Hip Pain
Hip pain can make it hard to get out of bed, walk across a room or lie on your side at night, and a physical therapist can work out whether the pain comes from the hip itself, the muscles around it or your back. Joint Effort Physical Therapy treats hip pain in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with a thorough exam and a plan built around your joint.
Why a hip hurts when you walk, stand or lie down
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint that carries the weight of your upper body and depends on many muscles and tissues to stay mobile and stable. When one part is weak or irritated, the pain you feel can show up in the groin, the outer hip or the buttock.
Hip pain when walking, hip pain lying on side and sharp pain when you first stand up are the complaints we hear most. Our team starts by looking at how you stand, move and walk, because the hips and knees work as one chain and a problem in one can send abnormal forces to the other. If your knee is also bothering you, see knee pain care.
The hip problems we sort out
Each of these has a different cause, so each gets a different plan.
Outer hip pain, bursitis and gluteal tendon problems
Pain on the outside of the hip that is worse when you lie on that side is often hip bursitis or irritated gluteal tendons, sometimes called greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Strengthening the hip and glute muscles and changing what loads the area are the core of care.
Labral tears and hip impingement (FAI)
A hip labral tear is an injury to the cartilage rim of the socket. Femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI, is when the ball and socket pinch at certain angles. Pinching in the front of the hip, catching or pain when you squat can point to either.
Groin pain and hip flexor strain
Groin pain and hip flexor strain usually come from overuse or a sudden stretch. We calm the area, then rebuild strength and control so it can handle your sport or work again.
Hip arthritis
Hip arthritis brings morning stiffness and aching with activity. Exercise is a core treatment and does not wear the joint out faster. Read more on arthritis and joint pain.
How we treat hip pain at Joint Effort
Your physical therapist examines your hip for signs of misalignment or structural problems, along with your stance, posture, gait and range of motion. Then we write a plan aimed at relieving unnatural stress and normalizing how the joint moves.
Expect targeted hip and glute strengthening, core work to even out the load on both sides, manual therapy and joint mobilization to improve movement, and gait training so you walk without favoring the sore side. When tight, painful tissue is part of the picture, dry needling can be added.
When the hip pain starts in your back
Some hip and buttock pain is referred from the lower back or from an irritated sciatic nerve, which travels through the hip. If your pain shoots below the knee or comes with tingling, read about sciatica and back pain; we check the spine as part of the exam so you are not treated in the wrong place.
Hip pain from running or sport is covered under sports injury rehab.
Before and after a hip replacement
If you are heading for hip surgery, strengthening and walking practice beforehand can make the recovery easier. After a replacement, rehab builds strength and walking back step by step. The details are on our post-surgical rehab page. Pelvic or tailbone pain is a separate problem; see pelvic pain.
See a doctor first, or go to the ER, if you have
- Hip pain after a fall or injury where you cannot put weight on the leg
- A hip that looks deformed or is suddenly very swollen
- Fever or redness with hip pain
- Pain at night or at rest that keeps getting worse for no clear reason
Not sure whether your plan needs a referral? Call us. As a courtesy, we verify your health benefits before you arrive.
Hip pain care in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Joint Effort Physical Therapy treats Hip pain at our Hot Springs clinic, 1880 Airport Rd., Suite C.
Not sure whether your plan needs a referral? Call us. As a courtesy, we verify your health benefits before you arrive.
Meet the people who treat you on our team page.