How A Doctor Diagnoses Hip Problems
When a patient visits a hip specialist to help diagnose a hip problem, there are three parts to the examination the medical history, the physical examination, and diagnostic imaging.
During the medical history, the hip surgeon will try to find out if you have developed your problem through heredity, through lifestyle habits or through a sudden sports injury. This will give the physician the best idea of how to find out exactly what is wrong, and then suggest proper treatment of the injury. You should indicate to your doctor if you have been using steroids since they can cause joint inflammation. Lyme Disease from the deer tick and rheumatoid arthritis can also trigger joint inflammation, for instance.
Following the medical history, your doctor will give a physical examination to hear or feel what is wrong. This portion of the exam is somewhat like a carpenter trying to find out why a hinge on a door is squeaking or is not properly aligned by opening and closing the door a few times to listen to what is going on. This will show the doctor which tests he or she should perform to find out the cause of your pain.
Next, the physician may have an MRI or x-ray image taken of your hip. An X-ray often times does not provide the clarity needed to see precisely what is wrong. In these instances, an MRI or CT-Scan is used. X-rays, for example, only show bones. MRI and CT-Scans show soft tissues.
Holistic And Osteopathic Specialists
Both osteopaths and chiropractors fall under this category. Osteopaths are physicians who have additional training with regards to the musculoskeletal system. They are also well acquainted with how lifestyle changes can treat various ailments such as back pain.
Chiropractors are able to adjust your spine into its proper alignment. These adjustments can provide immediate relief, and regular appointments can help maintain spinal health.
What Do Symptoms Mean Can You Self
Helpful information about hip pain, the following symptoms may indicate a serious problem:
- The pain causes you to limp
- The legs feel as though they are different lengths
- You have a limited range of motion in the hip and you hear creaking noises when move it
- Rest relieves the pain and using it hurts
- The hip feels stiff
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Ask About Specific Red
While rare, certain types of sciatic nerve pain may indicate a medical emergency and require immediate treatment. Ask your doctor if there are specific red-flag symptoms that you need to look out for. Understanding these symptoms can help you make a timely visit to the doctor and prevent serious complications.
See When Sciatica Pain Is a Medical Emergency
As a general rule, if you have worsening neurological signs and symptoms, if neurological deficits occur in both legs, if you have bladder or bowel incontinence, or if symptoms occur after an accident or trauma, you should seek immediate medical attention. These signs and symptoms may indicate serious medical conditions such as cauda equina syndrome, which must be treated on an urgent basis to preserve leg function.
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More strength, faster gains having looser hips increases speed and strength, which combine to give you power. When you increase power, you increase performance in sports and competition. In sports, all of your power comes from the hips.
Sleep like a baby one of the most powerful effects of the program is giving you back a good nights sleep. When your body is better aligned, less discomfort means better sleep for your body to rejuvenate so you feel fresher, stronger and full of energy.
Fire your therapist say goodbye to expensive trips to your physical therapist to treat the same old injury over and over again. Treat the root cause and youll save a small fortune in treatment bills.
Get back in the gym- no more laying off in the vain hope your condition will get better by itself. After just a few days of using the sequential flow of Unlock Your Hip Flexors, youll feel much better, stronger and ready to return to the gym.
Throw out those pain killers no longer will you need to down pill after pill to stave off the pain in your back, legs and hips. Unlock Your Hip Flexors shows you how to deal with the CAUSE of your strength and flexibility problems, not the EFFECTS.
If youve been struggling with nagging aches and pains stopping you from working out like a boss, fixing your hip flexor problem will bring life back to your body.
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Hip Doctor In North Dakota
When hip pain is left untreated, it may result in permanent disability. If youre experiencing any of the symptoms above, visit our experts at The Bone & Joint Center today.
Our orthopedic team can diagnose and treat a wide range of hip-related problems using conservative and surgical methods. Our very own Dr. Brian Dahl and Dr. Timothy Bopp have restored the normal hip function of countless patients with arthritis, hip fracture, and hip impingement syndrome.
To schedule an appointment, call 424-2663 or fill out our online appointment request form. We have several locations across North Dakota to serve you. Give us a call today and find out how we can help you find relief from hip pain.
How Orthopedic Treatment Can Help
Orthopedic spine specialists who don’t have a specialty in orthopedic surgery use non-surgical methods to treat patients who suffer from lower back pain. They specialize in musculoskeletal disorders that affect the lower back in people with sports injuries and other traumatic injuries, as well as disorders and diseases of the spine. They may work with other spine specialists mentioned above to manage the lower back pain and restore movement.
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Why Go To An Orthopedic Doctor
There are a variety of medical doctors who treat specific sets of conditions. Because it is impossible for one physician to treat all types of conditions and injuries that affect the human body, doctors specialize in subfields of medicine. Through this specialization, a physician becomes an expert in a distinct subfield of medicine and can diagnose, treat, and prevent issues within that subfield. One such field is orthopedics.
