What Is Hip Impingement?
Hip impingement, or FAI, is a term becoming more popular in the medical and rehab world. It’s becoming more popular due to being diagnosed at a much higher rate than ever before. Due to its ever growing popularity, I wanted to shed some light on what exactly hip impingement IS and what it means if you are dealing with it.
The true impingement is most commonly caused by the femur contact with the pelvis or acetabulum. Terms of cam and pincer growth describe this contact, where there can be extra bone on the femoral neck or on the acetabular rim. This extra growth will impede full range of motion in the hip, hence causing the impingement. There can also be soft tissue impingement via ligaments and labral tears, but for the sake of this discussion we will stick with the term of hip impingement as an umbrella term.
One of my favorite things to mention about hip impingement, is that many people have it. There have been research studies showing the high incidence rates of it, but the positive news is, many of those people are asymptomatic. Yes, you read that correctly, people are diagnosed with FAI but have NO symptoms. So that is promising for all of those who ARE dealing with symptoms because there is a strong chance those symptoms can be eliminated!
To build off of that above statement, hip impingement is a very common diagnosis treated in physical therapy. It also very commonly gets BETTER and completely resolves in symptoms with proper rehab. The key is to find a provider who understands this diagnosis and your symptoms as well as your goals to make sure you get as much out of your recovery as you can! Physical therapy for hip impingement should at a minimum focus on pelvofemoral control, proper loading principles through your hip musculature (and don’t forget the hip flexors!), and return to dynamic movement in multiple planes of motion because that is how the hip MOVES. With these implemented in your care, you will be off to a great start!
Need assistance on eliminating hip impingement pain or having guidance on a proper rehab program to focus on what may be your specific hip pain limitations? Let’s chat! I would be happy to discuss further how Loon State Physical Therapy can be a teammate in getting you back to moving and feeling your best! Call us at (612) 405-8503 or book with us online at www.loonstatephysicaltherapy.com for an in-person or virtual appointment.
Until next time!
Andrew Eccles
Owner and Physical Therapist at Loon State Physical Therapy
