Hip Pain Treatment

Hip pain often reported as buttock pain, right hip pain, left hip pain, hip joint pain and lower back pain radiating to hip and leg, is fairly common. Pain in the hip may occur due to various causes including hip arthritis, fracture, sprain, trochanteric bursitis (hip bursitis), sciatica, muscle strain, iliotibial band syndrome (IT band syndrome), avascular necrosis, Gaucher’s disease and hematoma. The treatment for your pelvic or buttock pain will depend upon the specific hip pain cause.

In this post ReLiva physiotherapists detail the most common causes of hip pain, hip pain treatment options and how physiotherapy can be your best treatment option. A physiotherapist will use pain relief techniques along with hip exercises for hip strengthening.

Post Outline:

1. Causes of Hip Pain
2. Signs and Symptoms
3. When to seek medical help?
4. What can I do to relieve hip pain?
5. What are the treatment options for Hip Pain?
6. What is the best treatment for hip pain?
7. What to expect during treatment?

Prevalence of Hip Pain in India

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in six people suffer from arthritis in India. Hip osteoarthritis prevalence is 30% in India, which means one in every 20 Indians will have a hip pain due to arthritis.

Add to it fractures: 50 million Indians are believed to be vulnerable to fractures, reports the International Osteoporosis Foundation. About 440,000 Indians get hip fractures every year, a figure set to hit 600,000 in 2020.

Add to it other common causes (scroll below for other hip pain causes); making Hip pain (including buttock pain / hip joint pain / lower back pain radiating to hip and leg) a fairly common pain condition.

What may be causing hip pain?

Hip joint is one of the largest and strongest joint in human body. It has a cushion of cartilage (rubber like sheath) that can withstand repeated motion and a fair amount of wear and tear. However, with age and use, the cartilage can wear down; muscles & tendons can get overused; Bones can break during a fall or other injury. Any of these conditions can lead to hip pain.

Hip pain can occur due to a variety of reasons, most common of these are:

1. Osteoarthritis Hip / Hip Arthritis

It’s a type of hip arthritis that occurs when flexible tissue at the ends of bones wear down, leading to breakdown of the cartilage that cushions your hip bones. There may be inflammation of the hip joint. People with arthritis also feel stiffness and have reduced range of motion in the hip.

[Read more about Arthritis and its treatment)

2. Hip Bursitis (Trochanteric Bursitis)

Trochanteric bursitis is a common condition in the hip. Trochanteric bursitis is inflammation (swelling) of the bursa (fluid-filled sac between joint, tendons) at the outside (lateral) point of the hip. When this bursa becomes irritated or inflamed, it causes pain in the hip. This is a common cause of hip pain.

3. Hip Muscle or Tendon strain

Repeated activities can put strain on the muscles, tendons & ligaments that support the hips, thereby causing pain in the hip area. This will usually manifest as right hip pain or left hip pain depending upon the location of muscle group strained.

4. Hip Bone Fracture

Hip Bone (Femur) is the strongest and largest bone in the human body. With age, bones become brittle and become prone to easy break. Slip and falls cause a hip bone fracture, a common problem faced by the elderly, making them dependent and bed-ridden. [Read about how to prevent Falls in the elderly.] A Hip fracture can happen to anyone due to a sudden trauma such an accident or hits.

5. Hip Tendinitis

Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of the tendons (A band like structure connecting muscle to bone). Repetitive stress from overuse may cause swelling of tendons leading to pain in the hip.

6. Sciatica pain in lower back and hip

Sciatica pain often radiates through hip to the back of the knee. Early sciatica symptoms are often mistaken for Hip Pain.

7. Pregnancy may trigger unusual pain in pelvic area

Pregnancy changes and hormones can sometime trigger pelvic pain and pain in groin area. This will need guidance from a prenatal expert such as those at FabMoms. Read more at Pelvic Pain during Pregnancy: Tips

8. Hip Labral Tear

This tear causes damage to cartilage and tissue in the hip socket (Joint cup). Athletes and people who perform repetitive twisting movements are at higher risk of developing this problem.

