The hip is the largest ball and socket joint in the whole body and is designed to withstand general wear and tear on the body. Movements with the hip joint, like walking, running, and bending should all be fluid movements when the ball and socket joint is working correctly. However, with age and continued use over time, it is possible for the hip joint to become destabilized or even out of place. Sometimes, after a sports injury or medical condition like pregnancy, you might experience a strange sensation where your hip feels out of place. In some cases, physiotherapy can help a hip injury or hip that feels out of place so you can experience lasting relief.
What Does an Out of Place Hip Feel Like?
When something is wrong with the hip joint, it often first starts out with pain and stiffness. Injuries, medical conditions, and general aging can all lead to pain in the hips if the ball and socket joint is damaged or the cartilage in the joint wears down. An injury or condition can even cause your hips to feel like they are misaligned or out of place. Sometimes your hip might even make a popping or cracking sound on its own and resolve the misalignment on its own. However, hip pain that doesn’t go away can be cause for concern and you may want to talk to your doctor about getting the joint examined and find out if there are any issues with the alignment of your hips.
Hip Instability vs. Hip Dysplasia
If you feel like your hip is out of place then you might have hip instability, which is when your hip joint is loose or wobbly. Hip instability is typically caused when the ligaments that hold the joints together are injured, damaged, or overstretched. In serious cases, hip instability can lead to a hip dislocation. On the other hand, hip dysplasia is a condition and type of hip instability that people are born with and can affect you later in life. Hip dysplasia refers to when the hip socket and ball of the thighbone don’t fully fit together. This can lead to feelings of your hip being out of place, pain, and stiffness in the joint. When your hip joint is negatively impacted by an injury, medical condition, or degeneration, it can put you at more risk for a hip dislocation.
What to Do about Hip Pain and Injuries
If you feel like your hips are out of place, you should talk to your doctor about safe and healthy ways to resolve this at home or go into the office for assistance. Wiggling your leg around or trying to pop or crack the hip can actually do more harm than good to the joint and its cartilage. Resolving any hip instability or a hip that feels out of place should be done slowly and carefully. If you notice that your hip feels out of place multiple times a week, or experience any pain as well, then talk to your doctor and learn more about how physiotherapy can help. Your doctor may recommend you meet with a physical therapist to practice stretches and exercises to help resolve the misalignment and strengthen the area. Your doctor may also recommend you see a chiropractor for therapeutic adjustments to the affected joint which in case, it would be helpful to know how to pick a good chiropractor.
How Hip Pain and Injuries Are Treated
If you have pain in your hip that won’t go away then your doctor will want to treat this symptom as well as the root cause of the joint issue. This may involve over-the-counter pain medications to help reduce your pain while they develop a plan to treat the root cause. If any inflammation occurs in and around the hip joint, then anti-inflammatory medications can help to resolve the swelling. Therapeutic massage, ultrasound, and other techniques may also be used to address inflammation. A chiropractor or physical therapist can use a therapeutic technique to resolve any misalignment in the hip joint so that it functions properly. Stretches and exercises can help promote strength and stability in the hip joint to resolve the current issue and prevent future issues with the hip joint in the future.
If your hip joint feels out of place often, then talk to a doctor at AICA Orthopedics in Snellville to learn more about how physiotherapy can help you.