Psychosomatics of Hip Joint Pain

The largest joint in the human body is the hip joint, located at the junction of the pelvis and femur and consisting of a variety of bones, tissues, and other structures. Functions of this joint include providing rotational and flexion-extension movements. Also, a healthy hip joint supports the weight of the entire body and enables upright human walking. Signs of hip joint diseases include:

  • Pain,
  • Reduced mobility in this area,
  • Swelling in the joint area,
  • Redness and local temperature increase (during inflammations),
  • Difficulties in moving (due to the destruction of cartilage or bone tissue),
  • Shooting and “twitching” pains,
  • High temperature,
  • Swelling and redness in case of purulent lesions of the joint tissues. The most common diseases of the hip joint are:
  • Coxarthrosis (osteoarthritis) – a metabolic disorder in the joint cartilage, leading to its degeneration.
  • Arthritis (coxitis) – inflammations in the hip joint.
  • Bursitis – inflammation in the joint’s synovial sac, which prevents friction.
  • Hip dislocation – displacement of the femoral head, accompanied by damage to the joint capsule.
  • Dysplasia – underdevelopment of bone tissue.
  • Tendinitis – inflammation of tendons in the area of articulation with the hip bones.
  • Osteosclerosis – bone lesions due to bone tissue densification.
  • Osteoporosis – a decrease in bone density due to leaching of calcium and phosphorus.
  • Perthes disease (aseptic necrosis) – non-infectious destruction of the hip joint head. In medicine, the following causes of pain in the hip joint are identified:
  • Inflammation (infectious arthritis),
  • Autoimmune damage (rheumatoid and reactive arthritis),
  • Integrity disruption of tissues,
  • Joint trauma in athletes or elderly people,
  • Endocrine changes in adolescents and children,
  • Metabolic disorders,
  • Coxarthrosis,
  • Destruction of joint connections,
  • Fractures, dislocations,
  • Necrosis and other diseases of the hip joint, as well as congenital anomalies of the hip joint.

Psychosomatics of the Hip Joint

The joint is a mobile part characterized by flexibility. Recall that this flexibility allows the joint to rotate and bend the leg, turning the leg to the right and left sides. Translating these joint functions into psychological language gives us a clue about the subtle meaning carried by the hip joint and what it symbolizes for a person.

  • Louise Hay asserts that joints symbolize changes in life directions, ease of movement in a person’s life.
  • Psychologist Liz Bourbeau writes that when walking, leg movement begins with the hip joint, hence problems with this joint indicate that the person cannot start moving (thoughts like “nothing will work out”).
  • Doctor V. Sinelnikov, based on his practice, claims that joints are responsible for expressing such negative emotions as irritation, anger, rage. If a person suppresses them, not allowing them to manifest, then the joints become diseased.

But with which sphere of life are negative emotions and loss of flexibility quality, leading to hip joint ailments, associated?

First, let’s remember what symbolizes the pelvis and thigh (these bones are connected by the hip joint we are interested in). The pelvis is the lower support, the home where a person finds support, and the thigh is what maintains balance (Louise Hay).

Other authors on psychosomatics bring additional symbols of the thigh: success, leadership, power. They reveal the metaphysical symbolism of human thigh through such qualities as life stability, the ability to fight, the skill to defend one’s principles, endurance, the ability to protect. From this, it follows that a person “hardens” in thoughts and beliefs related to his life support (home, family, work, relationships with relatives and close ones, some basic principles). Due to negative thoughts and emotions about their life support, they start losing mental balance. But how to move forward in life if support and balance are lost? Barely or not at all – our body signals to us.

How are soul pain and physical pain connected? We get the answer by examining the mechanism of action of negative thoughts-emotions on the physical body.

Thus, an important component of joint fluid is hyaluronic acid. But the production of this acid is inhibited by so-called corticosteroid hormones, which are excessively released into the blood during prolonged stresses and emotional tensions. Joint cartilages start to dry out, crack and thin. The same “stress hormones” worsen blood flow in the joints, which also negatively affects the joint condition.

Stresses also negatively affect muscle function. In our case, spasms caused by stress cause the periarticular muscles to clamp the joint. This also leads to disruption of joint function and its deformation.

Psychosomatics of Hip Joint Pain

Renowned author on psychosomatics Liz Bourbeau notes that leg movement starts from the hip bones, so pain in this area indicates that a person cannot decide on a step (changing jobs, forgiving a loved one, etc.)

Psychologists explain that the occurrence of pain in the hip joint when a person stands signals that they want to move, but fears hold them back. Increased pain in the sitting position is characteristic when a person does not give themselves a break.

In psychosomatics, attention is also paid to which side the ailment manifests, as this provides additional clues. Thus, pain associated with the right thigh clearly indicates that a person is not satisfied with completed tasks, but tries to prove their importance, and also restrains their feelings.

Pain associated with the left thigh speaks of fear of the future, fear of making a decision, as well as rigidity and lack of flexibility.

Liz Bourbeau believes that joint ailments are related to indecision, self-doubt, fatigue, and unwillingness to act. At the same time, the more pessimistic a person is, the stronger the pain in the joint.

It is also found that pain and inflexibility of the hip joint indicate that the patients in their lives adhere to rigid rules and firm views, and also like to control.

Psychological Causes of Hip Joint Diseases

So, the joints contain the force of dynamic tension – the ability to move. And they immobilize the body when life’s movements-actions bring suffering instead of joy (despair from having to work without joy, constant tension from thoughts of “not having enough time”).

