Nor'West News: October 22, 2019

12 Tuesday October 22 2019
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
HEALTH & AWARENESS
Hip pain: Do I have arthritis or
could it be mainly my muscles?
NOR’WEST NEWS
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
Hip muscle that causes hip pain
(the crosses are the areas of the muscle spasms, the red areas is where the pain is felt)
(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 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.
Back hip muscle that causes hip pain
Physical Sense Gym & Physio is located
at 300 Colombo Street, Sydenham.
There is 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. Call before
end of October for your FREE assessment.
Physical Sense Gym and Physio is located at 300 Colombo Street, Sydenham. The Blue Line Bus stops 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
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