If you find your hips starting to “click” or “pop” during a workout, then chances are you have Snapping Hip Syndrome. Also known as Dancer’s Hip, it’s a feeling that occurs whenever you flex and extend your hips. People with Snapping Hip Syndrome often feel it when they get up from a chair, walk around, or swing their leg. The clicking of the hips is often accompanied by a loud “snapping” sound. While the condition is usually harmless, it could be a sign of pain or damage with the joint. Another risk is the development of bursitis, which is categorized as, “a painful swelling of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the hip joint”.

If you start to feel any pain or severe discomfort caused by Snapping Hip Syndrome, it is strongly advised you check in with a doctor. He or she may check for similar conditions such as:

• Arthritis in the hip
• Tumors in the hip
• Meralgia paresthetic (the compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve that causes pain and numbness on the thighs)
• Hip joint synovitis (an inflammation of the hip joint’s membrane lining that leads to swelling and symptoms similar to Snapping Hip Syndrome)

Appropriate treatment will be determined once the condition has been identified. If Snapping Hip Syndrome has been accurately diagnosed, a patient may undergo physical therapy. He or she will learn the proper way to stretch, strengthen, and align the hips in order to relieve pain. Regular icing on the hips is recommended.

The doctor may also administer a Corticosteroid injection to relieve inflammation. A non-injection alternative would be Iontophoresis, which is the use of mild electrical current to administer anti-inflammatory medicine (e.g. dexamethasone) through the skin and deep into area(s) of soreness.

Supplementary treatments include chiropractic adjustment, deep tissue/trigger point massage, and Ultrasound Therapy (uses high-frequent sound waves to stimulate the soft tissues below the skin).

It is recommended that those suffering with painful symptoms of Snapping Hip Syndrome limit or modify activities that bear weight on the hips, like cycling, and swimming with the arms only (no dog-paddling) until they’re cleared by their doctor.

Otherwise, it’s only in rare cases when surgery is performed.

As long as you’re not in pain, it helps to know what caused your Snapping Hip Syndrome in the first place.

Oftentimes, tight hips are the biggest red flag when it comes to Snapping Hip Syndrome- although it could also be a sign of overuse from activities involving frequent bending at the hip. This is why its alternative name is Dancer’s Hip, as dancers in particular are quite vulnerable to experiencing it. Children and teens are known to develop it too, as they are still going through growth spurts that can cause problems with the hips as they mature.

Aside from being a possible overuse injury (read my article here if you suspect this might be the case) tight hips are the result of either one or a combination of the following:

• Excessive sitting
• Inflexibility
• Muscular or skeletal imbalances
• Weak, shortened hip flexors

Luckily, there are several ways to address this problem. Here’s what I recommend:

• Strengthen Your Feet: 

I know your feet are the last thing you’d think about when it comes to popping hips, but you’d be surprised to know that when the stability and mobility of our feet starts to deteriorate, we become vulnerable to misalignments that lead to injuries. One of the easiest ways to do this is by going barefoot, which I personally do as much as I can. Read here to learn more about strengthening your feet.

• Stretch and Strengthen Your Hip Flexors:

Our hips enable us to perform a lot of movements, such as running, jumping, squatting, kicking, and balancing. It’s important to keep them strong and flexible so we can not only prevent weak and imbalanced muscles but also back pain. One exercise I really recommend for strengthening them is the Kettlebell Swing, which also works your back, core and butt. An awesome stretch that effectively opens up your hips is the Chair Assisted Stretch. Watch my video here to see how it’s done.

• Fix Your Posture: 

Hands down, my Postural Therapy series is one of the best things you can do at the ZGYM to improve your posture. All of the routines are designed to reposition, strengthen, and stretch specific muscles- including the hips- in order to correct dysfunction(s) and re-align the body. Doing so brings it back to functioning normally and without pain.
Postural Therapy Routine #4 focuses on Hip Pain, perfect if you’re looking to resolve Snapping Hip Syndrome.

• Avoid Prolonged Sitting:

While sitting helps us to get comfortable whether we’re busy at work or relaxing at home, too much of it can be a bad thing. As a consequence, our hips start to tighten shorten, increasing the likelihood of developing Snapping Hip Syndrome. When they’re in this state, our hips start to pull on our lower back, which causes pain and discomfort. To add insult to injury, the combination of tight hips and a pulled lower back creates a muscular imbalance that could also lead to back spasms and a variety of complications over time. Break up the amount of time you spend sitting down throughout the day, and be sure to regularly focus on your posture through regular stretching and mobility work.

At the smallest level, Snapping Hip Syndrome is just a minor grievance. On the other hand, it can also be a sign to start taking care of your hips before they start to deteriorate. Improving strength, flexibility, and posture plus regulating the amount of time you spend sitting down can help to relieve the symptoms and causes of Snapping Hip Syndrome.

References

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00363

https://www.sports-health.com/sports-injuries/hip-injuries/snapping-hip-syndrome-treatment

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/snapping-hip-syndrome-causes-symptoms-treatments#1)

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/87659-treatment