9. Avascular Necrosis

Sometime a hip fracture or dislocation or cancer can lead to a condition called Avascular Necrosis, in which blood flow to the hip bone slows and the bone tissue dies.

What are the first signs and symptoms of hip pain?

Common symptoms and signs associated with hip pain include the following:

• Limping
• Joint pain
• Groin pain
• Stiffness and Restricted hip movements
• Mild swelling over the hip,
• Tenderness of the hip (Feel pain on mild pressure on the joint)
• Difficulty sleeping on the hip

Depending on the condition, you might feel pain in your: thigh, inside the hip joint, groin, outside the hip joint and buttocks. Sometimes pain from other areas of the body such as back, groin and nerves can radiate to the hip. For example: Hernia, Kidney disease

When to seek medical help for Hip Pain?

  1. Reach for immediate Medical Help if you have the above-mentioned hip pain symptoms along with any of the following:

• The pain came on suddenly
• A fall or injury triggered the pain
• Your joint looks bruised
• You hear a popping or crepitus (tik tik) noise while movement
• The pain is intense
• You can’t put weight on your hip
• You can’t move your leg or hip

  2. If the pain has been lingering even after a week or so, it is always a good idea to see a doctor or physiotherapist for your hip pain.

What can I do to relieve hip pain?

A. Self-care for Hip Pain

A simple home remedy for hip pain is to use RICE. Click to know more about RICE protocol.

1. Hold ice to the area for about 15 minutes a few times a day.
2. Try to rest the affected area on the hip joint as much as possible until you feel better.
3. You may also try heating the area. A warm bath or shower can help ready your muscle for stretching exercises that can lessen pain.

B. See a Physiotherapist or Doctor

Hip pain can interfere with your everyday life. If pain persists for over a week, see a doctor or physiotherapist for your hip pain treatment.

What are the treatment options for Hip Pain?

1. Pain Medication for Hip

After an initial assessment, your doctor will determine if your hip pain is caused by a muscle or tendon strain, osteoarthritis, or tendinitis, and may prescribe medicines as the first line of treatment. These will subside the inflammation in the joint and relieve hip pain.

2. Physiotherapy for Hip Pain

Depending upon what is causing your hip pain, Physiotherapy can be used every effectively for bringing pain relief. Cases of arthritis, sports injury, hip bursitis, Tendinitis, Muscle Tear, Hip Strain and Sprain can be very effectively managed by Physiotherapy. Physical therapy will help reduce pain and improve joint mobility. It will also help increase your range of motion.

At ReLiva, physiotherapist will identify the cause of your pain in the hip after a thorough assessment and will design your treatment plan in accordance with your recovery goals.

Your physiotherapist may consider an extensive range of treatment options including:

• Manual joint therapy to improve your joint mobility
• Modalities for pain relief
• Strengthening and joint control exercises as appropriate for your specific needs.

3. Surgical management of Hip Pain

When other treatments are ruled out depending upon the condition, surgical treatment may be a considered. For instance,

• When osteoarthritis becomes so severe that the pain is intense or the hip joint becomes deformed, a total hip replacement (arthroplasty) may be a consideration.
• People who fracture their hip sometimes need surgery to fix the fracture or replace the hip. 

What is the best treatment for hip pain?

Physiotherapy plays a major role in hip pain management.

One can approach physiotherapist pre-operatively and post operatively or for any other conditions discussed previously. Let us look at these two options in a bit more detail.

1) Physiotherapy as Conservative treatment of Hip Pain without surgery

Your hip pain can and often is related to your whole lower limb biomechanics and function. Your physiotherapist confirms his/her diagnosis by doing special activities as tests for hip function. Your assessment should include a functional assessment of your knee, foot and ankle joints, plus your thigh and calf muscles. Once the root cause for pain and the restriction is confirmed, your treatment plan will be made accordingly.

