Body map Hip pain

Hip pain

A healthy hip carries up to 6 times a person’s body weight during an everyday activity such as walking.*

The hip joint is one of your largest joints. It is where the thigh (femur) connects to the pelvis. It has a wide range of motion while helping to support your body. Osteopaths are trained to find out what is going on and help you get back to the things you enjoy.

Book an osteo appointment to talk about your hip pain

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Common hip conditions
Introduction

Your osteopath will listen to your story – about your general health and activity, what caused the injury, and what movements make the pain worse.

How your osteopath works with you to manage your condition may depend on the diagnosis, the severity of your pain and the length of time you have been in pain. They may use a range of therapies to help relieve pain, increase movement and improve strength. You may also be taught some exercises you can do at home.

Patient resources

Because your hips are complex and very important for supporting and connecting our bodies, there is a wide range of potential problems. Talk to your osteopath about specific activities and exercises you can do to prevent or help manage your hip pain.

Watch the Osteo Joint demonstrate some simple exercises to help relieve hip pain:

Hip pain exercise

Some of these websites have detailed information and support about hip pain in general, and further information about specific conditions.

What the evidence says

A literature review of clinical trials suggested that rehabilitation  focused on patient education, activity modification, limiting things that make pain worse, an individualized physical therapy plan, and a home exercise program, may decrease pain and improve function in patients with non-arthritic hip pain (McGovern et al 2019).

Hip osteoarthritis

Evidence suggests that the techniques osteopaths use may help improve pain and movement for hip osteoarthritis:

  • Clinical exercises may relieve pain and improve hip movement for older adults with mild hip osteoarthritis (Laita et al 2019).
  • Manual therapy on the hip and lower back may relieve pain in older adults with mild hip osteoarthritis. Deep tissue massage has helped some patients (Laita et al 2019).
  • Needling of the hip or knee may relieve pain and stiffness for older patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee (Witt et al 2006).
  • Leg clinical exercises may relieve pain for older adults with hip or knee osteoarthritis. Some exercise combinations may be better at relieving pain than others (NCOR 2018).

References

McGovern R et al. 2019. Non-operative management of individuals with non-arthritic hip pain: A literature review. Int J Sports Phys Ther. Feb; 14(1), 135-147

Laita, L.C., et al ‘Effects of non-pharmacological conservative treatment on pain, range of motion and physical function in patients with mild to moderate hip osteoarthritis: A systematic review’, Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2019); 42

Laita, L.C., et al ‘Effects of non-pharmacological conservative treatment on pain, range of motion and physical function in patients with mild to moderate hip osteoarthritis: A systematic review’, Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2019); 42

Witt, C.M., et al ‘Acupuncture in Patients With Osteoarthritis of the Knee or Hip’, Arthritis & Rheumatism (2006); 54 (11)

National Council for Osteopathic Research, ‘Exercise therapy in the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis: a summary of the recent relevant research’, National Centre for Osteopathic Research (May 2018)

*Level walking produces forces up to six times
body weight and loads of up to eight times body weight
have been demonstrated in the hip joint during jogging. Reference from: Anderson K, Strickland SM, Warren S. Hip and groin injuries in athletes. Am J Sports Med 2001;29:521–33.