Anyone have any experience with Hip Misalignment?
I’ve noticed (since getting a full-length mirror for my workout room) that, when coming up from a back squat, my hips kick to right slightly. I made it a point to not do it, but it’s involuntary. This occurs even with bodyweight squats, but is more pronounced with weighted squats. I’ve tried different stances, and it keeps happening. There’s no pain associated with it, but the asymmetry is just bad form.
That same hip also pops when I lift my right leg and lower it back down, but the left hip doesn’t do the same. I’ve always had that problem. I was watching a YouTube video where a guy said he had one hip higher than the other and was working with a physical therapist because standing exercises like squats were more difficult for him regarding maintaining proper form, but he didn’t explain what issues he was having.
Last night, my husband had me stand on my right leg while he measured from foot to the crest of my hip, then measured the other one the same way. He said it looked like my right hip was 1 inch higher (Lower? I’d have to ask him) than my left. He’s no doctor and I’m not sure if what he found means anything at all, but I’m wondering if anyone has misaligned hips and what type of problems it has caused, especially if you work out.
I plan to make an appointment with my GP soon and hopefully get referred to either a physical therapist or chiropractor, but I’m going to do some self-correction in the meantime, as I found some stretches/moves that are supposed to help with misaligned hips. Like I said, there’s no pain, I just don’t know what negative effects this could have down the road in regard to my lifts, musculature balance, musculoskeletal issues, chronic pain, etc.
I also asked this on a fitness forum, so I’m getting very specific answers there. I’m guessing I’ll get more answers not related to lifting here, which is why I’m double-posting. Thoughts? Experience?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
9 Answers
Pretty much everyone is uneven, some more than others. If it doesn’t cause you any pain I would not think twice about it. It’s why when a seemstress does a hem for you they measure from the floor. Also, when people wore more pleated pants we used to be able to eyeball which hip was bigger if the trouser was a little snug, because the bigger hip pulled the pleat open.
As long as your spine is straight it doesn’t sound like anything worth addressing. Hopefully, by your age, they would have caught soliosis (a curvature of the spine) if you had it. you would see that mostly in your shoulders as a tipoff though. One shoulder would be higher than the other.
It doesn’t sound to me like something you need to go to a GP for, unless I have misunderstood. You don’t have any pain right? I guess you could wear a lift of some sort in your shoe, but I bet it would make you feel awkward since you only notice this problem if you look at the mirror.
@JLeslie Right, there’s no pain, but having bad form while lifting heavy can lead to injury, which is what I’m trying to avoid. Right now I’m squatting 160 lbs (I only weigh 127 lbs), and I have no plans on stopping there. I’m definitely not willing to stop lifting unless I’m told I have to by a doctor, which I doubt would happen at this point. I’d rather see a physical therapist or chiropractor to help correct the issue, if possible, so I can get as much as I can out of my lifts without unnecessarily risking injury or pain issues later in life. I know this could cause muscle imbalance in some cases, where one side of the body is a lot stronger than the other. In that case, I’d have to do more single-side exercises on the affected side so it would “even out.” One guy I spoke to said, “I’ve got one good glute, and one that’s a mess.” I’m doing squats to get a bigger/better ass, not an uneven one.
Typo: scoliosis. Before Gail catches it.
I was diagnosed with scoliosis (9˚) as a teen-ager, which has left me asymmetrical. One leg is longer (or shorter, depending on your view), my hips are crooked and when I do some lower back stretches, I am much more flexible and pain-free on one side than the other. My shoulders are even. But when I take my clothes off, I am not a straight line from neck through breast cleavage, navel and middle of vagina.
During the years when I still did downhill skiing, I was able to do a beautiful parallel turn to to the left and was as clumsy as a novice when turning to the right.
Personally, I would see a PT for some designer stretches that you can do for the rest of your life rather than mess with a chiropractor, who does things (sometimes nasty things) to you as a one-off. I lie on a heating pad for 10 minutes daily and then do my back stretches, similar to traditional yoga.
@gailcalled I definitely agree about the chiropractor. To be honest, I’m skeptical about seeing one at all, but I was going to take my doctor’s advice if he suggested one. I’d never go to one on my own, though.
My husband suggested a shoe insert that’s about 0.5” on the shorter side just while doing squats to see if I can get more symmetrical on my way out of the squat. Since I usually work out barefoot, I’m going to try looking like an idiot and just wearing one shoe on my warm-up sets to see if it makes a difference. I don’t think I’d need to wear an insert any other time since I don’t have any pain issues.
Doc is much more likely to suggest a physical therapist, I would bet.
I didn’t even know doctors ever recommend a chiropractor.
@JLeslie They may not. I wouldn’t know – I’ve never had any problems that might call for one before.
To get to your mid twenties and have scoliosis and it never was diagnosed would be just another checkmark on my list of why I think doctors can be idiots. I’m going to go ahead and try to stay with the thought that your spine is straight. Even though I myself brought up the possibility.
Your husband can look at your spine and see if it looks straight. You’re thin, he easily will be able to view it, even though it is not the same as a doctor’s evaluation.
If they give you more than one PT appointment I will consider it a waste of money and another reason our medical system is terrible and expensive. You have no pain to work on, it would just be to hand you papers with exercise diagrams and run through them with you, plus advise you on things to do to avoid problems in the future. Your doctor can hand you the same paperwork.
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
