Chronic Hip Pain

Case Description: At her initial evaluation she noted 20+ years of some sort of R hip/leg dysfunction that tended to flare-up with activities including walking household distances, getting in/out of chair or up/down from the ground, standing longer than 10-15 minutes, and limited participation in any healthy fitness routines. Historically she had managed with stretching routines and with trying to stay active, but this was becoming increasingly difficult. She had seen multiple physical therapists over the years, without any lasting success. She noted that in the 2 weeks leading up to starting PT this time, symptoms had been particularly severe and were precipitated by carrying some heavy items up and down stairs.  Her symptoms included sharp anterior hip and thigh pain as well as aching posterior hip pain.  Occasionally she was even having aching pain in her shin and was feeling the need to limp just to move around her home.

Objective Measures: She was seen for 16 physical therapy visits over 4 months

Tests and Measures	Initial Evaluation	Day of Discharge from Physical Therapy
VAS for Pain	4-9/10, described	0-2/10
LEFS impairment	43% disability	5% disability
Strength	Grossly 3+/5 at R hip, painful with ABD and FLEX testing	Grossly 4+/5 all planes and non-painful
Daily Tasks	Household walking painful, using motorized scooter in grocery store, avoiding stairs, unable to get up/down from the ground	Walking with ease, going up and down stairs carrying items without problem, multiple full depth lunges with relative ease
Walking Ability	~2 blocks at max – sharp anterior hip pain	2+ miles without pain and working toward goal of getting ack to hiking

Patient Comments at Discharge: “I have had a long-standing gait issue with my right leg which had gotten so bad that I couldn’t walk 2 blocks without pain. After working with Luke for several months, I have seen great improvement. I am able to walk much longer distances without pain.  Luke’s therapy plan helped me make good progress toward my goal of walking 1.5-2 miles without pain. Also, my core and lower body strength has improved significantly. As a result, my posture and my balance are better. Before working with Luke, I had never had a physical therapist that I was reluctant to say goodbye to.  He was encouraging and supportive, helping me to find that sweet spot of progress without lots of pain. Last but not least, everyone on staff is competent, kind, and helpful.“

Luke Vander Zouwen, DPT
Full Potential Physical Therapy