How can I tell if the pain is from my back or a bad hip?
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Brian Yee answered:Motion tests can usually differentiate the pain between the back and hip.
For example:
1. If you lay on your back and bring you knee to your chest without moving your back - and pain occurs in the front or back of your hip - that would indicate a hip origin.
2. If you stand and bend forwards, backwards, side to side, and your pain is reproduced - its most likely coming from your spine or pelvis.
3. There is a test performed by Physical Therapists called a Slump Test that is a maneuver to determine sciatic nerve involvement - can also reproduce pain in the back and hip. In this case it may figure that the hip and back are both invovled, as the sciatic nerve is irritated.
Motion tests can usually differentiate the pain between the back and hip. For example: 1. If you lay on your back and bring you knee to your chest without moving your back - and pain occurs in the front or back of your hip - that would indicate a... More -
Dr. Dionne Casthely of Baptist Health South Florida answered:Usually, a physician or physical therapist can help you determine the most likely origin of your pain, whether it is primarily back-related or the hip.
In some cases, the condition causing the pain can involve both the back and the hip as in case of sciatica, which involves irritation of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is felt from the low back to behind the thigh and can radiate down below the knee.
The "slump test" is an orthopedic routine commonly done by a chiropractor, doctor or physical therapist when diagnosing the source of your low back pain. This test involves putting the patient through various positions and motions to help detect a disc herniation and a pinched sciatic nerve in the lumbar spine. Or it can help rule out a back-related issue that could point toward a hip condition.Usually, a physician or physical therapist can help you determine the most likely origin of your pain, whether it is primarily back-related or the hip.In some cases, the condition causing the pain can involve both the back and the hip as in case of... More
