Physiotherapy for Hip Mobility

If you have a desk job that involves sitting right in front of your computer throughout the day or for a major part of the day, you could be unknowingly putting yourself at augmented risk of reduced hip mobility. The hips are one of the major muscles in your body that are used in a number of activities you do everyday.

Causes of Hip Immobility-

1. Sitting for long hours at the same place and working. This is common to people who work in front of the computer screens for extended hours continuously.

2. Toxic Synovitis, which is an inflammation of the hip joint. It causes pain and stiffness.

3. Juvenile Arthritis

4. Rheumatoid arthritis

5. Tendinitis or inflammation of the tendons that causes severe discomfort in movement

6. Ankylosing spondylitis that mainly affects the spine. It can cause extreme pain and discomfort in the movement of the hips. This makes it difficult to sit, stand or lie down.

7. Injuries

8. Fractures and breakage

9. Muscle and tissue ruptures near the hip region

10. Sprains and strains

11. Lack of proper blood circulation

12. Pain and injuries in the lower back region which can spread to the hip, causing stiffness and swelling

Physiotherapy for Hip Mobility-

Physiotherapy alias physical therapy is considered as one of the fastest growing allied areas of present generation medicine. Being an important rehabilitative service needed in a community and a vital therapeutic supplement of the medical profession, it's the treatment of diseases and disabilities using physical exercises, heat radiations, cold therapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture and therapeutic massage.

As doctors, physiotherapists or physical therapists are essential in helping the patient to recover and rehabilitate from a state of incapacity, due to genetic defect or the result of an accident or an illness. Physiotherapy for Hip Mobility involves certain exercises. Below give are some of the most common exercises for hip mobility-.

1. Lying Hip Rotations. One has to lie on the back on a padded mat, then put one leg over the other, exactly over the knee on one’s lower thigh. Now, use either a towel or the hands to get to the leg that is placed below and without hyperextending, slowly pull this leg’s knee closer to the chest.

2. Butterfly Movements and The Frog Posture.

3. The Kneeling Lunge. Here, one has to lunge forward with one knee on a padded mat. Then position the foot carefully beyond the knee that is put forward. Place your hands over the knees; straighten hip of the rear leg while leaning with the hips forward. Hold this particular stretch and repeat with the opposite side.

4. The Squatting Position.

5. The Pigeon Posture. In this, your knees need to be right below the hip on the padded mat. Then lower the outer side of the right buttock to the mat. You have to position your right heel in such a manner that it is exactly in front of the left hip. Hold this stretch for about 5-6 breaths and exhale deeply through the nose.

6. Bending forwards or backwards, guided and assisted by a physiotherapist.

7. Stretching Exercises.

8. Hot compresses on the area of inflammation.

9. Ice packs can also be applied alternately on the spot of injury.

10. Massage helps to regulate blood circulation and is an important part of physiotherapy.