What is Osteitis Pubis?
Osteitis pubis is a common injury that involves pain over the 'pubic symphysis' region. The pubic symphysis is a small cartilaginous joint that lies between the two pubic bones in the front of your hips. When it becomes inflamed, osteitis pubis occurs. Chronic cases can even show up on x-rays, with degenerative changes seen around the pubic symphysis region. Osteitis pubis can be felt on either side of the groin or both, depending on the cause and the extent of inflammation in the area. Pain can also radiate up into the abdomen, into the front of the hips or down into the insides of the thigh muscles. These affected thigh muscles are the adductors, and it is not uncommon for patients to be unable to cross their legs without pain if suffering from osteitis pubis. Without treatment or changes to activities, osteitis pubis does tend to worsen; with moderate-severe cases, a 'waddle' gait may develop to compensate for the pain.
What causes Osteitis Pubis?
Osteitis pubis is caused by overuse of the pubic symphysis, pregnancy or from trauma to the pubic symphysis. Due to the location that the pubic symphysis sits in, this can be quite easy to do if you are an athlete! For example, stretching your legs apart causes your adductor thigh muscles to also pull and stretch out your pubic symphysis. Sports that involve repetitive running and kicking can further stress your groin and pubic symphysis. These can include, but are not limited to football, hockey and track athletics.
You may be thinking that these are common sports, so why don't more people have osteitis pubis? The answer is that it also depends on your core strength. A weaker core can lead to weak pelvic floor strength - a weak pelvic floor won't be able to take as much load as required, and so the pubic bones will have to take the load instead. This inadvertently leads to greater stress onto the pubic symphysis. Athletes with stronger cores and good pelvic floor control therefore tend to have a lesser likelihood of developing osteitis pubis.
How may Chiropractic Care in Perth – Joondalup assist with osteitis pubis?
• Rehabilitation exercises designed for your needs. These can include ones to re-strengthen your core if it is weak, stretches for tight adductor muscles in the thigh and stretches for hip flexors near the groin. Note that proper rehabilitation takes time. If your symptoms are severe then it can take several sessions over 3-4 months to get a full recovery.
• Chiropractic adjustments into the sacroiliac joints (hip joints) which can free up any locked joints in the spine and hip. This leads to a greater range of movement in your hips and helps to relieve the pressure on the pubic symphysis.
• Gentle chiropractic mobilization techniques - these can be used in conjunction with biomechanical blocking to ease the tension on your groin and hips.
If you have groin or hip pain, – visit our Chiropractic Care Centre now for a full assessment.
Lakeside Chiropractic is central to the northern suburbs of Perth located in the city of Joondalup. If you are in the surrounding suburbs such as Yanchep, Tapping, Carramar, Currambine, Wanneroo, Heathridge, Edgewater, Gnangara, Mullaloo, Padbury, Kingsley, Woodvale, Banksia Grove, or Duncraig please come and see our friendly and experienced chiropractors. They can further discuss the benefits of chiropractic for groin or hip pain.
We have HICAPs in the clinic so you can claim immediately from your Health Fund. We can claim from Medibank, HBF, HIF, CGU Health, Frank Health, Defence Health and BUPA. If your fund is not listed, please ask when booking in.
You can contact us on 9300 0095, or visit our website www.lakesidechiro.com.au to make an enquiry or booking.
