A hip sprain can be a very traumatic injury due to the sturdiness and protection of the hip. Many people confuse a hip sprain with a hip strain a lot of the time. A hip sprain is to the ligaments of the hip, but they are hard ligaments to sprain because the hip is protected by the hip flexors and gluteus muscles which are some of the biggest in the body. The entire hip joint is made for stability, unlike the shoulder that is made for mobility.
Difference Between Hip Sprain vs. Hip Strain
A hip sprain is when the ligaments of the hip are stressed. Sprains and strains come in three grades with the worst being a complete tearing of the tissue. The difference with a sprain is that they refer to ligaments whereas strains refer to muscle tissue. A ligament connects bone to bone. In the case of the hip sprains the ligaments that are affected connect the femur to the hip. When a muscle strain occurs, the muscles are usually the psoas, illiacus, or the top of the rectus femoris.
Symptoms of Hip Sprain
- Pain in front of hip since femur is being pushed back
- Bruising and swelling in severe cases
- Pain in the hip form a sudden movement
- No Pain lifting tight forward (if there is the pain it is most likely a hip strain)
Symptoms of Hip Strain
- Sudden Pain
- Pain gets worse when lifting your knee
- Pain when bringing your knee backward
- Tender to the touch the hip
- Hip spasms
- Bruising or swelling
Causes of Hip Sprain
As stated above, a hip strain is not a common injury due to the stability of the hip joint.
- Poor warm up
- Overstretching
- A hard blow to femur or hip
- Arthritis
Causes of a Hip Strain
- Overuse of hip flexors
- Kicking sports
- Aerobics
- Cycling
- Martial arts and fighting
- Overstretching of hip flexors
Treatment for Hip Sprain
There are many different options to choose from when dealing with a hip strain. It all depends on your injury history, activity levels, need to be healthy again, and your self-discipline to do exercises on your own. Before you can do much, you need to be able to move and remove swelling.
- Stopping all things that hurt
- Apply ice to help reduce swelling as a last resort
- Use crutches if walking is painful
- Painkillers as a short-term solution
- See a healthcare provider
- Gradually build volume back up
- Surgery will be needed in rare cases of complete tear
- Full rehab must be done after surgery to return to full health
Treatment for Hip Strain
- Stopping all things that hurt
- Apply ice to help reduce swelling as a last resort
- Painkillers as a short-term solution
- See a healthcare provider
- Rehab to regain strength
- Foam roll hips
- Foram roll lower back
- Foam roll adductors
When to See a Professional For Your Hip Sprain or Hip Strain
If you feel like the self-treatment is not working you should see a sports medicine provider. They will be able to evaluate you and come up with an effective gameplan to return you to full health. Healthcare providers will be able to palpate your hips and lower body and relieve spots with the most tension. The type of providers you can work with include the following:
- Physical Therapist
- Acupuncturists
- Chiropractor
- Registered Dietitian
- Sports Physician
- Massage Therapist
- Holistic Healthcare providers
How to Find The Best Providers Local to You?
9INE POINT Health is the best way to find local providers that can help you with your hips and any other pain points. The reason is that 9INE POINT Health lets you search for healthcare providers based on the type of practitioner as well as a skill set. Let’s say you want to work with a massage therapist, but you also want someone who does the Active Release Technique, you can find the best local option on 9INE POINT Health. You can then sift through the different options and compare 9INE POINT Numbers before making a choice.
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
9INE POINT Health was created by 9INE POINT in '19 as a means to provide athlete-driven resources to "Protect Athletes' Minds, Body and Belly". As well as be a platform for healthcare providers and other specialists to display their knowledge.
