Easing Hip Pain Following a Car Accident: 4 Preferred Physiotherapy Tips for Restoring Mobility and Strength

Motor vehicle accident (MVA) physiotherapy focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries sustained as a result of motor vehicle accidents. Motor vehicle accident physiotherapy in Sherwood Park aims to facilitate recovery, alleviate pain, restore function, and improve overall well-being following a car crash. The ultimate goal of car accident physiotherapy is to aid individuals in restoring their mobility, strength, and independence, enabling them to return to their pre-injury activities and lifestyle.

Physiotherapy Strategy Tips for Relieving Hip Pain:

1. Range of Motion Exercises: 

Incorporating mild range-of-motion exercises is essential for enhancing recovery and improving hip joint function. Begin with gentle movements such as leg swings, hip circles, and targeted stretches focusing on the hip flexors, abductors, and external rotators. Remember to perform these exercises with caution, starting slowly and gradually increasing intensity as tolerated. It’s crucial to listen to your body and avoid pushing through pain. Some common exercises used in MVA physiotherapy are:

Leg Swings: 

Stand holding onto a stable surface and swing your leg forward and backward like a pendulum, gradually increasing the range of motion. This helps enhance flexibility and mobility in the hip joint.

Hip Circles: 

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands on your hips. Rotate your hips in a circular motion, commencing with clockwise and then counterclockwise, to improve mobility and flexibility in all directions.

2. Strengthening Exercises: 

This plays a crucial role in rebuilding muscle strength and stability around the hip joint. Incorporate exercises such as bridges, clamshells, and hip abduction/adduction exercises into your routine to target key muscle groups, including the glutes, hip abductors, and hip flexors. Start with low resistance and progressively increase as your strength improves, but always prioritize proper form to prevent injury. Strengthening exercises commonly prescribed in accident physiotherapy:

Hip Abduction/Adduction Exercises: 

Using a resistance band or cable machine, stand perpendicular to the anchor point with the resistance band or cable attached to the ankle closest to the anchor. For hip abduction, lift the leg sideways against the resistance of the band or cable. For hip adduction, stand with the band or cable on the far leg and pull the leg towards the midline against resistance. These exercises strengthen the hip abductors and adductors, improving hip stability and mobility.

Clamshells: 

Lie on your side with knees bent and hips stacked. Keep your feet together, and open the top knee as far high as possible without rotating your hips. Slowly return to the starting position. This exercise targets the hip abductors, particularly the gluteus medius, which helps stabilize the hip joint.

3. Manual Therapy Techniques: 

A physiotherapist can administer manual therapy techniques such as soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilizations, and myofascial release to address muscle tightness, improve joint mobility, and alleviate pain in the hip region. These hands-on techniques can focus on particular areas of tension and dysfunction, promoting relaxation, flexibility, and enhanced blood flow to the affected tissues. Here are some common manual therapy techniques used at motor vehicle accident physiotherapy in Sherwood Park:

Joint Mobilizations: 

Joint mobilizations involve the therapist gently moving the hip joint naturally through its natural range of motion to improve joint mobility and reduce stiffness. This may include oscillatory movements, sustained stretches, or gentle traction applied to the hip joint to help restore normal movement patterns and minimize pain.

Trigger Point Therapy: 

This involves applying sustained pressure to particular muscle tightness or “trigger points” in the hip region. This helps release muscle knots, improve blood flow, and alleviate referred pain associated with trigger points, ultimately improving hip mobility and reducing discomfort.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF): 

PNF techniques involve a combination of stretching and muscle activation to improve flexibility, strength, and neuromuscular control around the hip joint. These techniques can be used to enhance the range of motion, minimize muscle tightness, and improve functional movement patterns following a motor vehicle accident.

4. Braces and Taping:

Consider the use of braces and taping techniques that can offer additional support and aid in pain management. Braces can provide stability to the hip joint, especially during activities that exacerbate discomfort. Taping techniques, such as kinesiology tape, can help reduce pain by providing proprioceptive feedback and supporting the muscles around the hip. Here are some braces and taping methods commonly used for restoring mobility and strength and easing hip pain following a car accident:

Hip Support Braces:

• Hip Abduction Brace: This type of brace helps ensure the hip joint remains properly aligned and stable by preventing excessive adduction or inward movement of the hip. It can be especially advantageous for individuals experiencing hip instability or recovering from hip injuries sustained in a car accident.

Compression Shorts or Bands: 

Compression shorts or bands can provide compression and support to the hip muscles and soft tissues, reducing pain and promoting healing. They can also help improve proprioception and stability of the hip joint.

Kinesiology Tape (KT Tape):

• Hip Flexor Taping: Taping techniques can be applied to support and stabilize the hip flexor muscles, reducing strain and promoting proper alignment of the hip joint. This can help minimize pain and enhance mobility during activities that involve hip flexion, such as walking or climbing stairs.
• Gluteal Taping: Taping the gluteal muscles can help reduce muscle tension and provide support to the hip joint, especially in cases of gluteal muscle weakness or instability following a car accident. It can also help improve hip alignment and reduce pain during functional movements.

Rebuilding Mobility and Strength: 

Motor vehicle accident physiotherapy in Sherwood Park plays a vast role in facilitating recovery and restoring function after a car accident. Emerald Hills Physiotherapy in Sherwood Park offers comprehensive care customized to meet each patient’s needs, ensuring optimal recovery and resuming daily activities. By working closely with physiotherapists of hip pain physiotherapy, individuals recovering from motor vehicle accidents can regain mobility, strength, and function in the hip region, allowing them to resume their daily activities and improve their overall quality of life.