Where the pain is matters
- Groin or front of the hip. Often from the hip joint itself: typically stiff after sitting, and awkward when putting on shoes and socks.
- Side of the hip. Commonly the tendons and bursa over the outside of the hip: often sore lying on that side at night or after a long walk.
- Buttock or back of the hip. Frequently referred from the lower back or the sacroiliac joint, sometimes with pain down the leg. See sciatica.
Why the lower back is always checked
The lower back, pelvis and hip work as a unit, and pain is often felt somewhere other than where it starts. A stiff hip asks the lower back to move more; an irritated lower back can be felt in the buttock and hip. That is why the examination covers all three.
Seek urgent medical assessment if
You cannot take weight after a fall, particularly if you are older or have osteoporosis; the hip is hot and painful with a fever or you feel unwell; you have unexplained weight loss or night pain that does not ease with changing position; or a child or teenager has a new limp or new hip or knee pain.
How we assess it
About 30 minutes: a history, then an examination of hip movement and strength, the tendons around the hip, the lower back and sacroiliac joints, and how you walk, squat and balance on one leg.
Where imaging, a medical opinion or an orthopaedic review is needed, we will say so and help you get to the right person.
What care might involve
- Peripheral joint adjustment of the hip where movement has been lost, using the chiropractic peripheral joint techniques Dr Matthew Schmerl, chiropractor, trained in at Macquarie University
- Adjustment of the lower back and pelvis where they are contributing
- Cold laser therapy (Erchonia) where the area is irritable
- PowerPlate and strengthening for the gluteal and trunk muscles that support the hip
- Simple changes to the positions that provoke it, such as how you sleep or sit
Which of these suits you, if any, depends on what the examination shows, and you decide what goes ahead.
The realistic version
Hip tendon and joint pain often take weeks to months to settle, and strengthening is usually the main part of care. Where hip joint change is advanced, the right next step may be a medical or orthopaedic opinion, and we will tell you.