Snapping Hip Treatment in Illinois

Are You Experiencing a Snapping Sensation in the Hip?

Snapping hip syndrome, often referred to as dancer’s hip, is a condition that primarily affects young adults (particularly athletes and dancers). Patients with snapping hip syndrome typically feel a snapping sensation, or hear a snapping sound, when they walk, rise from a sitting position, or swing their leg around. The majority of people with snapping hip syndrome suffer little, if any, lasting effects from the condition; though the sound and the sensation can be annoying. However, for athletes and dancers the condition can cause pain and weakness that may interfere with their physical performance.

Causes of Snapping Hip

Snapping hip is typically the result of tightness in the muscles or tendons that surround the hip. Younger athletes and dancers are generally more prone to snapping hip syndrome, because tightness in the muscle structures of the hip naturally accompanies adolescent growth spurts.

In the majority of cases, the “snapping” associated with snapping hip syndrome is the result of the movement of a muscle or tendon over a bony structure in the hip. This most commonly occurs at the outside of the hip, where a band of connective tissue (known as the iliotibial band) passes over the outer lateral point of the hip (aka the greater trochanter). When a person stands, the band is behind the lateral point of the hip. However, when the hip is bent the band slips over to the front of the greater trochanter, causing the snapping sensation and/or sound experienced by the patient.

Another, slightly less common, site of “snapping” is where the ball-shaped top of the thigh bone fits into the socket of the pelvis to form the hip joint. Here, the “snapping” occurs when the tendon that runs from the inside of the thigh bone up through the pelvis moves across the top of the thigh bone as the hip is bent or straightened.

Symptoms of Snapping Hip

The primary symptom associated with snapping hip syndrome is:

• A “snapping” feeling in your hip when you walk, get up from a chair, or swing your leg around

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