Let’s look in more detail at the causes of some psychosomatic diseases of the hip joint.

Louise Hay identifies the psychological causes of arthritis as follows: the realization that one has never loved, criticism, contempt. Lise Bourbeau writes that a person suffering from this disease is usually too strict with himself, experiencing anger and animosity towards himself.

Arthritis may also indicate a fear of the new, an unwillingness to change life principles, to adapt to the situation.

The psychological portrait of patients suffering from arthrosis is interesting. Outwardly, these are friendly and calm people, but inside they have suppressed negative emotions. Thus, they destroy themselves through anger, hostility, and a sense of injustice.

To illustrate, let me give you an example from life.

A real-life example. I was fortunate to be the ward neighbor of an elderly woman who suffered from arthrosis. She was a sweet, friendly, and kind old lady. From her story about herself, it became clear why she had this ailment, and it was progressing (i.e., treatments were almost not helpful, only blocking the pain temporarily).

She had worked her entire life as a teacher (a profession that requires suppressing one’s emotions, which cannot be shown). In her youth, she was left without a husband with one daughter (she had to pull herself together and continue living). The daughter grew up, moved far away, got married there, and stayed. Since then and now, this woman is alone (she’s about 80), with almost no relatives left, so no one could visit her in the hospital. Her daughter cannot come to visit, as she is all caught up in her affairs.

When asked “Why don’t you go live with your daughter?”, she replied: “Yes, she has wanted to take me to her place for a long time. But I’m good here, I live freely, in my own way, I sometimes meet with friends. And there I will have to live by other rules (note: that is, change something in my life, adapt to the situation). To sit in the room assigned to me and look out the window. I don’t want that.” On the one hand, she is easy to understand. But, on the other hand, there you can also make friends, and not just sit in a room, but continue to live actively (if you want).

The resentment and anger that a person experiences due to the situation destroy the joints. But the person chooses the outcome of the situation himself and receives the corresponding consequence.

The psychosomatics of arthrosis, as it turns out, is also related to workaholism, based on a lack of understanding of the meaning of one’s life. In this case, the person is accustomed to working constantly to fill the inner void. At the same time, the patient is distinguished by stubbornness, inflexibility.

Osteosclerosis is based on an unwillingness to act, a lack of flexibility. People suffering from this ailment are characterized by uncompromisingness. On the other hand, the inability to refuse, self-doubt, and irritability can also cause osteosclerosis.

A dislocation of the hip joint is received when a person is forced to go (literally and figuratively) where he does not want to, while being angry with himself for allowing others to manipulate him. Reiki specialists, B. Baginski and Sh. Shalila, note that dislocations occur when a person himself “twists” someone in life.

According to psychosomatic authors, the reason for bruises of the hip joint is that a person cannot decide on some action.

Destructive changes in the joints begin with prolonged disappointment from joyless labor. The rigidity and ossification of the hip joint are caused by a fear of the future, an inability to make decisions.

According to O. Torsunov, problems with joints are caused by such prolonged negative emotions of a person as resentment, disappointment, despair, criticism (the habit of criticizing everyone and everything), assertiveness, idleness, passionate labor (meaningless labor, labor for labor’s sake).

Healing Paths for Psychosomatic Diseases of the Hip Joint

So, we found out that the hip joint is responsible for the ability to move (including the movement of a person through life), and joints that have lost flexibility signal the “hardened” beliefs of the patient, related to his movement (or lack thereof) through life. And very often, diseases of the hip joints have at their core a fear of change.

What to do? The answer is clear: find the psychological cause and remove it, replace this disease-causing cause with a health-causing one.

Of course, this will take a certain amount of time, and an important factor in this matter will be the desire and decisive attitude. But, I think, this is not a problem, especially if a person has decided for himself.

And the most serious and responsible step for the patient will be his choice: to heal or leave everything as it is.

To make an effort, change your “ossified principles” and get rid of the disease or continue to “live out of habit”, “stick to your line with your head held high”, but suffering from an educating disease. Here the question may arise: what if you work on yourself, but sometimes negative emotions still appear?

The main thing is not to panic and not to blame yourself for them.

Negative emotions are part of our life, so it is wrong here to deny them, to suppress them. The right approach in this situation is to recognize that you have negative emotions, and then use their energy for your benefit.

How? For example, Dr. V. Sinelnikov suggests directing the energy of negative emotions to monotonous work that you usually do not like to do (beat the dust out of a rug, tidy up a balcony, a storage room, fix, wash, wash everything that your hands did not want to reach, etc.).

Also, remember that healthy joints come from the satisfaction of movement-action that a person makes. So, if you do something, you have to do it with joy. And if there is no joy, then you should think about whether you need it.

Yes, there are situations in life when the word “must” presses on us, and we have to do or go where we do not want to. In such cases, it makes sense to reconsider the situation and find an argument that your soul will accept and be at peace (look at the usually annoying relative, to whom you do not want to go, with different eyes, not the eyes of your ego, but the eyes of the soul and see other sides in her that you will want to get to know better).

Or, at first (!), you can make a deal with yourself, coming up with a consoling prize for yourself (I will do this, but in return I will allow myself that). Then, consciously approach the execution of an unpleasant task, understanding why it needs to be done.

Speaking of maintaining the health of the joints, O. Torsunov emphasizes that such human qualities as hope, forgiveness, kindness, courtesy, hard work have a positive effect. So, it’s worth arming yourself with these qualities!

I wish you joy from the process and the result of your movements-actions!

Lada

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