Does it feel like your back is always cranky or your hips are chronically tight? The problem may not be where it hurts, or what it seems.

Heidi Prather, DO, a sports medicine and hip preservation physiatrist and Founder and Medical Director of the HSS Lifestyle Medicine Program, recently joined the Hit Play Not Pause podcast to explain how back pain can originate in the hips and why “tight” hips may actually be a sign of instability, meaning more stretching may not always be the answer.

Dr. Prather also discussed how estrogen and inflammation during the menopause transition can affect musculoskeletal health, along with the role of fascia, nerve irritation, frozen shoulder, sleep and anxiety in pain. She also shared practical advice for staying active and reducing the likelihood that pain interferes with everyday life.

Listen to the full episode here.