While we may be accustomed to working on stiff hips, not all hips need mobility. And let’s face it, hip hypermobility can be just as problematic.
The other problem seems to be:
“What CAN we do about hip hypermobility?”
I mean, give me hips that need range of motion and I’m all set, right?
But,
hips that have too much range of motion can be trickier to manage.
Hip hypermobility is gaining acceptance as a potential source of pain and instability. This is of particular interest if you are working with athletes and individuals involved in sports that involve repetitive movements in extreme ranges of motion.
Think dancers, gymnasts and the likes, or rotational athletes like golfers.
If you know me by now, it’s not about finding the “best exercises”.
Exercises are just tools and as I like to say, don’t confuse your tools with your practice.
What it’s really about is gaining perspective on how you are going to improve your client’s overall functionality and what exercises you will select to get you both to this goal.
I’m here to offer that perspective, so read on!
HIP HYPERMOBILITY: WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
While hip stiffness is no good, neither is hip hypermobility.
Hypermobility really just means joint laxity. Some people naturally have higher levels of general joint laxity than others and can function completely normally. According to Clap p et al. (1): “a joint may be hypermobile yet stable, and the differentiating factor between hypermobility and instability is the presence of symptoms”.
The term “hyper” means this joint laxity is excessive or allows excessive joint range of motion. If excessive joint range of motion is coupled by an inability to dynamically control that range, you get functional instability.
Functional instability is the inability to dynamically stabilize a joint for proper movement and control
In sports like dancing, gymnastics, or golf, hip hypermobility can offer a competitive edge. Perhaps individuals find themselves excelling in these types of sports BECAUSE of their hip hypermobility. A sort of natural selection.
On the other hand, repetitive movements in extreme ranges of motion can cause microtrauma, which over time, may lead to acquired hip hypermobility.
Which came first the chicken or the egg? There is an actual answer to that question on RU-vid, but where hip hypermobility is concerned, it doesn’t matter so much.
What really matters are the steps we take to manage it.
For example, hip pain in golf can be the result of the repetitive rotational torques inherent to the sport itself, which may be difficult to manage and prevent.
However, if an athlete has hip hypermobility, or low resistance to passive hip internal rotation, the momentum of the golf swing may be taking them too far.
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Want to pick my brain? Drop your questions in a comment
This can become excessive and/or irritable.
What we need to do is create that fine balance where not only does the athlete have enough hip rotation to get into the position but also enough strength to control that rotation.
9 сен 2024
