Hip pain can affect walking, sitting, sleeping, exercise and many everyday activities. It may start suddenly following an injury, develop gradually over time, or keep returning without an obvious cause.
Pain felt around the hip can have a number of different causes, and sometimes symptoms felt in the hip or buttock may actually be related to the lower back.
At Corsham Physiotherapy, we will assess your symptoms, movement and medical history to help understand what may be contributing to your pain. Treatment will be tailored to you, with the initial aim of helping to relieve your symptoms before addressing any factors that may be contributing to the problem.
What Causes Hip Pain?
Hip pain can arise from the joint itself or from the muscles, tendons and other tissues around it. It can develop following an injury or change in activity, or be associated with age-related changes in the joint.
Some of the problems we commonly see include:
Hip arthritis • Tendon problems • Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (lateral hip pain) • Muscle strains and injuries • Hip pain associated with the lower back • Sports and overuse injuries
A physiotherapy assessment can help establish what may be contributing to your symptoms and the most appropriate way forward.
Pain on the Outside of the Hip
Pain around the outside of the hip is common and can sometimes make lying on that side, walking, climbing stairs or standing for long periods uncomfortable.
There are several possible causes of pain in this area, including problems involving the tendons around the hip. You may also have heard the terms trochanteric bursitis or greater trochanteric pain syndrome used to describe symptoms around the outside of the hip.
Assessment can help identify the factors contributing to your symptoms and guide the most appropriate treatment and rehabilitation.
Hip Arthritis & Stiffness
Changes within the hip joint can cause pain, stiffness and reduced movement. You may notice difficulty with activities such as walking, putting on shoes and socks, getting in and out of a car or standing after sitting for a while.
Physiotherapy cannot reverse arthritis, but treatment, advice and appropriate exercise can help you manage symptoms, maintain movement and build the strength needed for everyday activities.
Hip Pain During Sport & Exercise
Hip pain can also develop during sport or exercise, either following a specific injury or gradually as the demands placed on the area increase.
Your physiotherapist can assess your movement, strength and the activities that provoke your symptoms. Rehabilitation can then be progressed according to your individual goals, whether you want to return to walking, the gym, running or a particular sport.
Read more about exercise & rehabilitation here
Recurring or Persistent Hip Pain
If your hip pain keeps returning or has been present for some time, treatment isn’t necessarily just about settling the current symptoms.
We can look at factors such as movement, strength and how your hip responds to different activities. Exercise and rehabilitation may form part of your treatment, helping you improve movement and strength and return more confidently to your usual activities.
How can Physiotherapy help hip pain?
Our treatment will depend on your assessment, symptoms and individual circumstances. It may include hands-on techniques such as mobilisation, massage or other manual techniques, alongside movement and individually tailored exercises.
Depending on your individual needs and condition, we may also use treatments such as medical acupuncture, electrotherapy or shockwave therapy to help manage pain and symptoms.
As your symptoms improve, exercise and rehabilitation can help restore movement and strength and gradually return you to your usual activities.
If your assessment suggests that physiotherapy isn’t appropriate, or that further investigation or medical assessment may be needed, we can advise you on the most appropriate next steps.
Pilates & hip pain
Pilates can also form part of a longer-term approach to improving strength, mobility and control. Exercises can be adapted where appropriate to take account of hip problems or other injuries, both within individual sessions and our classes.
Read more about Pilates here
What can I do myself if I have hip pain?
Keeping gently active and continuing with your usual activities as much as you comfortably can is often helpful. If a particular activity is aggravating your symptoms, temporarily reducing or modifying it rather than stopping all activity may allow the area to settle.
If you have any of the following symptoms, then seek urgent medical advice by calling 999 or visiting A&E:
- you have severe hip pain after a fall or injury
- you’re unable to walk or put weight on your leg
- you have any tingling or loss of feeling in your hip or leg after an injury
Book an appointment for hip pain
Whether your hip pain has just started, keeps returning or has been troubling you for some time, our physiotherapists can assess your symptoms and help you decide on the most appropriate way forward.
Please either contact our reception or book online to make an appointment.