Living with chronic pain isn’t something you wished upon yourself. You may be looking for ways to manage your pain but aren’t sure what would be the best step at this point.
For hip pain, it can be hard to determine what kind of care is going to be the most beneficial.
Should you visit a physiotherapist or chiropractor? Both of these professionals have different skillsets and goals in treatments. Deciding which discipline will help improve your movement and range of motion will depend on the source of your hip pain.
You need a simple guide to outline the basic principles of these potential hip pain treatments. Keep reading to figure out how physiotherapists and chiropractors treat pain.
Identifying Hip Pain
Having hip pain can be one of the most limiting injuries to manage. There can be many different sources of hip pain. If you can identify the source of your pain, you can better identify what kind of healthcare would be best to relieve it.
Hip pain symptoms can result from short-term and long-term conditions. Different sources include arthritis, injuries from sports or activities, fractures or trauma to the pelvis, or weak hip muscles. Even lower back pain or injuries can spread to your hip.
One of the first steps might be to pinpoint the location of your pain. Is it in the front of your body or on the inside of your leg, in the groin area? Or the pain might radiate out from the side of your hip, which may suggest a muscle problem or weakness.
What Does a Physiotherapist Do?
A physiotherapist focuses on how the body moves and interacts with itself. Physiotherapists assist in specific stretches and movements for muscles around the pain. Their goal is to help strengthen the muscles in the affected area.
After identifying the source of your hip pain, they can begin assigning and performing stretches and strengthening exercises that may reduce your discomfort.
If the cause is something like weak hip muscles, strengthening these muscles through physiotherapy can also prevent injury and possible surgery down the road.
What Does a Chiropractor Do?
A chiropractor focuses more on joint pain, as well as back and neck stiffness and certain kinds of headaches. They perform specific manipulations and movements on the body, often with the goal of realignment and pain relief.
Again, the source of your hip pain is crucial for a chiropractor to deliver the appropriate care. When it comes to lower back issues from strain or poor posture, which can trigger certain kinds of hip pain, realignment can be a helpful solution.
Chiropractors can also provide relief from other, more long-term conditions like arthritis that affects your hip through informed body adjustments.
Physiotherapist or Chiropractor?
Deciding whether to visit a physiotherapist or chiropractor is entirely dependent on the kind of pain you’re experiencing, but it also possible that both of these medical professionals can help relieve your hip pain symptoms.
At the very least, they can support you in identifying the cause of your pain and get you started on the path to reducing your hip pain and gaining more painless movement. Synergy Health Centre offers multidisciplinary care in Victoria, BC with physiotherapists and chiropractors on staff and ready to help you. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
