I’m Dr. Elena Vaynshtok, MSPT, DPT, owner of Prime Fitness Physical Therapy and I’d like to share some of my thoughts as an expert and provider of hip pain relief here in Brooklyn.
Not Only Do I Treat Hip Pain – I’ve Experienced It & Recovered as Well…with Physical Therapy.
Having worked with hundreds of patients experiencing hip pain, you know it can be excruciating and debilitating. If you are having significant pain, it’s worth understanding a bit more about the hip joint. Doing so will help you appreciate the significant number of structures that may be causing your pain.
What Makes Dr. Elena a Great Choice for Hip Rehabilitation?
Dr Vaynsthok, PT has a particular interest in treating hip patients suffering with conditions like (FAI) femoroacetabular impingement, hip arthritis, hip bursitis, gluteal tendinitis, and more. She regularly updates her knowledge about the evaluation and treatment of the hip and most recently, obtained a Rehabilitation Hip Preservation certification from the Hospital of Special Surgery.
If you are looking for hip preservation rehabilitation because of FAI, or suffer with any other hip pain condition, contact Dr. Elena, PT.
A Brief View of Hip Anatomy
The hip is a complex but stable joint made up of the acetabulum and the head of the femur. There’s a crescent shaped ring of cartilage that surrounds the acetabulum and helps seal the joint hold in the fluid (intra-articular synovial fluid) in the joint.
The two bones (the femur and the acetabulum) are held together by three large and thick ligaments – the iliofemoral, pubofemoral, and ischiofemoral ligaments. You can think of them as super strong piece of tape that attach one area of the femur to another part of the pelvis (the ischium, pubis, and ilium).
Finally, there are muscles and tendons that attach to the pelvic bones and the femur that move, stabilize, and support the thigh bone (femur). Note, most movements are complex, multidirectional, and require activation/contraction of multiple muscle groups to accomplish complex thigh and leg movements. That said, here’s a list of the muscles that surround the hip joint.
There are a Number of Hip Muscles…and Many can Cause Hip Pain
The Hip Flexor Muscles – these muscles move the thigh bone (femur) in a forward direction.
- Psoas Major
- Psoas Minor
- Iliacus
- Pectineus
- Rectus Femoris
- Gluteus Maximus
- Semitendinosus
- Semimembranosus
- Biceps Femoris (long head)
Hip External Rotator Muscles – these muscles twist the thigh bone outwards.
- Gluteus Maximus
- Gemellus Superior
- Gemellus Inferior
- Obturator Externus
- Obturator Internus
- Quadratus Femoris
- Piriformis
Hip Adductors Muscles – these muscles move the thigh bone toward the centerline of the body.
- Adductor Magnus
- Adductor Longus
- Adductor Brevis
- Gracilis
- Pectineus
- Gluteus Medius
- Tensor Fascia Latae
- Tensor Fascia Latae
- Gluteus Minimus
For more information about the anatomy of the hip, we recommend you click here.
As you can appreciate from all of the muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and bones noted above, there are a number of hip structures that can cause pain.
Hip Pain Home Remedies
Before you seek out the attention of a hip pain specialist (i.e. one of our physical therapists) you can try some basic home remedies.
- Positioning – when lying on your side, put a pillow between your knees. Sometimes simply taking the pressure off of sore hip structures can help the injure area heal.
- Heat or ice – assuming you don’t have any allergies to ice treatment, applying an ice pack to the area of the hip that is causing pain can be helpful.
- Gentle therapeutic exercises – can help lubricate the joint, increase circulation, stimulate movement receptors to override nociceptor outputs that cause perceived pain.
- Modification of daily activities – sometimes you have to slow down and let the hip or surrounding structures heal.
- Pain relievers – there are a number of over-the-counter pain relief medications that may help. Acetomenaphin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and aspirin are commonly used for pain relief. Before you try any of these, ask your doctor. You want to avoid any harmful interactions and side effects.
If You are in Brighton Beach & Looking for a Hp Specialist – Give Us a Call
We’d like to let you in on a little secret – natural, conservative care is just as good as aggressive treatment for most types of hip pain (exceptions that are not appropriate for physical therapy care are conditions like fractures, cancer, or infections).
The Research is Clear – See a Physical Therapist that Specializes in Hip Pain Treatment
It may seem self-serving but there are all kinds of clinical research studies that conclude that physical therapy is the best first choice when it comes to hip pain relief. References
A number of conditions typically respond well to physical therapist directed care provided by Dr. Elena Vaynshtok, MSPT, DPT
- Hip osteoarthritis
- Trochanteric pain syndrome
- Piriformis syndrome
- Gluteus tendinitis
- Snapping hip syndrome
- Acetabular labral tears
- Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)
- Groin/adductor strains
- Hip flexor strains
Physical Therapy for Hip Pain is the Best First Choice!
When comparing the benefits versus risks of surgery to physical therapy care, physical therapy is the clear winner. Reference
Some Patients Need Surgery – Most Do Not
If you are looking for hip pain relief and live in the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn, you should give our office a call. If you need more information, check out our Hip Pain Treatment FAQ here.
Some are told that surgery is the only answer, but it makes sense that you try natural/conservative care first. As I mentioned before, physical therapy is a good choice for the following reasons:
- Physical therapy treats the cause, it doesn’t just mask the pain like medications
- It’s conservative – there are little to no side effects when we treat you.
- It’s easy to get started – we are accepting new patients – just contact us at (718) 676-4112 for more information
- It’s covered by most insurance plans
- You’ll be working with one of the top rated physical therapy clinics in Brighton Beach – we will do our best to provide you with the outstanding care you deserve.
Not Sure if Physical Therapy is Right for You?
Give us a call first. There’s no commitment when you contact us. If Dr. Elena is available, she will even do a quick, free phone consultation.
