They’re your hips!

You need them for a good golf swing, dancing, a healthy pregnancy and to support your spine (and head). They anchor your legs so you can walk and you sit on them too.

Your hips are really two large bones (each made up of three fused bones) that are attached to your sacrum – the base of your spine. They are strapped to your sacrum with lots of ligaments. Around your hips are lots of tendons that attach to many muscles.

What happens if your hips are out of alignment?

If your spine is out of alignment (it’s subluxated), your hips may “do the twist” causing one leg to appear shorter than the other.

One leg isn’t really shorter than the other. It just seems that way because your legs attach to your hips. If one hip is a little higher than the other, then one leg appears longer and one appears shorter. This is most obvious when you lie down. That’s why chiropractors sometimes have patients lie down (usually face down) to measure their leg length difference. This is one sign your body structure is off-balance.

Why do my hips hurt?

Apart from causing problems with your tailor, uneven hips can cause unnatural wear and tear on your spine, arthritis and/or lumbar (lower back) disc bulging, any of which can lead to leg and sciatica pain. If your pubic bones (the front of your hips) are not aligned it may cause sacroiliac pain and pain during pregnancy and childbirth.

Unhappy hips also can cause fatigue and exhaustion because you will be out of alignment with gravity.

Signs of Hip Problems

Signs of hip problems include:

• a bad golf swing
• difficulty standing or sitting for long periods
• leg problems
• knee pain
• foot problems such as bunions
• shoulder problems – your hips and shoulders work together – if one is moving improperly the motion of the other will be affected.

Chiropractic care and your hips

A chiropractic checkup will help ensure a balanced and healthy spine, hip, pelvis and femur (thigh bone) relationship. This ensure that you have a more stable, balanced pedestal from which to work, play, carry children (especially if you are pregnant), and be pain-free and have more energy.

A healthy spine-hip relationship is especially important during childhood – that’s why infants, babies and children of all ages should get a chiropractic checkup. It can help ensure a healthier body for life.

If you are experiencing any discomfort or pain in you hips please schedule an appointment with us. We’d love to help you. Call 517 627 4547.

Research Source: De Jong MR, der Elst MV, Hartholt KA. Drug-related falls in older patients: implicated drugs, consequences, and possible prevention strategies. Ther Adv Drug Saf. 2013;4(4):141-146.