Technical Tuesday Snapping Hip
A common complaint dancers have is the sensation of a “snapping”
hip. It is called Snapping Hip Syndrome and is also referred
to as coxa saltans, iliopsoas tendinitis, or dancer's hip.
This syndrome is caused by the movement of a muscle or
tendon over a bone. Due to the angled shape of the top of the femur (thigh
bone), when the leg turns out, it is not unusual to feel the sensation of the
muscles in the hip moving over the bone. However, especially if the dancer is
“sitting” in the hip, the feeling may be a definite and uncomfortable snap.
Therefore, one way to prevent it is to concentrate on lifting the hips/pelvis (there’s
that energy upward thing again!).
Here is the technical description of what happens during
Snapping Hip Syndrome: “The most common
site is on the outside of the hip where a band of connective tissue known as
the iliotibial band passes over part of the thigh bone that juts out --
called the greater trochanter.”
Most of the time, this is not a serious condition for
dancers, but sometimes it can happen so frequently that pain, weakness,
and/or bursitis can result. When this occurs, a trip to a doctor is probably necessary.
Treatment may include: physical therapy to strengthen the lower abs and the abductors, adductors and
hip flexors. Time away from dancing to allow healing and to avoid the
necessity of turning out the legs may also be recommended.
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From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Ballet Secret #117
“Snapping
hip syndrome is a common problem for dancers.”
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“How
you carry yourself speaks volumes about how you feel about yourself.”
― Cindy Ann Peterson
― Cindy Ann Peterson
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The human body is an amazing machine. Athletes literally risk their bodies for their sport. Olympians are a prime example of how years and years of training can have a drastic effect on the body. We see even young athletes enter our hospital with snapping hip. Usually, dancers and gymnastics are the athletes we see struggling with hip pain the most. The snapping is one of the initial symptoms patients experience before chronic hip pain. This is an excellent post. Very well written. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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