What is a Hip Stress Fracture?
A hip stress fracture is a hairline crack usually in the femoral neck, which is the short connective length of bone between the femoral head and the main shaft of the femur. The femoral neck is a narrow section of bone at the top of the femur, between the bulbous bone structures of the Greater Trochanter and Femoral Head. Due to the location and the forces it is exposed to, it is more susceptible to stress fractures from overuse activity.
What causes a Hip Stress Fracture?
The main cause of a stress fracture is repetitive strain placed through the bone which overwhelms the bones ability to adapt. The repeated strain causes minor damage to the bone tissue and if there is insufficient interval between periods of activity, to allow the bone to heal, then the damage becomes cumulative. This usually happens when someone takes up a new, repetitive and strenuous activity such as running. Stress fractures can occur in other areas of the hip and pelvis, but the femoral neck is the most common.
What are the symptoms of a Hip Stress Fracture?
Above: Stress fractures can occur from any age and are commonly a result from overuse.The symptoms of a Pelvic stress fracture will vary depending on the severity of the fracture and its location. Symptoms of Pelvic Stress fracture may include;
- Pain or dull ache, deep in the hip or pelvic region.
- Sharp pain, when performing aggravating actions like standing, walking or running.
- Tenderness in the soft tissues over the site of fracture.
- Pain may refer throughout the hip and groin or down the thighs to the knee.
- Sensation of weakness in lower limbs.
How is a Hip Stress Fracture diagnosed?
A doctor or physiotherapist will gather a detailed history of your condition including questions about your activities and exercise, and then physically asses the affected hip to confirm a diagnosis. Your doctor or physiotherapist will likely refer you for an X-ray, bone scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of your hip to give a more accurate diagnosis.
To book yourself an appointment or for more information about how physiotherapy can treat hip stress fractures, please email office@liverpoolphysio.co.uk or ring us on 0151 558 0077.
What would a physiotherapy assessment for a Hip Stress Fracture involve?
At Liverpool Physio, we want to gain as much information as possible about your condition to ensure we give you the best treatment. In your first appointment with us, our physiotherapists will carry out an assessment which has two parts:
Subjective
A discussion between you and our physiotherapist to find out the cause of your injury and what symptoms you are experiencing, and how your injury is affecting you and your lifestyle.
Objective
An assessment of your range of pain, range of movement, and a series of special tests to identify the presence of the Pelvic Stress Fractures.
What would a physiotherapy treatment for a Hip Stress Fracture involve?
Like any other fracture, the initial treatment involves resting the affected structures to allow the bone to begin healing. As the hip is deep in muscle tissue and hard to isolate from movement or pressure, activity modification advice will be given to limit stress to the bones during recovery. Other treatments for Pelvic stress fracture may include;
- Heat treatments to alleviate pain and stiffness.
- Soft tissue massage to reduce pain and stretch tight muscles.
- Mobilisation exercises to maintain range of movement and flexibility.
- Gentle progressive strengthening exercises to improve pelvic joint stability.
- Advice on activity modification to prevent re-injury.
- Ultrasound therapy to facilitate tissue healing.
- Gait re-education to correct any biomechanical abnormalities that may have arisen whilst trying to compensate for pain or weakness in the hip.
- Personalised rehabilitation program, with targeted functional exercises to return you to normal daily activities and sports participation.
With more severe fractures surgery may be necessary to help fix the displaced bones back into their correct position before healing can begin. The use of mobility aids may be advised to improve stability during the early stages of healing. Throughout the healing process physiotherapy can help you achieve the best possible functional recovery in the quickest possible time.
If you would like more information on how physiotherapy can treat pelvic stress fractures, or to book an appointment, please email
office@liverpoolphysio.co.uk
or ring us on
0151 558 0077
.
How can I arrange a physiotherapy assessment for a Hip Stress Fracture?
If you are experiencing sharp pain, dull aching or swelling in your hip, and are unable to bear weight through it, you may have a neck of Femur fracture and should seek medical attention. Once diagnosed, weather you require surgical intervention or not, you would benefit from an appointment with one of our experienced physiotherapists to ensure a quicker and fuller recovery.
You can contact us directly to arrange an assessment and we can advise you if further treatment is recommended, or give you details on self-management for minor cases. To arrange an appointment please email office@liverpoolphysio.co.uk or call 0151 558 007I .
Summary
Stress fractures may present with symptoms similar to muscle or ligament strains but will require very different treatment. For this reason, it is important that you get your hip assessed as soon as you realise there is a problem.
Whatever the severity of the fracture, if it is treated conservatively or with surgical intervention, early physiotherapy treatment will help you mobilise earlier and achieve a quicker, fuller recovery. We will use a combination of pain relief techniques, stretches and functional exercises to relieve your symptoms and return you confidently to the normal activities of daily living. At Liverpool Physio we will target your personal recovery goals as part of your tailored rehabilitation exercise programme.
For more information about how Physiotherapy can help treat hip stress fractures, or to book yourself an appointment, please email office@liverpoolphysio.co.uk or ring us on 0151 558 0077.
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