Finding Hip Pain Relief: The Power of Adjusting Your Stride
Experiencing hip pain can be a debilitating feeling. Your hips bear most of your weight when walking or running, and when you experience discomfort in them, it can impact your daily activities and lifestyle. There are several different reasons why you may be experiencing hip pain or discomfort, like having a degenerative disease, a past injury, or an off-balance stride. While there are several different treatments available for hip pain, some often overlook how you can adjust the way you walk. Adjusting your stride can be the first step in alleviating hip pain or discomfort. While it may not be a cure, it can improve comfort and promote mobility.
How Hip Pain is Connected to Your Stride?
Your stride, or the way you walk, can cause chronic hip pain if done incorrectly. Stride includes several different factors of walking and running, like the length of your steps, your body’s posture, and the force you allow when taking steps. Having an unbalanced stride can lead to extreme discomfort or pain. Making simple adjustments can help with hip pain relief.
Your hips tend to bear most of the body’s weight when walking or running. If your stride is uneven, off-balanced, too long, or too short, it can place an unnecessary amount of stress on the joints and muscles of the hip. Adjusting your foot alignment, stride length, and posture are a few ways you can improve your stride in promoting hip pain relief.
Stride Adjustments: Providing Hip Pain Relief
Knowing the adjustments you can make to your stride will improve your hip health and overall mobility. A well-balanced stride and gait will allow the distribution of force and stress evenly across the joints and muscles. When your stride becomes altered due to an injury, disease, or discomfort, you will be more prone to experiencing chronic hip pain or worsening the condition you may already have. Most people tend to put more weight on the hip that is not hurting in hopes of reducing their pain. This can actually cause more discomfort. Here are a few adjustments you can make when fixing your stride and gait to improve mobility and comfort.
1. Foot Alignment
Having correct foot alignment while you walk is one of the first steps in improving your stride. Make sure your feet land in a neutral position while your toes are pointing forward. Consider purchasing insoles for your shoes if you notice discomfort when adjusting your foot alignment. Having a wider stance when walking can also improve your stride and reduce hip pain and discomfort. This will engage different muscle groups and reduce pressure on your hips.
2. Shortening Your Stride
Focus on taking shorter, more controlled steps rather than longer steps and having an overstride. Shorter steps will allow your foot to land closer to your body, reducing the impact of weight on your hips, and minimizing joint pain.
3. Pelvic Tilt and Hip Rotation
Most people walk with a pelvic tilt, creating an imbalance leading to strain on the hip muscles and ligaments. Along with pelvic tilt, many individuals have some hip rotation. Excessive or inadequate hip rotation can place strain on the muscles and joints. A lack of rotation can lead to stiffness, while over-rotation can cause instability and pain. Adjusting your pelvic tilt and your hip rotation to be neutral rather than forward or backward will allow a form of hip pain relief.
4. Engaging Your Core and Glutes
Engaging your core and glutes while walking will help stabilize the hips. A strong core helps support your pelvis, reducing the strain on your hip joints. To engage your core, focus on maintaining slight tension in your abdominal muscles as you walk, and engage your glutes to continue reducing the stress on your hips and promoting proper hip function.
5. Maintaining an Upright Posture
Good posture is essential when adjusting your stride. Keeping your head up, shoulders back, and spine straight while you walk or run will help take off any unnecessary pressure on your hips and lower back. A strong, upright posture will allow for more efficient movement and alleviate discomfort.
6. Taking Breaks
When walking for extended periods of time, you should allow yourself time to rest and take a break to prevent fatigue and overuse. Long periods of repetitive movements can make hip pain worse, so try giving yourself time to rest and recover.
Understanding Hip Pain and Its Causes
The joint of the hip is called a ball-and-socket joint. This joint supports the body’s weight while allowing a wide range of motion. The hip joint is considered to be the largest and most important joint in the body, allowing for movements like walking or running. Although it may be one of the most important joints, the hip joint is vulnerable to conditions that can lead to discomfort. Here are some common causes of hip pain:
- Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes cartilage in the hip joint to wear down. This can not only result in pain and discomfort but also in stiffness and reduced mobility.
- Bursitis: When the bursa, a fluid-filled sac cushioning the hip joint, is inflamed, pain and discomfort in the side of the hip are commonly experienced.
- Tendinitis: When the tendon is strained or overused, you may experience tendinitis, which leads to severe discomfort or pain.
- Injuries: Injuries to the hip can also cause chronic hip pain.
While many of these conditions require medical treatment or physical therapy, adjusting your stride can significantly reduce strain on your hip joint and help you find hip pain relief. Before looking into physical therapy, medical treatments, or surgery, try adjusting your stride first so you can alleviate discomfort quickly.
Book an Appointment With Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute Today!
At JOI, you can easily schedule a new patient appointment through our website. Connect with a physician who specializes in hip pain relief to help address your discomfort and improve your quality of life. Contact us today to book a consultation and discover the range of services we offer to alleviate hip pain.