Hip Pain

Hip pain assessment showing outer hip symptom location during physiotherapy review

Hip pain location often helps identify the likely cause.

Hip pain is pain felt in the groin, outer hip, buttock or upper thigh. It may come from the hip joint, gluteal tendons, bursae, hip flexors, nearby muscles or referred pain from the lower back. Pain location, movement tests and load response help narrow the likely source.

Hip pain can affect walking, stairs, sleep, work and sport. It may feel like a deep groin ache, a sharp pinch, outer hip pain, buttock pain or upper thigh pain.

This page is the main PhysioWorks hip pain hub. It connects with the broader leg pain guide and helps you choose the most relevant hip, groin or lower-back pathway.

A physiotherapist can assess your hip movement, strength, walking pattern, nearby muscles and tendons, and your lower back where needed. Your treatment plan can then match your symptoms, goals, work, sport and current load tolerance.

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Where Do You Feel Hip Pain?

Use the pain location as a starting point. It cannot confirm a diagnosis, but it can help you choose the most useful guide.

Front Hip or Groin Pain

Often linked with the hip joint, hip flexors, labrum or impingement-related pain.

Outer Hip Pain

Often aggravated by side lying, stairs, hills, longer walks or crossing the legs.

Buttock or Referred Pain

May come from the deep hip, gluteal muscles, pelvis, lower back or nearby nerves.

Trauma or Urgent Symptoms

Seek prompt medical review after a significant fall, sudden loss of weight-bearing or signs of illness.

Unable to stand or walk
Major swelling or deformity
Hot, red hip with fever
Child limping or refusing to walk

What Is Hip Pain?

Hip pain is a symptom rather than one diagnosis. It may start from the joint, tendons, bursae, hip flexors, adductors, gluteal muscles, lower back or pelvis. A clear assessment helps identify the main driver and the safest next step.

The pain location gives useful clues. Groin pain is more likely to involve the hip joint or front hip tissues. Outer hip pain often involves the gluteal tendons or nearby bursa. Buttock pain may overlap with lower-back, pelvic or deep gluteal pain.

Common Hip Pain Signs

Groin pain or a deep ache at the front of the hip
Outer hip pain that is worse when lying on that side
Buttock pain, stiffness or a shorter walking stride
Clicking, catching or pinching with hip bending
Pain with running, squats, stairs, hills or getting out of a car

What Does the Location of Hip Pain Mean?

Your hip pain pattern helps guide the assessment. It does not provide a final diagnosis on its own. However, it may show which tissues and movements need closer checking.

Groin or Front Hip Pain

Common examples: hip arthritis, labral irritation, femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and hip flexor pain.

Often worse with: walking, deep squats, stairs, prolonged sitting or getting out of a car.

Outer Hip Pain

Common examples: greater trochanteric pain syndrome, gluteal tendinopathy and trochanteric bursitis.

Often worse with: side lying, stairs, hills, crossed legs and longer walks.

Buttock Pain

Common examples: gluteal muscle pain, deep hip pain, pelvic pain or referred lower-back pain.

Often worse with: sitting, lifting, prolonged standing or walking.

Clicking, Catching or Pinching

Common examples: labral pain, impingement-related pain or hip-joint irritation.

Often worse with: deep hip flexion, twisting, pivoting or sport.

What Causes Hip Pain?

Hip pain may start from the joint, a tendon, a bursa, a muscle strain or a nearby area such as the lower back. Some people have more than one contributing factor.

Common drivers include reduced hip strength, a sudden training increase, repeated compression, prolonged sitting, sleep position or a change in walking, running or gym load.

Hip Arthritis

Hip arthritis often causes groin or front hip pain, morning stiffness and pain after longer walks. Management may include education, strength work, pacing and movement changes.

People recovering from surgery can also use the hip replacement rehabilitation guide for general recovery information.

Outer Hip Tendon and Bursa Pain

Outer hip pain often sits within the greater trochanteric pain syndrome group. Many people notice pain when lying on the sore side, climbing stairs, crossing their legs or walking for longer periods.

Although the term bursitis remains common, gluteal tendon sensitivity and reduced load capacity may also contribute.

Sporting Hip Problems

Sport-related hip pain often follows sprinting, kicking, deep squats, rapid direction changes or a sudden training increase. Common problems include hip flexor pain, groin pain, femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral injuries.

A clear diagnosis helps guide training changes, strength progression and return-to-sport planning. See sports physiotherapy when hip pain affects training or competition.

Referred and Overlapping Pain

The hip and lower back can refer pain into similar areas. Buttock, thigh or groin symptoms may require both hip and spine checks. Your assessment may include hip movement, back movement, strength, walking and nerve screening.

Movement tests help match treatment to your hip pain pattern.

When Should You Worry About Hip Pain?

Most hip pain is not dangerous. However, some symptoms need prompt medical review. Do not ignore severe pain, sudden loss of weight-bearing, fever, major swelling or symptoms after a significant fall.

