Understanding the hip joint  

The hip is one of the most stable joints in the body and is responsible for supporting the trunk and absorbing forces from the spine and lower limbs, enabling movement.   

Due to its deep socket and stable architecture, the joint is difficult to dislocate or fracture unless through trauma like a car accident or if you have a bone condition like Osteoporosis. More commonly, hip pain can arise from a sudden increase in activity i.e. walking or running or periods of inactivity. The source of the pain might be caused by irritation or impingement of the front of the hip, or tendon pain on the outside of the hip. Less common, the joint itself can be painful secondary to joint changes such as osteoarthritis. The back joints can also sometimes refer to the hip, which is why it is important to be assessed to accurately work out what is causing the pain.  

How can we help?

Our therapists will take a detailed case history to understand the cause and contributing factors to your hip pain.   

Your therapist will then explain what they see based on your assessment and advise on the diagnosis and factors contributing to your pain picture. 

Depending on your presentation and expectations of the appointment, your therapist will advise on any relevant short-term relief options such as optimising pain relief medication, and manual therapy techniques i.e. soft tissue release, and joint mobilisations. These hands-on techniques provide short-term relief and can sometimes help to dampen down the secondary responses to pain such as muscle tightness. 

The therapist will also suggest self-management advice i.e. how to modify your activities, simple movement strategies, or an exercise program to address any movement deficits. In some cases, the therapist may feel onward referral is necessary i.e. back to GP or a specialist. This will always be a shared decision-making process and often there is a lot you can be doing in the meantime. 

Please note, the above approaches will differ depending on which therapist you see. Please get in touch if you are unsure which service is best suited to your individual complaint.