Hip Archives - Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy

Hip Pain Specialist in Visalia

If you are looking for a hip pain specialist in Visalia, there are some natural treatments that you may know about. In fact, physical therapy is your best bet for bothersome hip pain

There are several issues that can lead to hip pain and disability. Two conditions that are frequently responsible for this type of pain—especially in older women—are gluteal tendinitis and greater trochanteric bursitis. These two diagnoses describe separate problems, but they are so closely related that the terms are often used interchangeably.

Trochanteric Bursitis Versus Gluteal Tendinitis

Within your hip joint, like nearly every other joint in the body, there is a fluid-filled sac called a bursa. This structure provides a thin cushion that reduces friction between bones and other surfaces and allows a smooth, gliding motion of the joint. The bursa is located on the outside of the hip called the greater trochanter, and it can become damaged or inflamed for a number of reasons. This inflammation is called greater trochanteric bursitis, or greater trochanteric pain syndrome.

A similar condition involves the gluteal tendons, which are the tough fibers that connect the gluteal muscles in your buttocks to your hip bone. If one or more of these tendons are injured, the resulting condition is known as gluteal tendinitis, or gluteal tendinopathy.

Two Different Conditions with a Common Cause

Greater trochanteric bursitis and gluteal tendinitis both occur for similar reasons, with the most common cause being gradual damage from repeated activity that accumulates over time. Individuals who frequently use their hips in work or recreational activities are therefore more likely to overstrain their hips over time and experience these issues. Age is also a factor, as about 25% of women over the age of 50 are affected.

Symptoms of both conditions are also quite similar, with hip pain and tenderness being the hallmark signs in either case. This pain tends to be concentrated on the outside of the hip or thigh, and may often grow worse with activities like climbing stairs and when sleeping or lying down. Because these two conditions are so closely related and frequently occur together, in many cases either term is used to describe the same problem.

Physical therapy found to be superior compared to injections

Steroid injections are one of the more commonly used treatments for gluteal tendinitis/greater trochanteric bursitis, despite the fact that some studies have called their long-term use into question. Physical therapy represents another popular treatment option, and with this in mind, a study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of steroid injections, physical therapy, and a wait-and-see approach.

The results revealed that after both eight and 52 weeks, physical therapy led to greater improvements than the other two approaches.

This study provides further support of physical therapy as an effective intervention in the short and long term for gluteal tendinitis/greater trochanteric bursitis. Therefore, patients who are currently dealing with hip pain of any sort are strongly encouraged to consult with a physical therapist to identify the cause of your symptoms and begin a structured treatment program right away.

For More Information Contact Us Today at (559) 733-2478

We have two offices that have specialists that treat both trochanteric bursitis and gluteal tendinitis. Click here for our contact information.

Hip Replacement Rehabilitation in Visalia

Physical therapy is crucial for getting back on your feet after hip replacement surgery. The good news is Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy specialize in hip replacement rehabilitation in Visalia and Hanford.

Hip Replacement or Hip Arthroplasty Can Alleviate Severe Pain But…

Hip replacements have consistently grown in popularity to become one of the most frequently performed orthopedic surgeries. Since first being introduced in 1960, the technique and the prosthesis used have been continually improved upon and perfected over time. All along, the goal has been to help patients recover more quickly and with less pain, so they can get back to doing the things they love.

Hip replacement surgery—which can be either partial or complete— is used to treat patients with severe osteoarthritis or a hip fracture after all other conservative (non-surgical) treatments have failed. The procedure removes damaged bone and cartilage from the painful hip and replaces it with a prosthetic, or artificial hip. If successful, the end result will relieve pain, improve joint mobility and restore or improve a patient’s ability to safely perform daily activities like walking, standing, and climbing stairs.

The surgery itself, however, is not the end of the story. In order to have a successful recovery, it’s incredibly important that the patient follows a course of physical therapy following the hip replacement. Physical therapy is a necessary component of the recovery process that will help patients regain their flexibility, build back their strength, and gradually return to everyday activities.

Highlights of hip arthroplasty rehabilitation in Visalia

In most cases, a physical therapist will come to the patient’s bedside on the first or second day after surgery to begin post-operative treatment. This period of time is called the acute phase of recovery, and the therapist will help you with tasks like turning in bed and rising to a sitting position, getting out of bed to stand, and walking with an assistive device like a walker or crutches a short distance. The therapists will also begin some gentle exercises to increase flexibility and strength at this time.

Some time after being discharged from the hospital, patients will begin an outpatient treatment program at a local clinic will begin. During this time, physical therapists will continue to focus on helping patients with walking and stair climbing, balance, full movement of the leg and new hip, and transferring to the bed, chair and car. They will also incorporate specific muscle strengthening to improve the patient’s ability to stand and walk safely and independently.

Sometimes a Good Home Program is All That is Needed

In some cases, our physical therapist may have enough confidence in a patient to prescribe an unsupervised rehabilitation program to be performed at home. While less capable patients may require the specific guidance of a physical therapist at the clinic, a recent study has shown that both supervised and unsupervised treatment programs can lead to similar results after surgery:

The results demonstrated that outcomes in response to rehabilitation after hip total replacement surgery are clinically and statistically similar whether the program was supervised or not. The results suggest that early rehabilitation programs can be effectively delivered unsupervised in the home to low-risk patients discharged home after surgery.

Patients who are scheduled to have a hip replacement surgery are therefore encouraged to confirm that physical therapy is part of their recovery plan, and to participate in it fully in order to experience the best possible outcomes.

When a Home Program Isn’t Enough – Give Us a Call

If the home program isn’t enough to get you back to walking normally or you don’t have good pain relief after the procedure, then total hip replacement physical therapy program may be for you. Contact us for additional information and details. We accept most insurance plans and can usually get you in within a few days.