Hip pain can make everyday activities from walking and climbing stairs to exercising, working, or simply getting out of a chair more difficult. Hip pain may develop from an injury, overuse, arthritis, muscle imbalance, changes or irritation of the surrounding tendons and soft tissues. Physical therapy can help identify what is contributing to your hip pain and create a personalized treatment plan to improve movement, strength, and function.
What causes hip pain?
Hip pain can have many different causes. Because the hip works closely with the pelvis, lower back, knees, and surrounding muscles, problems in one area can sometimes contribute to symptoms in another.
Common causes of hip pain include:
- Hip osteoarthritis
- Tendinopathy of the muscles and tendons around the hip
- Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome
- Muscle strains
- Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS)
- Acetabular labral tear
- Muscle or tendon injuries
- Activity related or sports injuries
- Muscle weakness or imbalance
- Referred pain from the low back or sacroiliac (SI) joint
A physical therapy evaluation can help determine which factors may be contributing to your symptoms and how they affect the way you move.
What are common symptoms of a hip problem?
Hip problems can cause pain in different areas depending on the underlying condition. You may experience pain in the front of the hip or groin, along the outside of the hip, in the buttocks, or even in the thigh.
Other common symptoms include:
- Pain when walking or standing
- Difficulty climbing stairs
- Pain getting in or out of a car
- Discomfort when sitting for long periods
- Reduced hip mobility
- Weakness in the hip or leg
- Pain during exercise
- Stiffness after sitting or resting
- Difficulty sleeping on the affected side
Symptoms can vary considerably depending on the underlying condition, and pain location alone does not always identify the source of the problem.
How can physical therapy help with hip pain?
Physical therapy focuses on improving the way your hip and surrounding areas move and function. Rather than focusing only on the location of your pain, a physical therapist can evaluate the hip along with the lumbar spine, pelvis, and surrounding muscles and joints to identify other impairments and factors that may be contributing to your symptoms.
Treatment may help improve:
- Hip strength
- Joint mobility
- Muscle flexibility
- Balance and stability
- Movement mechanics
- Core and pelvic control
- Functional strength
The goal is to reduce pain while helping you move more efficiently and return to the activities you enjoy.
Can physical therapy help with hip arthritis?
Yes. Physical therapy can be an important part of managing hip osteoarthritis and maintaining function.
Hip osteoarthritis can contribute to pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. These symptoms may lead people to become less physically active and lose strength and function over time.
A personalized physical therapy program can focus on maintaining hip mobility, strengthening the muscles surrounding the hip, improving balance and movement patterns, and helping you remain active while managing symptoms.
Can physical therapy help with hip tendinopathy?
Yes. Physical therapy can help identify factors that may be placing excessive load on the tendon.
Physical therapy can help identify factors that may be placing excessive stress on the tendon. Treatment may include progressive strengthening, movement retraining, manual therapy, and modifications to activity while the tissue recovers.
For certain chronic tendon conditions, focused shockwave therapy may also be considered as part of an individualized treatment plan.
Can hip pain come from the lower back or SI joint?
Yes. The hip, pelvis, and lower back work together during many everyday movements, so pain can sometimes be felt in the hip even when the primary source is elsewhere.
Hip and buttock pain can sometimes be impacted by the lumbar spine or structures around the pelvis. Because symptoms can overlap between the hip, lumbar spine, and sacroiliac region, a comprehensive evaluation can help determine which impairments and regions may be contributing to the symptoms.
Dr. Koch’s orthopedic experience includes treating lumbar spine and SI joint pain as well as hip pain. This allows her to consider how these areas work together rather than evaluating the hip in isolation.
Can physical therapy help athletes with hip pain?
Yes. Athletes place significant demands on their hips through running, jumping, cutting, lifting, and repetitive movements. Changes in training volume, strength, mobility, coordination, recovery, or movement demands may contribute to symptoms or difficulty returning to sport.
Physical therapy can help athletes restore strength and mobility, improve movement mechanics, and gradually return to their sport.
Treatment can also focus on identifying modifiable impairments or training factors that may affect performance and symptoms.
What treatments may be included in physical therapy for hip pain?
Depending on the diagnosis, examination findings, and goals, treatment may include:
- Therapeutic Exercise
- Hip and core strengthening
- Functional movement training
- Mobility exercises
- Balance and stability
- Mobility exercises
- Manual therapy
- Dry needling when appropriate
- Focused shockwave therapy for select conditions
- Home exercise and self-care strategies
The goal is not simply to make your hip feel better temporarily, but to improve how you move and function so you can return to the activities that matter to you.
Can physical therapy help me manage hip pain without surgery?
Physical therapy is an important conservative treatment option for many causes of hip pain. Depending on the underlying condition, rehabilitation may reduce pain, improve strength and mobility, restore function, and help some people manage their symptoms without surgery.
However, not every hip condition responds sufficiently to conservative care, and some injuries or structural conditions may require additional medical evaluation or surgical treatment. A physical therapist can help determine whether rehabilitation is appropriate and recommend referral when further evaluation is warranted.
How long does physical therapy for hip pain take?
The length of treatment depends on the cause and severity of your hip pain, how long you have been experiencing symptoms, your overall health, and your functional goals.
Some patients may notice improvement relatively quickly, while chronic conditions or significant injuries may require a longer rehabilitation process. Your treatment plan can be adjusted as your strength, mobility, and function improve.
Why choose Dr. Kristina Koch for physical therapy for hip pain?
Dr. Kristina Koch, PT, DPT, brings nearly three decades of clinical experience in physical therapy. She earned her Master of Science in Physical Therapy in 1996 and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2021. While she specializes in pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Koch also has extensive experience in orthopedics and treats conditions including hip pain, lumbar spine pain, SI joint pain, and other orthopedic injuries.
Her approach combines her orthopedic and movement expertise with individualized treatment. Depending on the patient’s needs, Dr. Koch may utilize manual therapy, muscle re-education, functional movement training, strengthening, dry needling, focused shockwave therapy, and self-care strategies.
This comprehensive approach looks beyond the location of pain and considers the hip, pelvis, spine, surrounding muscles, and functional movement when determining which factors may be contributing to a patient’s symptoms.
When should I see a physical therapist for hip pain?
Consider a physical therapy evaluation if hip pain is interfering with your normal activities, exercise, work, or sleep; or if symptoms have continued despite rest or other attempts to manage them.
You may benefit from an evaluation if you experience:
- Persistent hip pain
- Pain when walking or exercising
- Hip stiffness or reduced mobility
- Weakness in the hip or leg
- Difficulty climbing stairs
- Pain getting in or out of a chair or vehicle
- Pain that interferes with sleep
- Recurrent hip injuries
- Difficulty returning to your normal activities after an injury
Getting the cause of your hip pain evaluated can help you understand what is contributing to your symptoms and determine the most appropriate path toward recovery.
Some hip symptoms require prompt medical evaluation rather than routine rehabilitation. Seek medical attention for severe or rapidly worsening pain, inability to bear weight following an injury, significant trauma, fever or other signs of infection, unexplained weight loss, or other symptoms that concern you.
How do I know if physical therapy is right for my hip pain?
If hip pain is limiting your movement or keeping you from doing the things you enjoy, physical therapy may be an effective conservative treatment option.
A comprehensive evaluation can identify areas of weakness, restricted mobility, poor movement mechanics, or other factors contributing to your symptoms. From there, your physical therapist can develop a personalized plan focused on reducing pain, improving function, and helping you move with greater confidence.