The Link Between Left Hip Pain and Constipation

One of the many symptoms of constipation is left hip pain. However, in order to understand the link between left hip pain and constipation, we have to first understand what is constipation. 

What is constipation?

Constipation is defined as having less than 3 bowel movements per week. However, people can have a bowel movement every day and still be constipated.

From a clinical standpoint, when a patient presents to pelvic floor PT and reports feelings of incomplete emptying, difficulty passing stool, describes stool as small pellets, reports then need to do a lot of straining to pass stool, or reports fecal smearing (reports that they need to keep wiping because they continue to have stool on the toilet tissue when they wipe), we often attribute these problems to constipation.

What are symptoms that someone can experience with constipation?

Constipation can lead to many symptoms including hemorrhoids, fissures, abdominal bloating and even hip pain, specifically left hip pain.

What is the connection between left hip pain and constipation?

Left hip pain and constipation are related because of the way that the bowel runs and ends around the left hip. Since stool is heavy, when the rectum or bowels are filled with stool that is unable to pass, this puts excess weight on the pelvic floor muscles and surrounding hip muscles. 

The added pressure through the pelvic floor muscles and hip muscles can then result in pain in these muscles. More specifically, we notice left hip pain and constipation due to how the bowel terminates, however sometimes in severe constipation, right hip pain can also be present.

How to treat left hip pain and constipation?

We first have to understand the connection between the left hip and constipation, as well as understand what is causing the constipation. Understanding the reasons that someone may be constipated such as diet, hydration, activity, slow peristalsis, chronic clenching is important to being able to treat it.

With time, improvement in constipation will help with left hip pain, however sometimes in patients that have struggled with chronic constipation, we need to help release the hip muscles through pelvic floor treatments, manual therapy, and exercises. 

All in all, there is absolutely a link between left hip pain and constipation. If you are struggling with left hip pain, consider seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist as opposed to a traditional orthopedic therapist because your symptoms may be related to how your pelvic floor, and bowels are functioning. 

If you need help figuring out your symptoms, please call us. We are happy to help you whether in person, or virtual.