When people talk about hip injuries, most of the time they take it as a condition only the elderly experience. But the reality is that the hip is the most complex joint in the human body, which is located just behind the pelvis. In sports and other physical activities, the hip is what makes people move and stay on their feet.
Hip problems can happen to anyone, regardless of age and gender. Sports-related hip injuries are more common among professional athletes. Basketball, football and tennis players are some of the people who are more prone to hip injuries.
The hip joint is made up of a ball and socket. The ball part is called the femoral head and the socket is called the acetabulum. The ball is made of the femoral head and this joint is surrounded by the muscles of the hip and the acetabulum is made of the cartilages of the pubis and ilium bones.
Any problem going on with the hip joint can result to hip injury. The problem can be minor or major. The minor problem can be relieved by resting after the injury. But, even if the injury is minor, constant training can worsen the injury.
What Are the Common Hip Injuries for Athletes
Here are some of the common hip injuries that any athlete can experience:
Labral Tears – Also known as a hip labral tear, is common among athletes. This injury occurs when the soft tissue around the hip joint gets separated from the hip bone. Weightlifters and athletes who do squats are more prone to this hip injury. A labral tear can occur because of direct trauma to the hip when an athlete participates in sports that require jumping, landing and cutting.
Torn Hamstrings – Hamstrings are the muscles on the back of your upper leg. This muscle can be torn from an injury or strain. This injury is common among football players, especially when running. Hamstring tears can also be caused by overuse, or athletes straining to increase their speed or power. Another cause of this condition is an athlete’s inability to properly stretch before training or exercise.
Piriformis Syndrome – This condition is caused by an injury or an irritation of the sciatic nerve. Piriformis syndrome can be caused by an injury to the hip area because this muscle is close to the sciatic nerve. An athlete should avoid a lot of sitting, crossing the legs and standing for long periods of time.
Pes Anserine Tendinopathy – Also called as Tendinopathy of the Pes Anserine. Pes anserine is the tendons that help the knee to move and bend.
Acetabular Labral Tear -This injury usually occurs when the hip is twisted, in a position when the body is in improper alignment. It happens when the athlete suddenly stops running.
Hip Flexor Tendonitis -This injury occurs when the muscles of the hips and the groin get inflamed. This can happen after too much pressure is applied to the muscles or when the athlete does not warm up.
Pelvic Hip Pain – This can happen when the hip joint is injured.
Hip Muscle Strains – This injury happens when the muscles around the hip area get damaged. This can be caused by overstraining or by muscle imbalance.
How to Prevent Hip Injuries
In order to prevent hip injuries, you can do two things: condition exercises and dynamic stretching. Condition exercises are the exercises that you do in a very small area. Dynamic stretching is the exercise that stretches the muscles when you are moving. They are better than static stretching because it keeps the muscles of the hips flexible.
Conclusion
Hip injuries are very common in athletes. It is important that athletes should protect their hips by resting, doing exercises and massaging the hips when it gets inflamed. Proper stretches and warm-ups can also help athletes protect their hips from injuries.
Invigor Health provides sports physiotherapy that helps future-proof your body, fix your pain and prevent you from experiencing injuries. Let us help you stay in play and out of pain. Contact us today to get started!
