Pegasus Post: February 21, 2017

18
Tuesday February 21 2017
PEGASUS POST
Hip pain: Do I have arthritis or
could it be mainly my muscles?
The team at Physical Sense in
Sydenham sees clients with a
range of symptoms but many
of their middle-aged and senior
clients visit complaining of pain in one or
both hips.
Physiotherapist Ietje van Stolk suggests
that a major part of the pain could be due
to muscle pain rather than simply arthritis.
“Even if an x-ray shows arthritis, the reason
for the pain may be the muscles around
the joint,” she explains. Alternatively, a back
muscle could also be the cause, as shown in
the image.
Ietje recalls one case where an 89 year old
client with severe arthritis who walked with
a stick, told her, “I will end up in a wheelchair,
I cannot put any weight through my right
leg due to pain in my hip and buttock”.
“Within 4 treatments, she was walking with
her stick but without the severe pain,” says
Ietje. “The arthritis was one of the factors
that made her muscles spasm but the other
was that older people move less and the
flexed position the hip is in when we sit is
particularly bad for the hip.” Ietje is happy
with the fact that although the client was 89
and could have been “given up on” or told
to live with the pain, she made a difference
to her health and wellbeing.
At Physical Sense, hands-on techniques
(massage and triggerpoint deactivation
techniques) are used to release the muscles.
The client also gets a home exercise program
designed to mobilize and stretch the hip,
strengthen the important core muscles and
increase general strength and balance. They
teach a movement sequence that stretches
the hip in all directions whilst the client is
able to lie safely on their bed, perfect for
older or less mobile clients.
In many cases having the muscles
released and being taught how to maintain
Hip muscle that causes hip pain
(the crosses are the areas of the muscle spasms, the red areas is where the pain is felt)
it, is enough to stay on top of the problem.
If severe arthritis is the underlying cause,
some maintenance therapy may be
necessary, but that is often more affordable
and, for older patients, better tolerated than
surgery. In very few treatments the client
will know if it is going to work for them or
not, without financial commitment.
Physical Sense Gym & Physio is located
at 300 Colombo Street, Sydenham. There is
Back hip muscle that causes hip pain
a bus stop in front of the door and there is
ample parking. To enquire about specialised
exercise classes or physiotherapy treatment,
phone 377-2577 or visit www.triggerpoints.
co.nz.
Special SuperGold Card offer
Try our classes,
first four sessions FREE
PLUS
Come for a FREE ASSESSMENT
on Monday 27th February at 11.30am
and get a
FREE
PEDOMETER
just for giving it a try
HYSICAL SENSE
Ph: 377 2577
300 Colombo St, Sydenham
www.oos.co.nz/classes
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