Have you ever felt or heard a snap in your hip while walking, running, or just getting up from a chair? Well, that is commonly known as snapping hip syndrome (SHS). A condition where the tendon or muscle moves over a bony structure in your hip and creates this snapping sensation.
For some people, it is nothing more than an odd, harmless sound, but for others, it comes with pain, discomfort and even instability in the hip. It is common among athletes, dancers and people who engage in repetitive hip movements. What causes this, and what can you do about it?
Is Snapping Hip Syndrome Bad
SHS can be annoying, but it is not serious in most cases. Snapping hip syndrome usually comes in different forms depending on which structure in your hip causes the snap. Each type has its specific causes and treatment, but one common thing is the unmistakable snapping sensation. The three main types are:
- External SHS: This is when the iliotibial (IT) band or gluteus maximus tendon rubs over the outside of the hip bone. This is more common in runners and cyclists.
- Internal snapping hip syndrome For this one, the iliopsoas tendon, deep hip flexor muscle, moves over the bony structure inside the pelvis. It is common in dancers.
- Intra-articular SHS: This is the rarest form and is caused by an issue inside the hip joint like a labral tear, cartilage damage or where they are loose fragments within the joint.
What Causes Snapping Hip Syndrome?
Snapping hip syndrome often occurs due to tight muscles, repetitive movements or anatomical variations that make certain structures rub against the knee. Some common causes include muscle tightness, the hip flexors IT band, or gluteal muscles would lead to friction over the bones or repetitive movements.
Runners, cyclists and dancers often develop SHS because continuous hip movements without proper rest weak hip muscles. There is weakness in certain muscles, like the glutes, which can cause improper movement patterns and increase the chance of snapping.
Poor posture or biomechanics. Walking or running with bad posture will put extra strain on the hip muscles. Previous hip injury, trauma or past injuries can lead to muscle imbalance and instability which makes snapping more likely.
Symptoms of Snapping Hip Syndrome
The most obvious symptom is a snapping and clicking sound when moving the hip. This may be painless at first but could progress to become uncomfortable or come with a sharp pain. Common symptoms include a snapping sensation in the hip, pain or discomfort after prolonged activity, hip stiffness or tightness and, in some cases, swelling or inflammation.
How to Treat and Manage Snapping Hip Syndrome ?
Non-Surgical Treatment
Most cases can be managed without surgery with a combination of rest, stretching and proper movement. Here is an example of what you can do:
- Reduce Activity: If you are feeling pain, reduce the activities that trigger snapping, like running or deep squats, to give your hip time to recover.
- Stretching exercises: Regular snapping hip syndrome exercises like stretching will help loosen tight hip flexors and reduce friction and snapping. Some stretches you can do include hip flexor stretches or glute stretches.
- Strength training: Strengthening the glutes and core muscles will help stabilise the hip and reduce abnormal movement patterns.
- Foam rolling: If you try rolling on an IT band, it can release tightness and help you improve flexibility.
- Pain management: Applying ice or taking anti-inflammatory medication can help relieve inflammation and discomfort.
Surgery is usually a last resort and only recommended if the non-surgical treatments do not work. One of the surgical options is ellipsoid tendon release. That’s for internal SHS. For external SHS, IT band release or borsectomy. When it comes to intra-articular SHS, there is hip arthroscopy to remove loose cartilage and repair damage.
Conclusion
With proper stretching, strengthening and rest, you can keep your hips moving without any of those irritating snaps. When it begins to affect your daily life, you should see the best hip replacement surgeon in Mumbai like Dr. Chirag Patel.