An orthopedic physician is an expert on the musculoskeletal system . Because back pain is most often caused by injury or damage to one of these components in the back, orthopedic physicians are often referred to for diagnosis and treatment.
Using advanced education and training, orthopedic physicians can pinpoint the exact cause of the back pain. Back pain can be caused by a variety of reasons, including a fracture, herniated disc, muscle strain, or damage to connective tissue. Orthopedic doctors can correctly diagnose the exact cause of the back pain and recommend effective treatment for it.
Orthopedic physicians have access to state-of-the-art and advanced medical technology and treatments that are proven to be effective for musculoskeletal issues. Because of this, when a patient has back pain, orthopedic physicians can offer treatments that will give fast and effective results. Using various methods for pain reduction, which include injections, medication, and physical therapy, orthopedic physicians can offer long-term relief from back pain.
Types Of Doctors That Might Treat Your Back Pain
Back pain seems to be a problem that plagues so many, so it can be easy to operate under the assumption that treatment is relatively interchangeable. There are actually many different types of doctors that specialize in more specific areas of treatment when it comes to back injury or chronic pain.
It is important that you seek help from the correct type of doctor if you want your pain addressed in the most expedient and thorough fashion. Here is a more in-depth look at the most common types of spine doctors and how they might be able to help you with your pain.
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Common Causes Of Back Pain
Two of the most common reasons for back pain are muscle strains or ligament sprains. Obesity and bad posture can put strain on your back and make it hurt. Arthritis and other changes in your spine as you get older can cause back pain. More serious causes of the condition include a ruptured disc or fractured vertebrae. Possible causes of back pain include:
-
Herniated disc, when the soft center of spinal disc slips out of place
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Osteoporosis, a disease that thins and weakens bones including the vertebrae
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Osteomyelitis, a bone infection
Back Pain Treatment At Home
The good news is that, given time, most back pain gets better on its own. Over-the-counter pain medication may help ease your symptoms. You can also try applying hot or cold packs to reduce your back pain. Both heat and cold stimulate the nerves so use whichever you prefer and see what works best for you. Doctors more commonly recommend heat to relax tight muscles, but you may find ice reduces swelling. Use your heat or cold pack for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Dont apply the heat or cold treatment directly to skin. Rest and avoiding activities that especially put strain on your back may also help while you heal. However, doctors dont generally recommend bed rest when your back hurts.
But if the pain is severe, ongoing, or accompanied by other symptoms such as numbness or tingling in your arms or legs, it may be time to see a back doctor. Start with someone who specializes in nonsurgical treatment for back pain. This can include a physiatrist, chiropractor, or orthopaedic physician assistant.
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At What Age Do Most Hip Injuries Occur
Most hip injuries occur with older people. This is because their hips have had decades of use and impact. Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of various hip injuries. This is otherwise known as wear and tear arthritis. Older patients, particularly females, are also prone to having osteoporosis, the deterioration of their bones. In the hips, this leads to fractures during falls.
What Do They Aim To Achieve
Chiropractic cares primary aim is the removal and prevention of musculoskeletal-related problems. They focus on restoring normal functional movement to the spine and strengthening the surrounding structures.
Physiotherapy primarily aim is to improve the movement and function of your joints and muscles to get you back to normal mobility. They focus on exercises to improve flexibility, mobility and strength.
As you can see their goals are essentially the same.
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Youre Having Problems With Your Bowels Or Urination
If your back pain is paired with a loss of control over your bowels or urination, then its time to seek help immediately at a local emergency room. These symptoms point to cauda equina syndrome, where the nerves in the lower spine have become paralyzed. While rare, this syndrome can be permanently damaging to the nerves if left untreated. If you experience these symptoms, especially accompanied by numbness in the legs, then you may need surgery to decompress the nerves and preserve their overall function.
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Best Doctors For Back Pain
Since you shouldn’t try to diagnose your own back pain, make your first call to a professional who can assess your problem, such as a primary care physician or a chiropractor.
Both can serve as an entry point for back pain.
Generally speaking, your primary care provider will only offer pain medications or injections designed to reduce pain, but not necessarily correct the issue.
Chiropractors on the other hand, have much more training when it comes to addressing back pain.
A chiropractors training contains over 150 more hours of education in biomechanics, while medical students learn more about pharmaceuticals.
Chiropractors use posture exercises and hands-on spinal manipulation to relieve back pain, improve function, and help the body heal itself.
According to Harvard Health, the most positive research on chiropractic therapy has focused on spinal manipulation for low back pain.
Here’s a few quotes including the scientific journal reference discussing chiropractic care for back pain:
âFor patients with chronic low back pain, clinicians and patients should initially selectnon-pharmacologic treatment with exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction , tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise, progressive relaxation, electromyography biofeedback, low-level laser therapy, operant therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or spinal manipulation .â
American College of Physicians
Goertz et al. , Spine
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When Its Severe Pain
If your pain is severe and ongoing, its time to see a specialist such as an orthopedist or a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor, which is sometimes called a physiatrist, Dr. Gordon says.
