Suffer from hip pain, Iliotibial band syndrome, acupuncture can help

Suffer from hip pain, acupuncture can help

Hip pain is a common condition that can be caused by a wide variety of problems. The precise location of the hip pain can help to find out the underlying cause. Hip pain on the outside of the hip referred to the upper thigh or outer buttock is usually caused by problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues that surround the hip joint. Hip pain can also a referred pain from low back.

The muscles of the hip joint are the muscles involved in movement in the hip. There are four main groups of them.

Gluteal group

The gluteal muscles include the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae.

The gluteal muscles are a group of three muscles making up the buttocks: the glutes maximus, gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus. They originate from the back of the pelvic bone ilium and sacrum and end on the thigh (femur).

The largest and the most superficial of the three gluteal muscles is the gluteus maximus. It makes up a large portion of the shape and appearance of the hips. The functions of the muscles are extenson, abduction, external and internal rotation of the hip joint.

Gluteus maximus starts from the posterior gluteal line of the inner upper ilium crest, the posterior surface of the lower part of the sacrum and the side of the coccyx, aponeurosis of the erector spinae, sacrotuberous ligament and the fascia covering the gluteus medius. The gluteal maximus go downward and lateralward and insert into iliotibial band and glutealtuberosity. It extends and laterally rotates the hip and extends the trunk.

Tensor fasciae latae originates from the anterior part of the outer lip of the iliac crest from the outer surface of the anterior superior iliac spine, and part of the outer border of the notch below it, and from the deep surface of the fascia lata. It is inserted between the two layers of the iliotibial band of the fascia lata about the junction of the middle and upper thirds of the thigh.

Adductor group

This group include five muscles: the adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, pectineus and gracilis They all originate on the pubis and insert on the medial, posterior surface of the femur, with the exception of the gracilis which inserts just below the medial condyle of the tibia.

Iliopsoas group

The iliacus and psoas major are the two muscles that belong to illiopsoas group. The psoas major muscles are the deep muscles by the sides of the spinal column. They go downwards to the pelvic bone and end at lesser trochanter of the femur. Illacus muscles start from the interior side of the pelvic bone. The psoas major and the illacus muscles join together and form the iliopsoas. These muscles connect the core and lower limbs and they flex the hip joint, bend the spine forward and laterally and raise the spine from supine position. The pain and trigger points related to iliopsoas is at the hip, the low back and upper thigh. Walking and standing upright can be painful, if there are trigger point present in these muscles.

Lateral rotator group

This group comprises six muscles including the externus and internus obturators, the piriformis, the superior and inferior gemelli and guadratus femoris. These six muscles originate at or below the acetabulum of the ilium and insert on or near the greater trochanter of the femur.

Suffer from hip pain? Acupuncture can release hip pain.

Iliotibial band syndrome, acupuncture can help

The iliotibial band (IT band) is a thick band of fibers on the outside part of the thigh. It starts from the border of the most prominent bone of the pelvis and ends into the tibia bone, to which the gluteal muscles and tensor fscia latae muscle attached. IT band coordinates muscle function and stabilize the knee during running. This band is one of the most common overused among the runners causing Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS). ITBS is caused by inflamed of IT band. When it happens, knee pain is the most common symptom and can be mild to severe. Also the lateral thigh pain is associated. Pain is most severe with the heel strike of walking or running and may radiate from the knee up the leg to the hip. Pain may also be felt with knee flexing, especially going up or down steps. Swelling on the outside of the knee can be seen in some cases. Tightness of IT band is very common. MRI can show a partial thickening of the IT band, which results from inflammation. When the IT comes near the knee, it becomes narrow, and rubbing can occur between the band and the bone. This causes inflammation. ITBS is more common in women, possibly because some women's hips tilt in a way that causes their knees to turn in. Tenderness over the site of the iliotibial band insertion at the knee joint, and specific tender points may be found over the lateral femoral condyle.

Acupuncture is effective to treat acute and chronic ITBS. It releases the pain and inflammation; reduces tightness of IT band.