It started as a dull ache after her morning walks around the neighborhood in Blaine. At first, she ignored it—just another sign of getting older, she thought. But over months, the “dull ache” turned into a sharp, catching pain that made it difficult to get out of her car or sleep on her side.
By the time the lady from Blaine walked into our Coon Rapids physical therapy clinic, she was exhausted. She had tried resting, stretching, and over-the-counter painkillers, but the relief never lasted. She arrived with a common complaint we hear often: “My hip just feels… stuck.”
During her initial evaluation, she described the classic symptoms of chronic hip pain: stiffness in the morning that took hours to shake off, a “clicking” sensation when walking, and a deep, nagging pain in the groin area that radiated down her thigh. She just wanted to get back to her daily walks without flinching every time her foot hit the pavement.
The Hidden Culprit: More Than Just “Tight Muscles”
Initially, her treatment focused on relieving the immediate symptoms. Our team used manual therapy to mobilize the joint and soft tissue work to release the tight muscles guarding the area. While she felt temporary relief, the pain kept creeping back.
That’s when our physical therapists dug deeper. Through a comprehensive movement assessment and a look at her history, we discovered the root cause wasn’t just tight muscles—it was structural. She had undiagnosed hip dysplasia (a shallow hip socket) which had led to early-onset osteoarthritis.
For years, her hip joint hadn’t been sitting perfectly in the socket, causing increased wear and tear on the cartilage. The pain she was feeling wasn’t just “stiffness”—it was her body trying to protect an unstable joint.
A Personalized Path to Relief
Once we knew why she was hurting, we completely shifted her treatment plan. At PRO Therapy, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Here is how we helped her manage this complex diagnosis:
1. Stabilizing the Joint (Hip Dysplasia Management) Since her hip socket was shallow, her muscles had to work overtime to keep the joint stable. We shifted from just “stretching” (which can actually make dysplasia worse!) to targeted strengthening. We focused on the deep hip rotators and glutes to create a “muscular brace” around the joint, giving it the support her bones couldn’t provide.
2. Managing the Inflammation (Arthritis Care) To tackle the early arthritis, we used a combination of gentle joint distractions to improve lubrication and
3. Modifying the Movement We didn’t tell her to stop walking—we just taught her how to walk better. By correcting her gait and strengthening her core, we took the pressure off the painful part of the hip joint.
Life After the Diagnosis
Today, the lady from Blaine is back to her morning walks. Is her hip dysplasia “cured”? No—structural changes are permanent. But her pain is managed, and her quality of life is restored. She knows exactly which exercises to do when she feels a flare-up coming, and she visits us periodically for “tune-ups” to keep her moving freely.
At PRO Therapy, our goal isn’t just to treat the pain you feel today, but to uncover the why behind it so you can manage it for a lifetime.
If you are in Blaine, Coon Rapids, or Anoka and living with nagging hip pain, don’t wait until it stops you in your tracks.
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