Some of the best hip pain remedies are light exercise, pain medications, and the RICE method. Light exercise can be anything from walking and light stretching to gentle yoga. Pain medication may be necessary for some people, but it can be combined with other methods of pain remedies to reduce or eliminate pain rather than suppressing it. Another method is called RICE, which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation and is basically a first-aid treatment for strains. Lastly, some people find the most relief in alternative treatments like acupuncture, herbs, and chiropractic care.
The RICE method is best used for soft tissue injury and generally considered a treatment rather than a cure. Rest is important for the body to repair the damage and to prevent further injury and increased inflammation. Ice is used to further reduce inflammation and decrease pain. Compression helps reduce swelling due to inflammation, which can cause pain. Lastly, elevation is also used to reduce swelling and therefore reduce pain in turn.
Many hip pain remedies involve exercising and stretching hip muscles as well as related muscles, such as the legs and core. Engaging in hip-specific exercises and stretches can help relieve pain as well as strengthen muscles that can help prevent pain from returning in the future. Gentle yoga and swimming are often recommended as exercises to help deal with hip pain and may also help with hip pain that is referred from other parts of the body. Other exercises include biking and walking, as well as calisthenics that target associated muscles.
Pain medication is another treatment rather than a cure, but it can provide temporary relief for the sufferer. Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can act as temporary hip pain remedies. In combination with other hip pain remedies, like gentle yoga or stretching, the affected person may notice enough reduction in pain to decrease or eliminate his or her pain medications.
Alternative methods are typically not scientifically proven to work, but many people find relief in acupuncture, chiropractic care, and herbal treatments. For many, alternative medicine works after traditional methods have failed. This may be due to the placebo effect, meaning people find relief in these methods simply because they believe it works, or it may be the result of something researchers do not yet understand. Either way, alternative medicine methods as hip pain remedies can be dangerous, and caution should be exercised when experimenting with it.