Hips

Loosen restrictive tightness 

restore flexibility to twist and bend

Problem:

As adults we use our hips to walk straight or turn corners, but not to hop forward-sideways-backward the way we did as children or during certain sports (tennis, basketball, soccer). Thus, over time hip muscles become bigger and stronger, but less and less flexible. Gradually, especially for those who stand a lot on their jobs, hips become so tight that they ache during even moderate usage. This condition causes two major problems. 1: muscles running from low back vertebra across buttocks to outside of thigh become way too tight and inflexible, pull on vertebra too strongly, causing them to rotate away from their anatomically correct locations. 2: the hip joint itself, which is shaped like a ball inside a socket (head of femur inside acetabulum fossa), no longer rotates easily through its full range of motion. This is bad, because any joint that isn’t used regularly and thoroughly begins to clog up with calcium (calcification). Instead of a fluid smooth-moving joint, rubbing and grinding occurs, slowly deteriorating the joint. If this goes unchecked indefinitely, some people become candidates for hip replacement surgery.

Treatment:

Muscles effecting hip movement, from mid-thigh through buttocks up into lower back, must be firmly grasped and shaken loose. This demands fine sensitivity and strength in fingers, as well as knowledge and experience. And it works. Each loosening shake causes 1-3 seconds of pain, followed by blissful relief as the muscle completely relaxes. The change from tightness to softness is so obvious that clients immediately say “do more”.

     Ball and socket joint must be manually rotated throughout its natural range of motion. If much calcification has occurred this will be painful, and thus should be done non-statically (hip muscles aren’t passive but actively resist movement while therapist rotates joint). This works wonders, increases range of movement so much that clients get excited, feel like they can finally go dancing or play tennis again.

Benefits:

1. de-adheres and loosens hip muscles.
2. increases blood flow through hip muscles.
3. un-tightens muscle mass from mid-thigh to mid-back.
4. relaxes cell tissues, decreasing regional trauma.
5. reduces pressure that causes inflammation of hip bursa sacs.
6. reduces muscle tension that pulls on low back vertebra.
7. reduces friction that causes deterioration of bone inside hip joint.
8. greatly increases hip flexibility and range of motion.
9. restores fluid-like movement to hip joint.
10. drastically reduces or eliminates hip pain.
11. enables one to resume normal physical activities without fear of injury.

Notes:

     Many people who stand long hours on the job, especially after many years, develop hip bursitis. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that allows smooth motion between two uneven surfaces. In hip a bursa sac separates bone from the firm tendon (greater trochanter and tendon) that slides back and forth across it every time you lift a knee and take a step. De-adhering outer hip-thigh muscles usually eliminates the tightness that is causing this inflammation, and thus finally makes it possible for the body to heal.

     Hip Pointers, an injury caused by a strong blow to the hip bone (iliac crest of pelvis), once healed leave behind muscles clogged and hardened with calcium all around the area of the injury. Thus, even after the injury itself has healed, more bodywork is needed to restore proper blood flow and mobility. Fluidification bodywork does precisely this.

     Clump-knots restrict hip mobility—see Upper Buttocks.

     Aching hips always need better blood circulation through them. Unless you have an inflamed hip bursa, walking uphill for 2-3 minutes will accomplish this.

     If hip pain persists, and there is no permanent degeneration of bone inside hip joint, a structural problem also exists. Buying better shoes or getting custom orthotics for your shoes will help (as well as provide extra support to low back).