There’s nothing like a nice pair of hips. Talk about joints that get things moving. The hips are a key linch-pin to efficient movement, balance, stability, and comfort. The hips are a link from the spine to mobile legs and a good base from which to move the upper body. During each step the hip will take two and a half times an individual’s body weight. Move faster, go up or down a hill, or jump and the factor can go up to 10-15 times body weight with that one step. Not a big surprise that, losing weight can be an enormous benefit to hip health. Arthritic changes in the hip can have serious effects on quality of life. Osteoporosis is a serious condition that degrades bones of the density to with stand the stresses of everyday movement. Hip fractures in older individuals can often be a death sentence.

Both hips should move identically. When they don’t, it signals the beginning of problems. Pain while walking is often the first sign of dysfunction and shouldn’t be casually dismissed. Difficulty transitioning from sit to stand, or extreme stiffness first thing in the morning, are other signs of potential hip trouble. Hip pain usually leads to compensations in movement and posture that lead to muscle weakness. Hips dysfunction can affect the back as far up as the neck and as far down as the feet. Having trouble getting up off the commode?

The good news is, like many things in the body, hips are fixable. A proper assessment of the hip can reveal the nature of problems and provide solutions that can improve movement and function significantly. Problems in the hip area can also be a signal significant problems are occurring in the low back. Find out why those hips don’t work and get the whole body back into life.