Is It Your Hip or Ovary?

Are you experiencing pain in your hip or lower abdomen? How do we know if it is pain coming from your ovary or hip?

Hip Dysfunction often refers to the lower abdomen, leg, low back, groin and even the ovary.

Ovarian Dysfunction often refers to the same areas— so which needs the attention?

Here are some thoughts:

• Your ovary may be the “source” of pain if your symptoms are worsened around ovulation and bleeding times in your cycle.

• If you have a history of ovarian cysts, PCOS, endometriosis, anovulation, then you may want an ultrasound screening of your ovary.

• If your hip has limited, or painful movements, then you may have more of a hip issue to work with.

• Often, back pain is caused by hip mobility issues! If your hip is unable to move or stabilize your pelvis, then your back will take on the compensations and strain.

• Hip issues often lead to over active hip flexors, which is the muscle that inserts on the front of the hip near the groin crease. Hip Flexors are a powerful muscle group of the illiacus and psoas, combining to illiopsoas. These muscles run along your spine, starting from the base of the respiratory diaphragm, and inserting at the top of the hip. These muscles will support you in a fight, flight and freeze response. So if your body is experiencing a stress response, these muscles may be the first to engage in protection.

In an evaluation— we first will screen your hip movement, then we will screen your ovary movements. This will inform our course of treatment.

On your own— try massaging your ovary, and your hip to start to self-exam the two. Notice if you consistently cross one leg over the other or carry your kiddos on one side. Notice if your symptoms are constant or cyclical. Offer your body some hip mobility and breath exercises as demonstrated below.