A serious hip injury can limit an athlete’s ability to practice and compete. In order to protect themselves from a hip injury, athletes should be made aware of common hip injuries that occur in their sport. Contact athletes especially should take every educational and precautionary measure possible. With that being said, here are the most common hip injuries sustained by contact sports athletes:
Hip Pointer Injuries
Causes. Hip pointers are the most common impact related acute hip injury. When an athlete experiences a high impact direct blow to the top of their hip, the bone, muscles, and tendons are easily bruised and a host of unpleasant symptoms follow.
Symptoms. Moderate to severe pain, swelling, and bruising presents immediately after the injury. In most cases, symptoms are problematic enough to warrant an exit from practice/competition.
Treatment options. Rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories are used to decrease symptoms and heal the injury. If an injured athlete adheres to the advice of an Orthopedic Hip Specialist, they will usually return to their sport in a short period of time: a few days to a week.
Hip Strain Injuries
Causes. Several large, important muscles—namely those that control abdomen and leg movement—originate and insert on the hip. When an athlete experiences a high impact direct blow to the area where the muscle joins the tendon, a hip strain can occur.
Symptoms. Because the mechanism of injury is similar, symptoms of a hip strain can be similar to those of a hip pointer. However, a few additional symptoms typically present, including: decreased range of motion and weakness. Depending on the severity of the strain, athletes may or may not have to exit practice/competition.
Treatment options. In some cases, hip strains go away on their own. In others, rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories are needed to decrease swelling, inflammation, and pain. Hip strains that don’t respond to conservative treatment options should be seen by an Orthopedic Hip Specialist, as a more serious injury might have occurred.
Stress Fractures of the Hip
Causes. Hip stress fractures are rarely caused by a direct blow. However, because contact sports require a great deal of sprinting and jumping, athletes—especially those that over train—are susceptible to a hip stress fracture.
Symptoms. A deep, dull ache is a common symptom. So is moderate to severe pain with movement. In order to diagnose a stress fracture, x-rays are taken.
Treatment options. A 1-2-week period of rest is needed to give the fracture time to properly heal. After that time, the hip is x-rayed again and, if the fracture has healed, athletes can return to their sport.
Seeking Treatment for Hip Injuries
If you’re a contact sports athlete and have injured your hip, please don’t hesitate to contact our offices in Plymouth, Duxbury and Sandwich, MA to arrange an appointment with one of our Orthopedic Hip Specialists. There’s no reason why your injury should sideline you for an extended period of time. Regardless of your injury type or severity, we can help—give us a call and we’ll get you in right away.