Align Your Hips

Misaligned hips can be painful. If you suspect that you have misaligned hips, it is important to get a diagnosis from a doctor. A doctor can not only confirm that your hips are not aligned, they can also help you discover the cause so you can work together to correct the problem. You and your doctor can create a treatment plan, which may include strength-training and stretching.

Key Points

  • Confirm that your hips are misaligned. More ↓
  • Determine any specific causes for misalignment and correct them. ↓
  • Strengthen weak muscles through exercise, such as pelvic tilts. ↓
  • Ease away tension through stretches, such as knee to chest stretches. ↓
  • Seek professional help. Speak with a medical specialist or see a physical therapist. ↓

Steps

Figuring Out the Problem

  1. Confirm that your hips are misaligned. The best person to judge this is a doctor, and self-diagnosis is not advisable. If you are unable to see your doctor or you are trying to figure out which type of doctor you should go to, you may want to do some at-home tests to see if misalignment may be an issue. Even if you are fairly certain you know the cause, there is no substitute for seeing a qualified physician, and you should make this a priority.
  2. Assess your pain. Hip misalignment can cause pain in three different distinct areas. If you experience pain in one or more of these places, your hips may indeed be misaligned:
    • Hips: This may seem obvious, but there are many different types of hip pain with different causes to consider. Its best to identify or feel for achy or inflamed joints by slowly moving left to right possibly in front of a mirror.
    • Lower back: Hip misalignment is associated with hyper-extension and tension of the muscles in the abdomen and lower back. Problems with these muscles can manifest as sore or acute lower back pain.[1]
    • Knee: Hip misalignment may cause you to shift too much weight to one side of your body. The knee on that side may not be able to handle the extra weight and stress, causing pain.[2]
  3. Perform a standing assessment. This is a simple test you can do at home to look for obvious signs of misalignment. Wearing form-fitting clothing will make this step easier.
    • Stand barefoot in front of a mirror or have a friend take your picture. Try to stand straight but relaxed.
    • Imagine a vertical line going straight down the middle of your body.
    • Now, imagine a second line near your shoulders that is perfectly perpendicular to the first line.
    • Examine the photo for common signs of misalignment. Your pelvis may appear diagonal rather than parallel to the second line, or one leg may appear to be shorter than the other. Again, this does not qualify as a diagnosis, but it may be a helpful bit of information you can pass on to your doctor.
    • Repeat this process while standing in profile. You may notice an increased curve in your lower back and bulging (but not necessarily fat) abdomen. This may indicate an anterior pelvic tilt.[3]
  4. Determine any specific causes for misalignment and correct them. Sometimes there is an easy-to-spot root cause of improper hip alignment that you can fix immediately.
    • Not stretching enough after exercise. Over time, overly tight muscles can pull the joints and bring them into misalignment.
    • Poor posture. Work on consciously sitting and standing straighter.
    • Wearing a heavy shoulder bag. Switch to a backpack to more evenly distribute the weight.
    • Not wearing the right shoes. If your arches are too high (sometimes caused by wearing high heels) or too low, this can alter your gait to the point of misalignment of your hips.

Strengthening Weak Muscles

  1. Perform pelvic tilts. Don't be confused by the name of this exercise. A pelvic tilt exercise can help to correct a pelvic tilt misalignment by uniformly strengthening your pelvic muscles.
    • Lie flat on the ground with your knees bent. Your arms, upper back, lower back, head, and the soles of your feet should all be touching the floor.[4] If you are pregnant, a safe alternative is to prop your back against a wall instead of the floor.[5]
    • Brace your abdominal muscles, pressing your lower back against the floor or wall. Hold this position for 6 to 10 seconds while breathing normally.[6]
    • Repeat this exercise eight to 12 times daily.[7]
  2. Practice prone hip extensions on your weaker side. This exercise will help to evenly strengthen the muscles of your legs and lower back. Once you are able to do this exercise with minimal pain, add ankle weights to your routine. This exercise is not recommended for pregnant women.[8]
    • Lie face down with a pillow under your hips, legs extended straight behind you.
    • Contract your glutes and lift your leg slowly until your thigh is off the floor.
    • Lower the leg back down slowly.
    • Begin with six to eight repetitions daily, working your way up to 12. Repeat this exercise two to three times a week.
  3. Try side-lying hip abductions. This exercise strengthens the muscles of the outer sides of your upper leg and lower back. Add ankle weights to your routine as you progress.
    • Lie on your stronger side with your head cradled in the crook of your arm.
    • Bend your stronger side's leg forward slightly at the hip and knee to provide support.
    • Straighten your weaker side's leg and slowly lift the leg to a 45 degree angle from the floor.
    • Slowly lower the leg and pause to rest for two seconds.
    • Begin with six to eight repetitions and work your way up to 12. Repeat this exercise two to three times a week.

