Hip pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint affecting people of all ages, from young athletes to older adults. The hip is a complex joint and pain can arise from many structures — the joint itself, surrounding muscles, tendons, bursae or referred from the lumbar spine. A thorough assessment to identify the source of pain directs the most effective treatment, with physiotherapy central to most presentations.
Pain in and around the hip can originate from the hip joint itself (osteoarthritis, labral tears, femoroacetabular impingement); surrounding soft tissues (hip flexor or gluteal tendinopathy, greater trochanteric pain syndrome); the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joint referring pain to the hip region; or systemic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Hip pain in younger, active people often involves soft tissue or structural issues amenable to conservative management. Hip pain in older adults more commonly involves osteoarthritis, though conservative management remains effective in many cases.
Hip pain presentations vary by cause:
Hip pain following trauma, present in a child with a limp, or accompanied by fever requires prompt medical assessment.
Management of hip pain depends on the cause:
A physiotherapist or GP is the appropriate first contact for most hip pain. Imaging may be needed to clarify diagnosis in complex cases. For hip OA that does not respond to conservative management, orthopaedic referral for consideration of steroid injection or joint replacement is appropriate.
We don't currently have any therapies mapped to this condition.
Common causes include femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), labral tears, hip flexor or gluteal tendinopathy, greater trochanteric pain syndrome, and referred pain from the lumbar spine or SIJ. A physiotherapist or sports medicine physician can differentiate between these through clinical assessment.
No — hip pain has many causes across all ages. Arthritis is more common in older adults but soft tissue conditions, referred pain and structural issues are common across all age groups. A thorough assessment identifying the specific source of pain is important.
Yes — physiotherapy is effective for many hip conditions including mild to moderate osteoarthritis, tendinopathies and soft tissue conditions. Exercise therapy addressing hip strength and movement patterns has evidence comparable to steroid injection for several hip conditions.
Hip pain following significant trauma, associated with fever, in a child with a limp, with severe sudden onset, or with systemic symptoms requires prompt medical assessment. In older adults, hip pain following a fall raises the possibility of fracture and requires urgent assessment.
No — the majority of hip pain, including mild to moderate osteoarthritis, responds well to conservative management including physiotherapy and exercise. Surgery is considered when conservative measures have been adequately tried without sufficient relief and quality of life is significantly affected.