The Hip Complex - Breaking Down Barriers to Better Outcomes

Overview

This course covers the assessment and treatment of the hip complex using a biopsychosocial approach. Darryl Yardley, Jim Millard, and Erik Schmidt review clinically relevant anatomy and biomechanics, then work through hip osteoarthritis, femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), labral tears, gluteal tendinopathy, and lumbar radiculopathy versus peripheral nerve entrapment.

Diagnosis at the hip is often not straightforward. The presenters cite an average delay of up to 3.1 years before patients are diagnosed with FAI. MRI studies show labral tears and other abnormalities in many people with no hip pain. In lateral hip pain, bursal distension is found in only 8 to 15% of cases, and it is usually secondary to gluteus medius or minimus tendinopathy.

The course includes demonstrations of a hip-specific exam and treatment techniques, including traction, mobilizations, loading progressions, and nerve provocation and flossing. It also covers communication, expectation setting, and plan-of-care design, along with the practice metrics that show whether patients are completing their care.

Learning Objectives

In this course, participants will:

1. Explore how the patient experience, communication, and a biopsychosocial approach influence engagement, adherence, and outcomes in hip care.
   
   
2. Conduct a structured subjective exam and a hip-specific objective exam, including FADIR, FABER, impingement, and log roll testing.
   Review clinically relevant hip anatomy and biomechanics, including osseous, ligamentous, neural, and muscular structures.
   
   
3. Differentiate intra-articular, extra-articular, and referred sources of hip pain, including hip osteoarthritis, FAI and labral tears, gluteal tendinopathy versus trochanteric bursitis, and lumbar radiculopathy versus peripheral nerve entrapment.
   
   
4. Apply evidence-informed management strategies, including end-range manual therapy, progressive loading, neuromuscular retraining, and load management for gluteal tendinopathy.
   
   
5. Recognize when pelvic floor dysfunction may be contributing to hip pain and when interprofessional collaboration is warranted.
   
   
6. Use practice metrics such as graduation rate and Net Promoter Score to connect quality clinical care with patient retention and a sustainable practice.

Audience 

This course is for physiotherapists, physiotherapist assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapist assistants, athletic therapists, exercise therapists, kinesiologists, and other rehabilitation professionals who treat hip, groin, or lower quadrant pain. It is appropriate for practitioners early in their careers and for experienced clinicians who want to refine their differential diagnosis. Clinic owners will find the sections on patient retention and practice metrics directly applicable.

A background in orthopaedic assessment is helpful but not required.

Why This Course Matters

Hip pain is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed late. Imaging findings do not always match symptoms, lateral hip pain is still commonly labelled as bursitis, and pain from the hip, lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint, and pelvic floor can present in similar ways.

The presenters recommend screening all lower quadrant patients for hip involvement and explain which treatment approaches have evidence for improving pain and function, and which do not. They also discuss patients who stop attending before completing their plan of care. According to the presenters, about 20% of patients drop out within the first three visits. The course looks at how clear explanations of the diagnosis, a defined plan of care, and ongoing communication help patients stay in care long enough to benefit from treatment.

What Is Included?

This course includes:

• More than 6 hours of video lessons

• More than 80 Patient Exercises and 2 Exercise Program Templates that you can easily share with your patients using Embodia for HEP

• Bite-sized information: All of the content is broken down into bite-sized chunks, so that you can easily watch a video on your break, over lunch, or for a few minutes at night. There is no start date or completion date, you can complete this course at your own pace

• Quizzes throughout to help you integrate the knowledge

• Certificate of Completion: Once you have completed the course, you will receive a certificate for your professional portfolio

• Lifetime access after purchase

• You will be sent a receipt as soon as you purchase this course. This receipt can be used for education grants and for tax purposes