Our Favorite Strategies for Avoiding Hip Pain

While you can injure any part of your body at any time, weight-bearing joints such as your knees and hips are particularly vulnerable to pain, injury, and disease, whether the pain occurs suddenly or over time. 

Hip pain can be especially debilitating because your everyday activities rely so much on hip movement. While there are plenty of treatments available to help relieve hip pain, one of the best ways to handle the problem is to avoid it in the first place

At Orthopedic Urgent Care Aventura in North Miami Beach, Florida, our team advises patients frequently on preventative health tips. Here are a few of our favorite proactive strategies for avoiding hip pain.

Watch your weight

One of the best things you can do to prevent hip pain is to keep your weight in a healthy range. Your hip joint can bear 2.5 to 6 times your body weight, so the more you weigh, the more force you exert on your hips. Even losing just a few pounds can make a big difference, so eat a healthy diet and make sure you exercise.

Maintain good posture

Your everyday sitting and standing habits can put stress and strain on your muscles and ligaments, which can cause pain in your hip joint. To avoid this, sit with your legs uncrossed and feet flat on the floor with your back straight and shoulders back. 

If you’re standing, keep your feet shoulder-width apart and don’t lean to one side or the other. Most of your weight should be on the balls of your feet.

Wear supportive shoes

Comfortable, supportive shoes make a big difference in preventing hip injuries as well. Make sure they have good cushioning and arch support, which can help reduce the impact on your hip joints and spread your weight out over your feet, decreasing the strain on your lower body. 

Warm up and stretch

Many hip injuries occur when people fail to warm up and stretch before they participate in physical activity. Taking the time to properly warm up increases your blood flow and flexibility, limiting your risk of injury. Stretching first can also help improve circulation and reduce stiffness in your hip.

Change your sleeping position

Switching your sleeping position can often reduce stress you don’t even know you’re putting on your joints. If you’re a side sleeper, try sleeping on your back occasionally, and vice versa. Put cushions or pillows between your knees if you sleep on your side or a pillow under your knees to help align your spine as you sleep on your back.

If you’re already experiencing hip pain, our caring team of experts stands ready to help. Just call our office, check in online to let us know you’re coming, or stop by anytime (we take walk-ins!).