Healthy Volunteers and Volunteers with Hip Pain needed

“Differences in movement patterns in young and middle-aged adults with and without hip pain”

Principal Investigator:  Cara L. Lewis, PT, PhD
College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
Boston University

Purpose of Research:

An increasing number of active young and middle-aged adults are experiencing hip pain. The purpose of this research is to assess how people with hip pain walk, step down, hop and lift their legs, and compare this to people without hip pain.

Study Design:

This study requires one 2-4 hour appointment. An experienced clinician will perform a brief clinical examination of the subject including specific hip tests, range of motion and strength measurements. The subject will also be asked to fill out questionnaires regarding his/her hip pain, activity level, and history of injury, as well as walk across the room or on a treadmill. The subject may also be asked to perform different tasks (stepping down and back up from a step, lifting his/her leg while lying down, and hopping). The subject will be videotaped and data will also be recorded using reflective markers placed on the subject. Muscle activity data may also be recorded.

Subject Criteria:

• All subjects should  be between 14 and 50 years old, be medically stable, and have no history of back surgery
• Subjects should either have no leg or back pain or should have hip pain.

For more information:

• Contact Cara Lewis at (617) 353-7509 or lewisc@bu.edu