Shake Those Hips
...But don't shake them too hard!
Informational Media by Meha Srivastav
A Vital Joint!
Structure of the Hip
The hip attaches the axial region to the appendicular body parts. The region consists of the hip bones and its joints with the sacrum and femur.
There are three parts of the hip bone itself- the ilium, pubis, and ischium, which are fused together by a cup-shaped socket called the acetabulum. The acetabulum connects with the head of the femur to form the actual hip joint.
Parts of the Hip Bone
Ilium
Pubis
Ischium
How is the Hip Bone Injured in Sports?
The Types of Sports Hip Injuries
Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
10-20% of the population has suffered from or has FAI, but it is not a ruining injury for your sports career. In fact, 93% of sports players return to their sport after suffering from this injury.
If you know you have such a case of tissue growth, you can still avoid an injury by practicing the following exercises-
- Forward lunge elbow to instep
- Handwalks
- Walking quad stretch
- Leg cradle
Sports players who have suffered from this injury include Greg Norman and Kurt Warmer
Hip Bursitis
The two bursae in the hip are injured if an athlete-
- Gets hit and falls down
- Undergoes too much exertion, like in running
- Has poor posture while playing sports
In order to avoid getting this injury, you can-
- Practice the hip flexor stretch
- Practice the leg cradle exercise
- Practice the forward lunge elbow to instep
- Wear protective padding around your hips
- Do not run on banked pavements/surfaces
- Wear cushioned shoes to give support and prevent falling
Hip Flexor Strain
The reason this occurs is because of the forceful contraction of the iliopsoas while kicking. Too much tension can cause a strain.
If you want to keep at the field, here is what you should do-
- Keep exercise durations steady- do not increase it by more than 10% each week.
- Exercises to practice-
-Quadruped posterior rocking
-Leg cradle
-Half Kneeling
-Lateral lunges
- T hip rotation
Hip Pointer <------
The injury is so simple it can be identified by the injured athlete- however, this common casualty can have costs to the player if it is ignored.
In order to avoid the injury, protective gear like hip padding can be worn. Also, exercises like the following can be practiced-
- Lateral squats
- Forward bound with mini band
- Lateral bound
- Drop step skip
So take care of your hips, while running, kicking, biking, or skating- and remember, hip injuries don't lie!
Bibliography
"Buttock Groin & Hip." Hip Pain. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. <http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/hip-groin-pain>.
"Hip Joint." InnerBody. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
"Everything You Need to Know About Hip Injuries." Core Performance Core Daily. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. <http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/injury-pain/hip-injuries.html>.
"The Hip Bone." - TeachMeAnatomy. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. <http://teachmeanatomy.info/pelvis/bones/the-hip-bone/>.