Introduction to Hip Pain
If your hip feels stiff when you get out of the car, or if you’re limping after sitting too long, you’re experiencing more than just signs of getting older. These are warnings from your body that your hip needs attention. Let’s break this down the right way and explore the deeper aspects of hip pain and arthritis.
Understanding Hip Arthritis
Hip arthritis is not merely a result of wear and tear; instead, it involves the breakdown and irritation of the cartilage that cushions your hip joint. This cartilage is supposed to allow for smooth, pain-free movement. When it starts wearing down, the joint loses its padding and lubrication, leading to:
- Pain with movement
- Stiffness
- Limited range of motion
- Grinding or clicking (crepitus)
- Difficulty bending or walking normally
Interestingly, hip arthritis pain doesn’t always stay in the hip. You might feel it in your groin, thigh, buttocks, or even knee, which is known as referred pain and can often be quite confusing to many.
Why Does Hip Arthritis Occur?
The most common type is osteoarthritis, which is the gradual breakdown of cartilage over time. Although it typically affects people over 55, it is occurring earlier due to factors such as:
- Repetitive stress from sports or certain jobs
- Extra body weight increasing joint load
- Old injuries
- Poor hip alignment (dysplasia or impingement)
- Family history
There’s also inflammatory arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis, where the immune system attacks the joint. This is a different process that usually affects multiple joints at once.
Factors That Worsen Hip Arthritis
If you already have hip arthritis, certain habits can accelerate it:
- High-impact running and jumping
- Heavy lifting without proper mechanics
- Repetitive deep squats and twisting
- Sitting all day, especially crossing your legs
Motion is medicine — but it must be the right motion.
Treatment Strategies for Hip Arthritis
At Sports Performance, we don’t jump straight to surgery. Instead, we build a progression:
Step 1: Reduce Stress on the Joint
Weight management, activity modification, and sometimes using an assistive device can help.
Step 2: Control Inflammation
Using heat, ice, targeted mobility work, and in some cases, injections like cortisone or PRP can be beneficial.
Step 3: Restore Strength and Stability
This is the most important phase. If your glutes, deep hip stabilizers, and core aren’t functioning properly, your joint takes on the load.
Step 4: Educate and Empower
Because arthritis is manageable. It’s not a life sentence.
The Future with Hip Arthritis
There’s no true “cure” for osteoarthritis, but there is control. Conservative treatment can dramatically reduce symptoms. If it becomes necessary, modern hip replacements are extremely reliable and can last for decades. However, most people never explore the non-surgical options correctly.
Join Our Hip Arthritis Class
That’s why we’re hosting our Hip Arthritis Class on February 25. If you’re 45+, worried about long-term joint damage, or want to stay active without relying on pain medication, this class is for you. We’ll cover:
- How to tell if your hip pain is arthritis
- What actually slows progression
- What exercises help (and which make it worse)
- When injections or surgery make sense
- A step-by-step action plan
You don’t have to accept stiffness as your new normal. Reserve your spot and take control of your hip before it controls you.
“Motion is medicine — but the right motion.”
As always, we hope this helps! For any questions and suggestions, please email us at TeamSP@SportsPerformancePT.com. Get started with a FREE discovery phone call by clicking the link above.
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Dr. Chris, Physical Therapist, Sports Performance
