Hip > Snapping Hip Syndrome > Treatments

    Non-Surgical Treatment

Home Recovery

To heal snapping hip syndrome, physicians generally prescribe a combination of the following treatments:

   Rest and activity modification – relative rest is generally prescribed. You do not necessarily have to stay off your feet, but you should decrease the duration and intensity of your walking and running. Switching from a running sport to swimming or cycling can reduce stress on your hip's synovial membrane. Changing to a softer exercise surface, like grass instead of concrete, can also help.

   Ice – applying ice to area of your hip where the snapping occurs for about 15 minutes two or three times a day. Your physician can point out the most important hip area to ice, which may be the outside, inside, front, or back of your hip or upper thigh.

   Orthotics – biomechanical abnormalities, such as leg–length discrepancies, may be corrected by inserting special insoles into your shoes. These devices can help correct any abnormal alignment in your stride that may be stressing tendons or ligaments in your hip area.

   Corticosteroid injections – to relieve severe inflammation, particularly when your bursa sacs are inflamed, your physician may inject corticosteroids that have strong anti–inflammatory properties.

   Physical therapy – stretching and strengthening your hips can relieve muscle imbalances and tightness in your tendons and ligaments.

   Modalities – your physical therapist may administer phonophoresis, which uses ultrasound energy to deliver medication (like topical anti–inflammatories) beneath your skin. When swelling has gone down, heat therapy (with moist heating pads or whirlpools) may also be used to loosen up soft tissues in your hip before you stretch and exercise.

With the aid of a physical therapy program, most active people can heal snapping hip syndrome in three to six weeks. For about the first week, your physical therapist usually helps you learn a hip stretching routine to loosen up the tight muscles, tendons, and ligaments that may be popping or snapping when you move. Stretching may be done after your therapist applies topical anti–inflammatories or heat therapy. When the snapping sensation becomes less noticeable, swelling decreases, and you have a full range of motion in your hip, your therapist can help you recondition your hip muscles to prepare them for activities. You usually learn to train your hip muscles for power, using elastic bands and weight resistance, and for endurance, through cardiovascular workouts like cycling, swimming, or running. The most important component of rehabilitation for sufferers of snapping hip syndrome is relative rest. This means modifying your workouts to decrease or avoid the overuse activities that initially caused your pain. For example, instead of riding a bike or running, you could swim or rollerblade. Or, you could reduce the intensity of your workout, by using less resistance when you ride, or by eliminating hills from a running workout.

   ITB stretching exercises

You may be able to reduce your chances of recurring snapping hip syndrome by avoiding a sudden increase in activities that require repetitive motion, such as cycling or using a stair–climbing machine. Easing into an exercise routine after snapping hip syndrome can help reduce stress on your hip's soft tissues and help you avoid overuse. Weight control is also important. Lightening the load on your hips helps them to function better. You also may consider training with a physical therapist or coach to increase your balance and coordination, which can help better prepare your hip muscles, tendons, and ligaments for the strain of sports and activities.