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What It Means
What Hip Pain Means
Hip pain is discomfort in or around one or both hips. It may be felt in the groin, outer hip, buttock, upper thigh, or nearby lower back rather than directly over the hip joint. The location can vary depending on whether the symptoms come from the joint, surrounding tissues, or another area.
Hip joint pain or referred pain?
Pain inside the hip or deep in the groin may come from the hip joint, while pain over the outer hip may involve muscles, tendons, or a bursa. Problems in the back, pelvis, or nerves can also send pain into the hip area. Common patterns include aching, stiffness, soreness, pain with movement, or pain at night, but these symptoms alone do not identify a specific cause.
Emergency Warning Signs
Emergency Warning Signs
Get urgent help
When hip pain may be an emergency
Seek urgent medical care for hip pain after a significant fall or injury, inability to bear weight, a visibly deformed or suddenly swollen hip, fever with a hot or red joint, severe rapidly worsening pain, or new leg numbness or weakness. Call emergency services for a severe injury or concerning whole-body symptoms such as fainting, confusion, or trouble breathing.
Possible Causes
Possible Causes of Hip Pain
| Possible source | Examples | Typical clues |
|---|---|---|
| Hip joint | Arthritis, joint inflammation, cartilage or labral problems | Groin or deep hip pain, stiffness, reduced range of motion |
| Soft tissues around the hip | Bursitis, tendinopathy, muscle strain | Outer-hip tenderness or pain with activity or pressure |
| Injury | Bruising, sprain, dislocation, or fracture | Pain after a fall, impact, twist, or sudden increase in activity |
| Lower back, pelvis, or nerves | Nerve irritation, spinal or sacroiliac problems | Aching back hips, tingling, radiating pain, or discomfort in lower back and hips |
| Less common medical causes | Infection, inflammatory disease, or other serious conditions | Fever, feeling unwell, night symptoms, or rapidly worsening pain |
Left hip pain and right hip pain do not identify a cause by themselves. Hip-area pain can sometimes begin in the back, abdomen, pelvis, or nearby soft tissues, so one-sided symptoms should be considered alongside other clues. These hip pain causes range from a temporary strain to joint disease or a less common medical problem.
Duration Triage Table
What Hip Pain May Mean by Duration
| Duration | What it may suggest | Recommended next step |
|---|---|---|
| Acute: sudden or recent | Strain, injury, flare of joint or soft-tissue irritation | Use safe self-care only if mild and improving; seek prompt care for injury, severe pain, or inability to walk |
| Subacute: several weeks | Persistent inflammation, tendon or bursa problems, joint conditions, or referred back pain | Arrange an evaluation if it is not clearly improving or is limiting normal activity |
| Chronic: ongoing or recurrent | Arthritis, recurring mechanical problems, persistent back-related pain, or another underlying condition | Book a clinical assessment for diagnosis and a tailored treatment plan, especially for night or worsening pain |
Relief Tips
Ways to Relieve Hip Pain
For mild hip pain, try relative rest rather than complete inactivity, and avoid movements that clearly worsen symptoms. Short periods of cold or heat may be comfortable for some people; use a cloth barrier and stop if the skin becomes irritated. Choose a comfortable sleeping or sitting position, then gradually return to usual activity as symptoms improve. These steps may provide temporary hip ache relief but do not replace an evaluation when symptoms are severe, persistent, or unexplained.
Gentle movement and exercises
Gentle mobility and strengthening exercises may help some causes of aching hips, especially when guided by a physical therapist. Keep movement within a comfortable range and stop if an exercise causes sharp pain, weakness, or worsening symptoms. A clinician or therapist can recommend hip therapy for pain based on the likely source.
When to See a Doctor
When to See a Doctor for Hip Pain
- Pain that does not improve with reasonable self-care or keeps returning
- Hip pain that limits walking, work, exercise, or sleep
- New or worsening stiffness, weakness, numbness, swelling, or reduced movement
- Pain after a fall, impact, twist, or other injury
- Hip pain with fever, redness, warmth, feeling unwell, or unexplained weight loss
Complications
Possible Effects of Ongoing Hip Pain
Ongoing hip pain can change the way you walk and reduce activity. It may cause stiffness, disrupt sleep, make stairs or prolonged sitting difficult, and lead to compensatory aching in the lower back or other hip. Walking pain can also make work, exercise, and everyday tasks harder.
Diseases & Conditions
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