From the Experts: Hip Issues: Hip Issues Introduction

Wear & Tear and Asymmetry

Save for acute injuries, knee and hip pain are most commonly caused by wear and tear, which can be further irritated by the subtlest asymmetry. Imbalances in the hips can disturb alignment of knees, and vice versa. – Marla Apt

Tight Adductors, Weak Abductors

In most of us, the groin muscles (adductors) tend to be tight, pulling the heads of the thighbones into the sockets. The thighbones are meant to be centered in the socket and stabilized by the abductors, which oppose the groin muscles. But when these abductors are weak and stressed, as they often are, the resulting imbalance causes grinding and deterioration in the joints. – Doug Keller

Ligament Tears & Osteoporosis

The most common problems with hips are tears to the ligaments and the labrum, and osteoporosis. – Bernie Clark

Functional Integration Issues

It is important to recognize that most of the conditions affecting the sacrum, hips, and knees reflect a poor functional integration between the lumbo-sacral spine, the pelvis, and the attached legs. The methodology for working with these conditions, therefore, involves working to adjust the functional relationship between these areas. – Gary Kraftsow