How Physical Therapy Tackles Hip Pain

You want to take care of some chores or go for a walk — but hip pain is keeping you on the couch. If this sounds familiar, know that you don’t have to suffer! At Connecticut Physical Therapy Specialists, our physical therapists will guide you through a simple process to address your hip pain so you can get active again.

This newsletter will take you through that process, from understanding your symptoms to the outcomes you can expect from physical therapy. Still have questions? Call us to schedule an appointment!

Staff Spotlight: Greg Hutchinson

Greg graduated in 2019 from Sacred Heart University with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy. He began his residency in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (MTI) in January 2022. Outside of work Greg enjoys spending time with family, music, and soccer.

Pinpoint Your Symptoms

There are several potential reasons why someone might develop hip pain. To treat your pain effectively, we need to pinpoint what that cause could be. When you visit us for your initial appointment, one of the first things we’ll do is ask you to share your symptoms. “Hip pain” often causes a lot more than just pain, and being able to describe your pain, mobility limitations, and other concerns helps us get a clearer picture of your condition.

For example, you know that your hip hurts. But when do you experience pain (i.e., during activity)? Does your pain come and go? Where do you experience pain? Is it just in your hip, or do you feel it elsewhere? Is the pain a dull ache? Sharp and shooting? Make sure to share additional symptoms you might be experiencing, too. Here are some common ones:

• Stiffness/limited range of motion in your hip
• Weakness throughout the lower extremities
• Mobility issues, including walking, going up or down stairs, or struggling to stand up 
• Difficulty performing everyday tasks, such as putting on your shoes — and let us know which ones

Identify a Cause and Develop a Treatment Plan

Thanks to your detailed symptom description — as well as a health history and comprehensive physical exam — your therapist should be able to determine the underlying cause of your hip pain. 

If you’re 55 or older, there’s a good chance your hip pain stems from osteoarthritis. This degenerative condition causes cartilage and bone tissue to break down, leading to pain and restricted mobility. 

However, hip pain can also stem from an injury. If you’re an athlete or particularly active person, you may have suffered an acute injury, such as a labral tear, in which a ring of cartilage in the hip socket becomes damaged. You may have also sprained your hip — that is, damaged the ligaments that hold the joint together.

However, even if you haven’t had an obvious injury, an injury could still be to blame. Overuse injuries are injuries that develop gradually and, in the hip, generally affect the soft tissue — your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They usually occur due to repetitive movements or improper biomechanics.

Your treatment plan will vary based on the underlying cause of your pain, but in most cases, we aim to…

• Help manage acute pain with manual therapy, modalities, or gentle stretches.
• Improve mobility and range of motion through targeted stretches and exercises.
• Build strength in the muscles surrounding the hip to support the joint.
• Restore your ability to perform everyday movements, such as going upstairs — and for the athletes, we’ll help restore your ability to perform sport-specific movements.

Understand Your Outcomes

As with treatments, your exact outcomes will vary based on the underlying cause. However, other factors can come into play, too, such as age, health status, and the amount of time you can spend with physical therapy (whether in the clinic or performing home exercise programs).

For example, osteoarthritis has no cure, but you can manage your symptoms with regular physical activity. If you stick with your prescribed exercise program, you can minimize pain, slow the progression of your condition, and delay or even avoid surgery.

If you suffered an injury, you likely will be able to resolve your hip pain, usually within 1-3 months. However, if your injury was severe, full rehabilitation — the point at which you’ve fully restored strength and function — may take longer. Continuing any prescribed exercises is important even if you no longer feel pain.