An orthopedist is a surgeon who is devoted to the prevention, diagnosis and surgical and non-surgical treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles.
Some orthopedists are generalists, while others specialize in certain areas of the body such as hip and knee, foot and ankle or shoulder and elbow, Dr. Gordon says.
A physiatrist is a medical doctor who has completed training in the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation and may be subspecialty certified in other areas, such as brain injury medicine, neuromuscular medicine or sports medicine.
Physiatrists focus treatment on function and treat the whole person, not just the problem area. They have broad medical expertise that allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a persons lifetime.
Ix Referred Pain To The Lumbar Spine
Pain in the area of the lumbar spine may be due to important problems that are actually unrelated to the back.Referred pain occurs when a problem in one place in the body causes pain in another place. The pain travels down a nerve. For example, a pinched nerve in the neck may cause pain that is felt in the arm or hand. Sources of referred pain may include abdominal aneurysm , tubal pregnancy, kidney stones, pancreatitis, and colon cancer. Clues to these maladies include pain that waxes and wanes over a short period, with frequent peaks of intense pain, weight loss, abnormalities found during abdominal exam, and trace amounts of blood in the urine.
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How Can Back Pain Be Prevented
In most cases, you can prevent back pain by making changes to your lifestyle.
Doing exercise helps to keep your back flexible and strong. Exercise improves your posture and helps your muscles to support your spine. Exercises that can help prevent back pain include:
- low-impact aerobic exercise
- strengthening exercises, such as lifting weights, climbing stairs or hiking hills
- stretching exercises, such as Pilates and yoga
Maintaining a good posture is important when you sit at home, in your workplace, or in your car. Try not to slouch, and use equipment that supports your back, such as a lumbar support or footstool if you need.
Keeping a healthy weight is also important. Excess fat can strain your back and lead to back pain, sciatica and inflammation.
Practise safe lifting in your home or workplace. Whenever you pick up a heavy load, squat down, hold the object close to your body, and lift with your legs.
In addition:
- Quit smoking Smoking increases your chances of developing persistent back pain.
- Relax Learning relaxation techniques and mindfulness can help to reduce stress and muscle tension in your back.
- Avoid high heels wearing high heels can place strain on your back.
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Ii What Are The Causes Of Lower Back Pain
The vast majority of patients experience back pain because of mechanical reasons. They strain a muscle from heavy lifting or twisting, suffer a sudden jolt in a car accident, experience stress on spinal bones and tissues resulting in a herniated disc, or suffer from osteoarthritis, a potentially painful degeneration of one or more joints. Common causes for low back pain are as follows:
- Mechanical or Functional Injury
To choose the safest and most effective therapy, doctors need to consider the full spectrum of possible underlying issues, such as inflammatory conditions, fracture, infection, as well as some serious conditions unrelated to the back that radiate pain to the back.
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Is It Back Pain Or Hip Pain Getting To The Root Of The Problem
If you have pain in your low back, hips, and other areas in your lower body, the source isnt always easy to pinpoint. Your pain may originate in your lumbar spine or your hipor bothand its important that your doctor identifies the source of the problem, so you receive the right treatment.
Because the hips and lower spine are located so closely together, its easy to mistake back pain for hip pain . Regardless of the origin, most low back pain and hip pain share a common cause: normal wear and tear on the body due to aging or triggered by overuse injuries . Lumbar sprains and strains, osteoarthritis, and herniated discs are common degenerative culprits behind low back and hip pain.Determining if pain is back or hip related can be difficult to distinguish because the lower back and hips are close to each other. Photo Source: 123RF.com.
What Others Are Saying About Unlock Your Hip Flexors
Stronger & Faster Than Ever
Being an athlete all my life and having endured multiple knee surgeries due to blowing out ACLs in both knees, I later started to develop a hip issue in my right hip due to the years of wear and tear. It actually got so bad it was hard for me to perform as an athlete as well as be a productive coach for my clients.
After getting an MRI to have it checked out, I realized I had a degenerative arthritic condition in the hip that is not reversible. Surgery was not an option I wanted to go through so I contacted Rick Kaselj to see if he had something for me. When I started to apply the strategies from Unlock Your Hip Flexors it helped me re-balance my pelvis and hip joint to where I couldnt even tell I had an issue anymore.
These days Im stronger and faster than ever and still competing in sports. Rick gave me the ability to perform at my highest level as a coach and regain the athletic ability I had lost over the years from wear and tear. Ive been using Ricks strategies for years to help myself manage and recover from injuries as well as countless members of the fitness community. I couldnt recommend this product enough!
Frank Daniels, CPT
AlanJenks.com
Helped Me Deadlift 500 Pounds
If you do any kind of explosive lifting Unlock Your Hip Flexors can definitely help you add pounds to your max!
Chris Wilson, SNC, RKC, CPT Head Strength Coach, Critical Bench
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