Seek Urgent Medical Advice If:

You cannot stand or walk on the leg
The pain started after a fall, crash or strong twist
The hip looks deformed, very swollen, red or hot
You have a fever, feel very unwell or have unexplained weight loss
You have new numbness, weakness, bladder changes or severe back-related symptoms
Your child has hip pain, limps or refuses to walk

Should You Walk or Exercise With Hip Pain?

Complete rest is rarely the best long-term answer. Instead, aim for movement that remains tolerable and does not cause a prolonged flare. Shorter walks, flatter ground, reduced hill work or lower gym loads may help during the early stage.

For tendon-related outer hip pain, reducing compression may also help. This can include avoiding side lying on the painful side, sitting with crossed legs or stretching forcefully into pain. Once symptoms settle, progressive strengthening usually becomes more useful than ongoing rest.

A Practical Hip Pain Plan

Find the Pattern

Note whether pain sits in the groin, outer hip, buttock or thigh.

Reduce Clear Triggers

Adjust hills, stairs, sitting, running, gym depth or side sleeping.

Keep Useful Movement

Choose activity that does not leave you limping or cause a prolonged flare.

Build Capacity

Progress strength, balance, walking, running or sport tasks step by step.

Review If You Are Stuck

Seek assessment if pain persists, worsens or limits sleep and walking.

How Is Hip Pain Assessed?

A physiotherapy assessment aims to identify the likely pain source and the factors keeping it sensitive. Your physiotherapist may assess hip movement, strength, walking, squatting, single-leg control, joint irritability, lower-back movement and relevant work or sport tasks.

Testing should match your goals. A runner may need gait and load review. A field-sport athlete may need change-of-direction testing. Someone with night pain or restricted walking may require a different screen and referral plan.

Do You Need an X-Ray, Ultrasound or MRI?

Not always. Many cases of hip pain improve with suitable advice, load changes and rehabilitation. Imaging may be useful after trauma, when symptoms do not match the clinical assessment, when progress stalls or when serious features are present.

Your GP, physiotherapist or specialist can help decide whether an X-ray, ultrasound or MRI is appropriate.

Physiotherapy Treatment for Hip Pain

Physiotherapy treatment depends on the diagnosis, pain level, functional limits and goals. Your care may include education, load changes, manual therapy where useful, strength work, mobility exercises, gait retraining and return-to-sport planning.

Stage 1

Settle Symptoms and Adjust Load

Early care may involve changing sleep position, walking distance, running volume, gym depth, stair load or sitting habits.

Stage 2

Restore Useful Movement

Treatment may target hip range, stride length, squat control, trunk movement or pelvic control where these factors affect symptoms.

Stage 3

Build Strength and Capacity

Rehabilitation may include gluteal, hip flexor or adductor loading, balance work and progressive functional exercise.

Stage 4

Return to Work, Walking or Sport

Higher-demand activity should progress according to pain response, strength, movement control, confidence and task-specific load tolerance.

An accredited exercise physiologist may also support longer-term strength, fitness and health goals when appropriate.

Hip Pain Decision Guide

Pain Eases Quickly

Walking feels normal and symptoms settle without a prolonged flare.

Next step: Keep moving, reduce obvious triggers and monitor your response.

Pain Keeps Returning

Symptoms return with stairs, hills, running, gym work or longer walks.

Next step: Book an assessment to review load, strength and movement control.

Daily Function Is Affected

You limp, lose sleep or avoid work, walking or usual daily activities.

Next step: Seek assessment soon so your plan matches the likely pain source.

Urgent Features Are Present

Pain follows trauma, fever, deformity or an inability to bear weight.

Next step: Seek urgent medical care.

Choose the Right Hip Pain Guide

These pages provide more detail about common hip and groin conditions:

Frequently Asked Questions About Hip Pain

What is the most common cause of hip pain?

There is no single cause for everyone. Groin pain often points towards the hip joint or hip flexors. Outer hip pain often involves gluteal tendons or the bursa. Buttock pain may come from the hip, lower back, pelvis or deep gluteal muscles.

How do I know if my hip pain is serious?

Seek urgent medical care if you cannot bear weight, pain followed a fall, the hip is hot and swollen, or you feel unwell. You should also seek review for unexplained weight loss, new weakness or symptoms that are getting worse.

Can hip pain come from my back?

Yes. The lower back can refer pain towards the buttock, groin, outer hip or thigh. A hip pain assessment often checks both the hip and lower back before deciding on treatment.

Is walking good for hip pain?

Walking can be useful if it stays comfortable and does not leave you limping or flared for hours afterwards. Some people need shorter walks, flatter ground or temporary load changes while the hip settles.

Should I stretch or rest a sore hip?

Forceful stretching is not always helpful, especially for irritated outer hip tendons. Rest may help a short flare, but most people need suitable load changes and progressive strength to recover well.

When should I see a physiotherapist for hip pain?

Book an assessment if hip pain limits walking, sleep, work, training or sport. A physiotherapist can help identify likely contributors and guide safe progressions.

What to Do Next

If hip pain is limiting your walking, stairs, sleep, work or sport, book a physiotherapy assessment. A clear plan can help you understand the likely cause, settle irritated tissue and rebuild strength and confidence.

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