For specific advice regarding your hip pain, please seek the advice of a physiotherapist by calling +91 99209 91584 right away or ask for call back.

There will be two points of consideration when it comes for physiotherapy rehabilitation:

1. Symptomatic treatment: Treat the symptom and ease the pain first.
2. Root cause analysis: Treat the root cause of the pain with manual therapy and exercises

2) Physiotherapy along with surgical management of Hip Pain

In surgically managed fractures, physiotherapy rehabilitation can be started from the day 1 itself. For Hip replacement surgery, as is the case in post-operative physiotherapy rehab programme, the physiotherapist will focus on:

• Reducing inflammation / swelling
• Controlling pain
• Improving range of motion

Need Physiotherapy for Hip Pain?

ReLiva is there

What to expect during Physiotherapy treatment for Hip Pain?

At Reliva, your physiotherapy care will include the following:

1. Assessment of your Hip Pain

Your hip pain can and often is related to your whole lower limb biomechanics and function. Your physiotherapist confirms his/her diagnosis by doing special activities as tests for hip function. Your assessment should include a functional assessment of your knee, foot and ankle joints, plus your thigh and calf muscles. Once the root cause for pain and the restriction is confirmed, your treatment plan will be made accordingly.

2. Physiotherapy Treatment for Hip Pain

At Reliva, your physiotherapy treatment for hip pain will include a combination of these to attain your specific functional and sporting needs:

• Modalities for pain relief
• Hip exercises to improve movement, flexibility and relieve stiffness
• Manual therapy to improve your joint mobility
• Supportive taping
• Neuro-dynamic Techniques may be used to relieve any nerve involved

3. Maintenance and Preventive Care for Hip

By the end of the session your physiotherapist will brief you on what all precautions one should take to avoid the hip pain. You will be getting advice on:

• home care
• posture correction and
• the way you walk- gait training (Walking pattern).
• advice on footwear according to your foot and hip condition

What exercises help with hip pain?

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to help your hips. Hip Exercises can treat the problem from its root cause and give long-term relief or permanent relief from the struggle. There are three types of training one can do for hip:

• Range exercises: to improve the movement of hip joint.
• Stretching exercises: to ease pain, improve the flexibility of the hip muscles
• Strengthening exercises: to improve the strength of the hip muscles.

A physiotherapist will teach you exercises based on your assessment, as they deem appropriate for your specific functional and sporting needs. It is important to follow the dosage of these exercises as well as the gradual build-up so as not to add to the damage.

Is walking good for hip pain?

If you have arthritis, do not avoid exercise when a hip, knee, ankle or other joint hurts. Taking a walk on most days of the week can actually ease arthritis pain and improve other symptoms. It’s also good for the heart, brain, and every other part of the body.

Is heat good or cold pack good for hip pain?

Using heat or cold depends upon the cause of your hip pain. Read more about ICE or HEAT: Which Treatment to Choose

• Use Heat for Arthritis pain
• If your hip pain is caused by Bursitis, don’t use heat because it can make this type of inflammation worse.

Recent research evidence-backed approaches have modernised physiotherapy treatment approaches to effectively managing hip pain. Together with a thorough hip assessment, your hip treatment can progress quickly to restore you to a pain-free hip and perform your normal sport or daily activities in the shortest time possible.

For specific rehabilitation advice regarding your hip pain, call us at +91 9920991584 or ask for call back and we will connect you with a physiotherapist near you.

This post is based on the contribution from Dr Adithya Purushottam (PT). Dr Aditya is a physiotherapist who ensures patient care and rehabilitation using a variety of techniques including Manual therapy, Exercise therapy and Mobilization.

Need Physiotherapy for Hip Pain?

ReLiva is there

Book an appointment for Hip pain treatment today!