Thomas Edison once said, “There is time for everything”. We live in a very busy world, and it’s easy to ‘ignore the pain’ and just carry on. But as your physical therapists, we can tell you that it’s important to make time for a physical therapy evaluation if you have any pain or discomfort.
If you have hip pain, it’s important to rule out a fracture in the hip joint and seek physical therapy right away. This will protect your balance, ability to walk unhindered, eliminate pain and improve bone strength.
Depending upon the severity of the injury and the stage of recovery, physical therapy may involve a combination of exercise, stretching, balance training and pain relief modalities.
When the correct movement pattern is reinforced in the muscles and joints, the process of recovery begins. This is called ‘neuromuscular re-education’ and includes a variety of advanced techniques to speed up recovery.
The use of water as a medium to reduce pain and swelling, increase strength and improve mobility is also helpful. Massage under the guidance of the physical therapist also helps relieve pain and improve mobility. Several exercise programs can be prescribed to build core and pelvic floor strength to aid in balance and prevent falls. In some cases, the therapist may recommend mobility devices such as crutches and canes.