Physical Therapy For Hip Pain - 5 Exercises For Pain Relief

Hip pain is a condition that is often easily overlooked in everyday life. We may pass it off as something that will eventually get better.

However, depending on what is causing your hip pain, it could actually turn out to get worse with time.

To prevent this, it’s advisable to visit a physical therapist and have them figure out what’s causing the pain, and create a routine of physical therapy exercises that can help heal it.

Typically, in order to help reduce and eventually eliminate the pain, physical therapists for hip pain will give you exercises that improve strength and increase flexibility. Here are a few of the exercises they might give you.

 

Hip Bridges

This is one of the easiest exercises that you can do to relieve hip pain. It’s simple enough, and all you need to do is lie down on your back, with your knees bent upward and your arms resting by your side.

Gently lift your hip off the floor until your body, from your knees to your shoulders, is in a straight line. Hold this pose for a few seconds before you slowly lower your body. Bridges improve hip flexibility and mobility, and can promote faster pain relief.

 

 

Squats

It’s safe to say that squats are super-exercises. When done right, squats can improve the strength in your hamstrings (which are the muscles on the back of your thigh) and in your quadriceps (which are the muscles in the front of your thigh).

Together, these muscles connect with the hip, so strengthening them means your hip gets stronger, and any residual pain from trauma or other causes can be reduced.

 

Modified Planks

While it may be tough to hold a regular plank with a painful hip, a modified plank can actually prove to be helpful. You need to start by posing on all fours, that is, on your palms and knees.

Raise your left leg and your right arm. Stretch the arm forward and the leg back in a straight line with your back. Hold this position for around five seconds and lower the leg and arm to the first position. Repeat this with the opposite leg and arm.

 

 

Swiss Ball Crunches

Balancing on the Swiss ball can seem scary for beginners. But crunches performed on a Swiss ball can improve the flexibility and strength in your hip.

To correctly perform these crunches, start by sitting on the ball with your feet flat on the ground. Cross your arms over your chest, lean back at a 45-degree angle by bending at your hip, keeping your feet stationary.

 

Then, use your abdominal muscles to steer yourself back to the sitting position.

 

 

Hip Stretches

Stretches can be performed to warm up your muscles before a routine or to cool them down after a workout.

Hip stretches can improve flexibility by stretching the muscles and relieving tension knots. Some common stretches that can be easily performed are the child’s pose and the twist.

 

 

Ideally, you should repeat these exercises. Start off small, then get bigger, and stop if you feel the pain getting worse. Rest and try again when you feel better.

And, as always, make sure you’re talking about your exercise plans with a physical therapist for hip pain, so they can tell you whether there are exercises that would work even better for you.