Your hips, which bear considerable weight, can become painful as a result of injury or disease. They can also suffer from stress brought on by the improper alignment of other parts of the body. The hip joint, like the body’s other joints, is a point at which tendons, muscles and bones come together to allow particular movement. As with the other joints, the hips are susceptible to pain and discomfort.

A leg-length discrepancy can cause imbalance in the hips, as can a biomechanical foot problem such as over- or under-pronation (meaning a foot rolls too much to the outside or inside when walking). Hip problems also can develop as a result of improper alignment of joints in the body’s lower extremities, namely the knees and ankles.

Some hip pain may not originate in the hip. For instance, if a nerve is pinched between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae, pain may show up in the hip. that’s called “referred pain.” When everything is properly aligned, the muscles and other parts of the legs will work properly and contribute to the smooth working of the hips. A chiropractor can use a variety of techniques to examine you and pinpoint the cause or causes of any hip discomfort. In examining you, they'll want to know if the discomfort came on suddenly or over time, and may want to use x-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to see what's going on on the inside.

Presented as a service to the community by: Union County Chiropractic Clinic, 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, TN (865) 992-7000 www.unioncountychiropractic.com