a must
It’s important to seek acupuncture for hip pain as soon as discomfort distracts you from everyday life. While occasional aches and pains are to be expected, chronic hip discomfort can build slowly over time, developing into shooting pains across your buttocks, and down into your legs and feet. It’s prudent to seek pain relief and mobility restoration as soon as possible.
If you are already diagnosed with a chronic hip condition, it is recommended to speak with a physician about available therapies. Often, a doctor will refer you for acupuncture or other targeted therapies if they feel the practice will offer pain relief and increased flexibility. In any circumstance, why not reach out to a doctor and/or acupuncturist for advice?
How hip pain acupuncture works in practice
When first attending an acupuncture clinic, a specialist will discuss your pain and flexibility concerns with you in detail. You may be asked to show your full range of mobility with your hip(s), and to complete a strength assessment. This is to ascertain the full extent of pain and/or joint inflexibility.
An acupuncturist will then take the time to explain how the procedure works in detail – acupuncture and other types of needling are not painful! The most you may feel (in your hips or elsewhere) is a slight pressure and a warming sensation.
Your acupuncturist will typically aim to release knots and tight tissue and redirect oxygen and blood to flow to your hips and legs, depending on your pain level and/or discomfort level. Your specialist may recommend needling ‘distal’ points across your body that aren’t necessarily connected to your hips or legs – these techniques can help to promote long-term healing and revolve around your specific needs and profile.
Acupuncturists work on complex maps from which they can decide how to direct oxygen and blood flow to points in your hips needing relief and restoration. You’ll commonly find that even if only one hip may be hurting, specialists set up symmetrical needles around your body – this follows ancient practice, in which many techniques are still rooted today.
Following your first acupuncture session, you can expect a more than 50% improvement in mobility in your hips and associated joints. Beyond this session, it’s important to continue attending your scheduled visits to help reduce additional inflammation in your hips, legs, and buttocks. This is especially important, too, for sportspeople and those who are highly active – as staving off inflammation can help you retain an increased range of mobility and reduce the chances of experiencing further pain.
Book a session today
While all bodies are slightly different, acupuncture is helping millions of people regain flexibility and mobility in everyday life. We rely on our hips more than we may imagine from day to day – which is why it’s crucial to pay attention to any pain or discomfort you may find starting to impede your work and leisure.
You should never let hip pain hold you back from a rich, full life. What’s more, treating chronic pain early may help you to stay flexible and mobile for years to come. Seeking direct pain relief and mobility restoration from an acupuncturist and/or physician may be what your body’s crying out for.
Lycoming Orthopedic & Sports Acupuncture provides professional, attentive therapy for hip pain – from slight aches to chronic conditions. If you’d like to know more about how acupuncture for hip pain could help give you back flexibility and comfort in everyday life, be sure to book in with our clinic for an initial consultation.
