The Tribune

By Susan Donald

Your hip is a weight bearing joint, and all of your weight above the waistline has to be supported by your hips.

Whenever you stand, walk or run the weight-bearing joints in your body are subjected to external forces like gravity, heel strike shock and the strain of repetitive motion.

A runner, for example, takes an estimated 1500 strides per mile, and a force of 2-3 times the body's weight must be effectively absorbed through the lower extremities with each step. Also, the weight of the body is supported on just one limb through three-quarters of the gait (walking) cycle. During the time, the muscles in your hip must contract to keep your torso from falling to the opposite side.

Because it is a masterpiece of structural design, the human body can usually deal effectively with gravity and heel strike shock if it is in good health with good posture ensuring a stable frame. But if you have slight postural imbalances and/or misalignment, those forces can gradually cause a variety of painful conditions which may affect not only your hips, but anything from your knees to the lower back. Your chiropractor can determine the cause of your discomfort and recommend proper treatment.

If traumatic injury, such falling on the hip or a car accident has been ruled out, and the pain seems to lessen or go away completely when you are resting or off your feet, you may have a postural imbalance, a foot problem and/or a leg length inequality that could be the cause of your hip pain.

The feet are the foundation of your body; they support everything above them, including the hips. Feet function somewhat like the basement of a house; if the basement doesn't support the weight of the floors above it, stress cracks can appear in the walls at any level. And feet that are not properly aligned can contribute to stress and pressure at the hip joint.

Your feet also help to protect you against heel-strike shock. Every time the heel of your foot hits the ground, a shock wave travels up through your body, all the way to your head. The healthier and more stable your body is the more likely this shock is either dissipated or absorbed safely. But if your feet are not in their correctly functioning position at all times, more of this shock is allowed to move through the body and weaken other joints including the hips.

There is no time like the present to start chiropractic care to ensure that you benefit from proper hip, knee and foot alignment. You have nothing to lose but that pain in your hip.