There are numerous possible causes of hip pain. It is therefore important to define these complaints clearly.

A common case of hip pain: signs of wear (osteoarthritis) in the joint.

Hip pain is often equated with osteoarthritis pain in the hip. However, the main causes are usually found in the area of corresponding muscles, tendons, bursa and nerves. Sometimes there is also something wrong with the small of the back (lumbar spine), or the disturbance lies outside the locomotor system.

Other causes:

• Overloading due to training and work (e.g. tense hip musculature)
• Hip impingement (restriction of the hip joint)
• Accidents or joint injuries
• Congenital malpositions
• Osteoporosis
• Infections
• Chronic arthritis
• Metabolic disturbances (gout, rheumatism)
• Pressure on nerves (nerve root in the spine or locally on the hip joint)

Hip pain can lead to relieving postures, which overload other joints and body structures and cause secondary disorders or secondary pain. Furthermore, pain leads to a reduction in exercise and those who move less automatically put on more weight. This in turn has a negative effect on hip complaints. Many affected by chronic (joint) pain are therefore caught in a downward spiral. The primary therapy objective is to escape this downward spiral.

Conservative treatment methods in case of hip pain primarily consist of weight loss if necessary, and of movement exercises, which are put together and taught by a physiotherapist. The aim of such exercises is to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint and to improve hip mobility. Additional treatment approaches include massage, the application of heat and cold, pharmacology treatment and orthopaedic devices.
The objective of conservative therapy is to maintain joint function and reduce pain.

It’s not only the cushioning effect that helps alleviate pain. When standing the soft, elastic supporting underlay, one automatically keeps moving very slightly. When standing and walking on soft, elastic materials, the core stability musculature has to make a major contribution in order to stabilise the joints. Strong core stabilising musculature ensures an upright posture, resulting in more precise movements in the joints. Lack of exercise due to pain results in long-term muscle loss (amyotrophia). Signs of excessive strain in the hip joint can develop more quickly as a result. The ability to stabilise the joints under load can be improved again through proprioceptive, sensorimotor and coordination training on an unstable surface. This also leads to a reduction in (joint) pain. Training the core stabilising musculature is easy to integrate into everyday life by wearing the kybun shoe.

Attention! Short-term effects are often confused with lasting effects.

The adjustment processes in the body triggered by the kybun shoe can take months or even years. Achieving lasting change is a protracted process.

Despite that, the effect of the soft, elastic material can also be felt quickly, for example in the relaxation of tense muscles and the alleviation of pressure points. These short-term effects must not be confused with the effects in the long run, since the long-term adjustment process cannot progress far enough in a week to be perceptible.

Short-term effects, on the other hand, can disappear again just as quickly as they came, or can even turn into complaints if you do not take the necessary breaks in the beginning.

Therefore, it is important to understand that an initial reaction and a reduction of the positive feeling in the first few weeks with the kybun shoe does not mean that the kybun shoe is no longer working, but merely that the short-term sense of well-being is declining!

Prevention with kybun

Everyone knows that the body is subject to wear, and that problems while walking and running are bound to occur sooner or later. Yet most people only start to consciously perceive their body as a fragile and transient structure once they experience problems. In most cases, however, it is already too late because irreversible damage such as cartilage wear has already occurred.

Therefore it is important to act before pain is felt or is increasing. The kybun mat and kybun shoe help protect the joints and prevent osteoarthritis even in youth.

• Upright body posture
• Do not make your steps too long
• Everyday/leisure: Walk with the kybun shoe or use the kybun mat as much as possible. Take note of fatigue > perform the kybun exercises regularly and take a short break if needed.
• Job: Sit as little as possible. Alternate sitting and standing in the beginning, and take along replacement shoes to change into
• If you feel unsafe/too unstable in the kybun shoe even after a test walk, we recommend a kybun shoe model with a lower rebound effect. These have a somewhat wider sole in the area of the midfoot, providing added stability. Seek advice from your local kybun expert.
• If you find the kybun shoe model with lower rebound effect too unstable for you as well, we recommend the kybun mat. You can choose the thickness you are comfortable with (the thicker, the less stable, the more intensive the training). You can also hold on to a fixed object. This can be helpful especially in the beginning after the operation, until you regain confidence in the hip.
• Precise movements are essential with hip pain. Pay attention to exact movements and take a break in case of fatigue or weakness. Lateral/medial rolling of the ankle joint on the soft, elastic material has to be corrected so that the load is applied to the foot, knee and hip with proper axial alignment. Read more under ‘Lateral/medial rolling of the ankle joint’.
• Contact a kybun dealer you trust if you have further questions, feel insecure or if there is no alleviation of pain when using the kybun shoe even though you are following the tips.