Tips for Healthy Hips – ThedaCare

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic despatched tens of millions of Americans residence from workplaces to working distant as a approach to restrict the unfold of the virus. Now, two years later, a lot of these staff proceed to make money working from home by selection. An sudden consequence of this development is a rise in hip-related illnesses. 

“There are a number of reasons why our hips can get painful when we are sitting a lot,” stated Justin Guzman, PA-C, a licensed doctor assistant at ThedaCare Orthopedic Care. “Our bodies were not made to remain in a repetitive position; they were made to move and change positions. When we don’t move, our muscles and joints get tight and sore, and bursitis and pain from arthritis can result.”  

Guzman defined what would possibly trigger hip points. 

“Sitting in a hip-flexed position for long periods of time causes our hip flexors, which run along the top part of our thigh into the pelvic region, to get short and tight,” he stated. “Then the muscles on our backside – our gluteus muscles – get long and weak because we are not really using them. The result is we end up feeling super tight in the front and a little weak in the back.” 

And that’s when somebody would possibly discover some ache.  

“When our flexors are tight and our gluteus muscles are weak and we start doing fun activities that we enjoy, those muscle groups can’t keep up,” he Guzman stated. “Then we end up with hip bursitis or gluteal tendinitis that cause hip pain.” 

Arthritis will be one other supply of hip ache. Guzman famous arthritis causes deep groin ache and tends to make individuals really feel stiff after sitting for lengthy durations of time. Then, in the event that they attempt to do plenty of exercise, the ache can improve considerably. 

For most instances of hip ache, motion is drugs, particularly for arthritis points and for tight muscle mass. 

“Moving helps get blood flowing to the muscles and increases joint fluid,” stated Guzman. “When we’re moving, our synovial capsules release fluid into our joints, which lubricates them and acts as a shock absorber. That makes it important for people who sit at a desk to get up and move often. Take a break every 20 minutes or so and move around. When you’re on a phone call, stand up and move around, or drink a lot of water so you have to go to the bathroom.” 

Guzman stated it’s additionally necessary that individuals who make money working from home have a very good, ergonomic chair.  

“A good desk chair is key because positioning is important,” he stated. “Your chair should provide good lumbar support to keep your spine and pelvis in a neutral position. Your hips should be flexed at a 90-degree angle so that your thighs are parallel with the floor, and your feet should be flat on the floor. Your shoulders should be relaxed and in a neutral position. The ergonomics of your entire desk space, including the position of your screen, keyboard and mouse, is important so you are not creating pressure from the neck down through the spine and not forcing your core or gluteus muscles into awkward holding positions that put pressure on the hip joint.” 

Guzman stated sit-to-stand desks or standing desks are good choices from a hip, again and core power standpoint.  

Exercising commonly additionally will assist stop arthritis and muscle ache. Guzman stated stretching the place you might be tight, and strengthening the place you might be weak, may help. He advisable hip flexor stretches, together with standing lunge stretches, knee lunges and bridge lifts, pretty much as good methods to loosen tight muscle mass. To strengthen the gluteal muscle mass, Guzman instructed a clamshell train.  

“Put a therapy band around your knees and spread your knees apart and then bring them together slowly, using the resistance of the band,” he stated. “Do 20 reps to fatigue. Three sets of 20 reps to fatigue every other day would be a good amount of strengthening. The beauty of this exercise is it’s something that you can do right at your desk.” 

He added that bridge lifts, planks and aspect planks are extra superior workout routines for core and gluteus muscle strengthening.  

“What’s important is to start slow and stack days of success in a row, and then try to do more from a strength and stamina point today than you did yesterday, interspersed with a day of rest,” he stated. “That’s how you want to build up from a strength and stamina standpoint.” 

Guzman additionally advisable various low-impact cardio actions as different train choices. Walking, strolling on an elliptical machine, biking and swimming are good in your joints from an arthritis or tendinitis standpoint. An individual will get train, however not add violent influence forces by joints. 

Paying consideration to hip and joint ache is necessary.  

“Prevention and treatment go hand-in-hand,” stated Guzman. “Not treating hip pain can result in progressively weakened hips that move into tendinitis and bursitis. The longer things are inflamed, the harder they are to heal. It takes six to eight weeks to strengthen muscles, and it’s hard to strengthen them once they are inflamed and painful. If we stay on top of our strength and flexibility, we can help prevent hip problems.”