Stretching Away Tension

  1. Stretch your iliotibial band. The iliotibial band is a piece of connective tissue that runs from your outer pelvis, down the side of your leg, and to your knee. Misalignment of your pelvis can cause this band to become inflamed during exercise.[9] Don't perform this stretch if you're pregnant, as the change in your center of gravity may cause you to fall.[10]
    • Stand next to a wall for support.
    • Cross one leg behind the other.
    • Lean on the hip of crossed-over leg towards the wall.
    • Once you feel a stretch, stop and hold your position for 30 seconds.
    • Rest for 30 seconds and change sides. Complete two reps on each side. Do this stretch once in the morning or before bed or after exercise.
  2. Perform the seat side straddle stretch. This stretch pulls the muscles of the outer hip, targeting the glutes.
    • Sit on the floor with your legs spread apart, your back as straight and tall as possible.
    • Turn your shoulders (but not your hips) toward one leg and hinge forward at the hips, leaning over the extended leg. Make sure both your butt cheeks stay on the floor.
    • Hold that position for 30 seconds.
    • Rest 30 seconds before repeating the stretch on the other side. Do a total of 2 repetitions on each side (for a total of four) daily.
  3. Do knee to chest stretches. This type of stretch will balance posterior hip muscles. It is safe for pregnant women and is specifically recommended to help with pregnancy-related hip pain.[11]
    • Lie on your back. Your knees should be bent and your feet flat on the floor.
    • Move one knee as close to your chest as possible while keeping your lower back pressed to the floor.
    • Hold this position for 30 seconds.
    • Relax and lower your leg.
    • Rest for 30 seconds before repeating with your other knee. Perform this stretch once or twice a day. First thing in the morning or before bed are good times to stretch, or do it right after you exercise.[12]

Seeking Professional Help

  1. Talk to your primary care physician. If you have access to healthcare, a qualified medical professional is the best person to diagnose and treat your hip alignment problems. If you are experiencing inflammation or pain, your doctor can prescribe the correct and safest medications to help. If your problems are outside your doctor's area of expertise, you may be referred to a specialist.
  2. See a physical therapist. Your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist. A physical therapist will help you regain mobility through guided exercises and stretches. Your physical therapist may also advise you on the right routine you can do at home.[13][14]
  3. Undergo surgery to correct severe problems. For hip alignment issues not treatable by exercise or medication, surgery may be required. Surgeons can alter the shape and alignment of the hip socket and joint to make it easier to move in a procedure called a periacetabular osteotomy.[15]
    • If your hip is severely damaged, a surgeon can resurface or completely replace your hip through arthroscopy, which is a minimally invasive surgical procedure.[16]



Tips

  • Always consult a doctor if you have chronic or severe acute pain before attempting to treat a hip problem yourself.
  • Another source of hip misalignment may be abnormalities of the muscles and bones in the feet.
  • All strengthening and stretching exercises should be performed on carpeting or an exercise mat. Hard floors may exacerbate your pain.
  • While genuine leg length discrepancies are rare, they may cause hip misalignment not treatable by these exercises.
  • If you are a runner, avoid repeatedly running on a tilted hard surface (such as a road), as this might lead to misalignment.
  • Stop doing these exercises if your pain is getting worse unless specifically directed to continue by a doctor or physical therapist.[17]
  • Avoid high-impact, high-repetition exercises until your hips have been properly re-aligned.[18]
  • Pregnancy sometimes causes a special type of hip misalignment called symphysis pubic dysfunction. The hormone relaxin loosens ligaments to allow the baby to pass through the birth canal more easily. Sometimes the ligaments relax too much, causing pelvic joint instability and pain. Pelvic tilt exercises and pelvic support belts are the best ways to treat this problem.[19][20]
  • Weight loss can also reduce hip problems.[21]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/Posture.html
  2. ↑ https://www.atlantotec.com/en/disorders/hip-pain-meniscus-knee-pain
  3. ↑ http://www.theptdc.com/2014/06/5-steps-dealing-anterior-pelvic-tilt
  4. ↑ http://backandneck.about.com/od/exercise/ht/pelvictilt.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.medicaldaily.com/pregnancy-and-exercise-expert-safety-tips-how-work-out-while-pregnant-250661
  6. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/pelvic-tilt-exercise
  7. ↑ http://www.somastruct.com/4-great-exercises-for-correcting-anterior-pelvic-tilt
  8. ↑ http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/rehabilitation-exercises/hip-groin-exercises/early-stage-hip-groin-exercises/hip-extension-from-prone
  9. ↑ http://www.emedicinehealth.com/iliotibial_band_syndrome/article_em.htm
  10. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/baby/exercise-no-nos-pregnant
  11. ↑ http://www.greenvillemidwiferycare.com/common-discomforts-during-pregnancy.php
  12. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/knee-to-chest-exercise
  13. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/hip-pain-causes-and-treatment
  14. ↑ http://hipdysplasia.org/adult-hip-dysplasia/hip-dysplasia-and-every-day-life/physical-therapy/
  15. ↑ http://hipdysplasia.org/adult-hip-dysplasia/adult-treatments/hip-preservation-surgery-for-adult-hip-dysplasia/
  16. ↑ http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00404
  17. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/knee-to-chest-exercise
  18. ↑ http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/posture-power-how-to-correct-your-body-alignment.html
  19. ↑ http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/symphysis-pubic-dysfunction.aspx
  20. ↑ http://www.babycenter.com.au/a546492/pelvic-pain-spd
  21. ↑ http://hipdysplasia.org/adult-hip-dysplasia/adult-treatments
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