Dr. Corey Michael Van westen, D.C.

The back stiffness and pain in your lower back is a warning sign. Ignoring your pain by use of the treadmill or cycling is not recommended in the presence of pain or other warning signs. There is a cause for the pain and that cause should be detected and corrected before the use of treadmill or cycling should be continued.

This is a common theme (forcing my bad posture to become good posture) based upon either a husband's or wife's or even your mother's suggestion. Unfortunately, the truth is that your underlying structure is abnormal and that is the exact reason you are not able to "force" and sustain good posture. The recommendation is to see a neuromusculoskeletal expert (a Chiropractic Physician) to evaluate your abnormal neuromusculoskeletal system so that he/she may assess if they may accept your case or if you may need a referral to a surgeon.

In your mother's situation, short-term relief may be attained by heat therapy. However, in your mother's situation, it seems medication is no longer a band-aid for her hip pain. This means your mother has developed a tolerance for her medications, her liver and other systems are having trouble either absorbing, distributing, metabolizing, or excreting those meds. Since the medical model is no longer helping your mother, you may want to try a neuromusculoskeletal specialist (a chiropractor) for a consultation and examination to see if they may be able to accept her case or if a surgical consultation may be warranted.

Yoga may help in relieving some of the pain if the pain is caused by tight muscles that need to be stretched. The best option is for an evaluation by an expert who is trained in the anatomy and physiology of the hip. Your local chiropractor is best able to asses this. Please consult with him or her to see if their treatments may be best for your hip pain.