The Athlete’s Hip: Simplifying Treatment of Hip Pathology

The treatment of hip injuries in the athlete is a complicated and often misunderstood area of sports medicine. This course will take you through the evidence-based treatment of athletes presenting with intra-articular and extra-articular hip pathology. We will discuss characteristics specific to tendinopathy, training with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, exercise prescription, manual therapy, and the effectiveness of these interventions. By understanding the current literature and available treatment options, you will be better able to simplify your treatment plan and clinical reasoning when an athlete presents with hip pain.

The recommended order to take the courses in The Athlete’s Hip series is as follows:

• The Athlete’s Hip: Screening & Evaluation of Posterolateral Hip Pain
• The Athlete’s Hip: Evaluation of Groin Pain
• The Athlete’s Hip: Treatment of Hip Pathology
• The Athlete’s Hip: Return to Sport
   

  

  1. Intra-articular Pathology

  Understanding the effectiveness of our conservative intervention is the first step in understanding the appropriate management of intra-articular hip pathology. The vast majority of literature related to the management of this patient population is investigating surgical intervention; however, there have been several studies published recently addressing the conservative management of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome. This chapter will show what the literature says with regards to conservative management and how this compares to surgical outcomes.

  

  2. Extra-articular Pathology

  Understanding the effectiveness of our conservative intervention is also the first step in understanding the appropriate management of extra-articular hip pathology. This chapter will take you through the staging and pathophysiology of athletes presenting with tendinopathy and how this should affect our exercise prescription.

  

  3. Manual Therapy Considerations

  When treating a patient with hip pathology, manual therapy techniques can have a profound effect. That being said, what causes this positive response? Is it biomechanical, neurophysiological, psychological, or some combination? In this chapter, we will discuss these topics as well as the overall effectiveness of manual therapy in this patient population.

  

  4. Exercise Prescription

  Understanding the factors that go into appropriate exercise prescription for athletes with hip pain should be the cornerstone of your rehabilitation program. This course will take you through specific loading strategies for various tendinopathies, exercise prescription based on the sEMG literature available, and loading strategies for athletes presenting with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome. This includes selecting the appropriate squat and deadlift variations for this patient population and understanding how to progress these lifts as the irritability of your patient’s condition decreases