It is difficult to succinctly convey  the essence of unpretentious words like HIP and THIGH. Even setting aside the HYPE inherent in HIPSTER and HIPPIE and consideration of those who seek to be HIP or noted, does not help. The chosen solution is to divide the subject into three parts.

The focus here is on CLINIC and CLINICal matters while other companion overviews are focused on HIP and THIGH in terms of biPODal or biPED ambulation and the impact of CURVAceous hips and thighs as emblems of FEMininity.

This overview presents ideas in CURVE and CLINIC, as well as thoughts about CURVACEOUS hips and thighs. For example, as hip function deCLINEs, a person will be more likely to reCLINe and seek CLINical care. KLINein, KLINicos and CLINOID in Greek point to bed.

ReCLINing patients need CLINical Services. (Metsy; Steen)

CLINICS, it is true, no longer emphasize the care of patients reCLINing in bed. Nonetheless, CLINICAL medicine is defined as "bed side" medical practice.

Bed, cot and litter have to do with drop, fall, delivery, birth, sleep, death and more. (Anonymous; Gaugin)

It is also true that modern CLINICIANS place less emphasis than Esculapius did to the importance of a favorable CLIMate for patients to CLIMb, step by step, the ladder of recovery toward the CLIMax of a cure. Perhaps a renaissance of Esculapian ideals of offering rest and sleep cures in reCLINing CLINics as a component of a CURAtive CLINICal CLIMate may arise again. A revised model may be provided by "CURords" or "resting CURe establishments" that survive and remain popular across the territories of the former USSR. In fact, medical dogma that clinical medicine only helps the body to "cure itself" remains and is sustained by advances in molecular genetics. Note that no serious scientist can dispute the fact that severe sleep deprivation is lethal. It seems inevitable that sooner of later, scientific data will satisfy purists who practice "evidence based medicine" to also embrace the idea that reCLINing hospital patients also need their sleep and a better CURAtive CLIMate.

Many believe that, as JOVe and Juno did, Sleep reJUVenates JOViality. (Giordano; Renoir)

Another panorama is opened by the old adage "Time and Gods bend".

It is obvious that time points to aging and that aging points to deCLINE. The burden of age often BENDs or CURVes the spine and other joints or articulations. Among the elderly, a forward curve or BEND of the spine is common and referred to as KYPHOSIS. Lateral spinal CURVes can be congenital or inborn but in general are noted in teens and young adults. Lateral spinal curves are called SCOLIOSIS from SCOLEX for TWISTed in Greek. SCOLEX is also the name of "twisted tapeworms"

Mild kyphosis and lordosis (upper trunk and lower back spinal bending). (Weirtz)

A joint or articulation that is rigid and causes bending is described as ANKYLOsis, a word used to denote ANCHOr like as well as being stiff or "achored". This is the sense in ANKYLOstoma, the name of a nematode with a hook like bent stoma or mouth used by this parasite as a hook to anchor itself to the human intestine.

From Greek KAMPE or KAMPA for curve or bend, medical parlance coined CAMPTO, CAMPO and CLINO which are virtually synonymous and describe bent, stiff and deviated joints.

HUNCHbacks often are dwarfed or have CLINical disorders that inCLINE them to have SCOLiosis or other abnormal spinal curvatures.