Do you have hip and back pain?
Hi, how are you all?
This week’s post is all about HIPS! I suffer from hip pain after a car accident I had in 2004. Read on to see how you can relieve the pain….
My Story
In 2004 someone drove into the side of the car as I was pulling out of a side road – there was a nasty accident and I was injured as my hips were twisted in the collision. I was so relieved I didn’t have my 8 month old in the car with me which was a blessing, but I was busy being a mum, so I just carried on ignoring the pain. Not long after, I fell pregnant again and my when I had my daughter Jasmine, I tended to dominate my right hip when carrying her, as many mother’s do. This made my hip pain worse.
This pain from twisted hips is very common. Whenever I go to the physio, she releases my right side and twists me to the left. Each month I need to check if I am twisting again, by squatting and seeing if I lean to one side more than another.
7 Most Common Causes of Hip Pain
- Posture – walking with feet turned out, or 1 dominant leg, foot pronation like rolling in or out. Solution – work on the position of the feet, mobilising toes and ankles, stretching calves. Release the tight side and work on stabilising the pelvis with Pilates exercises like Toe tap and Hundred.
- Working at your desk or sitting for long periods (like car journeys)– get up and move around, stretch the hip flexors and hamstrings or it creates an over arched lower back as tight hip flexors pull on the lower spine, also sitting creates weak lazy gluteals (i.e. buttocks. Remember we have 3 different ones – Gluteus max, Gluteus med, and Gluteus minimus so we need to isolate each type) Solution – Strengthen glutes with shoulder bridge, and the oyster – see the video for hip flexor stretches.
- Sleeping position – sleeping on your front with 1 knee turned out, or side sleeping with 1 knee dropped over where the spine is not straight. Solution – sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees and do morning stretches.
- Failure to stretch before or after exercise – Not mobilising your muscles and joints before or stretching after exercise like running and walking can be a cause of pain. Solution – see the video for stretches.
- Weak gluteals – or weak 1 side more than the other. Solution strengthen with 1 leg balance, squats, lunges, shoulder bridge, use a resistance band on squats to make the exercises more intense. This video shows you how to do that Vimeo video – this will only work if you have downloaded Vimeo.
- Previous accidents or injuries creating a dominant and weak side. Solution strengthening exercises like superman, start lying on your front then a 1 leg lift.
- Joint pain and clicky hips– If you are worried get checked out by your GP – there is a chance it could be arthritis. Solution – drink more water, creating more synovial fluid and take supplements –
- Vitamin D (for joint health and overall musculoskeletal health take vitamin D3).
- HRT – Menopausal women with low oestrogen can get joint pain and HRT helps,
- take Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate,
- take Turmeric – at 85 my mum swears by Turmeric; she ran out last month and after 2 weeks had much more joint pain in the morning
- Omega 3 in fish oils
- Ginger in water daily.
It’s important to create a stable pelvis and strong glutes as they are our biggest muscle in our body – we need strong glutes for proper pelvic alignment, propulsion during running and walking and even single limb stance support. Strong glutes also help to support the lower back during lifting motions and prevent knee injuries during lifting and running exercises. So weak glutes also have a direct relation to a tired, achy, lower back.
The video has Pilates exercises that help strengthen your glutes and your core. I work with resistance bands to help and work on alternating exercises to make sure there is not a dominant side. I attach a video to help test if one side tight and weaker than the other.
If you’d like to learn more about using resistance bands, which are great for strengthening and toning your hips, pelvis and glutes. as well as general stabilisation, you may be interested in the Pilates Resistance Band Workshop – a special 1.5 hour class taking place on Saturday 27th June 9.30 – 11.00AM. Only £18 – sign up here:
Squeeze and breathe!
Love Hannah xx