Expert: Gerald Anzalone, D.C. - 11/20/2006

Question
Hi,

About a year ago, I took a fall playing volleyball vertically on the right side of my butt.  The x-ray shows the right side of my hip is pushed up about 10 degrees compared to my left.  The chiropractor I saw tried to pushed it back down.  This relieves my pain, but my hip doesn't seem to move back to alignment.  I still have pain on my lower back and discomfort now and then.

Is there a way to fix this?  Hip excersize perhaps?

thank you,
Peter

Answer
Peter,

Thanks for your question. If your x-rays were taken while you were standing up, and if the right hip joint is 10 mm higher than the left side, you might benefit from inserting a heel lift on the "shorter" side to compensate for this imbalance. Your chiropractor might also look to see if there is muscular contracture with trigger points on the side of the high hip that may be contributing to the imbalance. Spinal manipulation can also be helpful in mobilizing joints which may become dysfunction. Pelvic and hip imbalances can create a chain reaction of dysfunctional joints in the spine. Sometimes, a simple heel lift can make a big difference in alleviating low back pain, and will likely produce a longer-lasting result than manipulation or exercise alone. The use of a heel lift is something that you should discuss with your chiropractor, or if he or she is not conversant with heel lifts or orthotics, you could see a podiatrist for further evaluation.

I hope that this helps.