What causes hip pain?
Hip pain can come from the joint itself, most often from arthritis, where the smooth cartilage lining the joint gradually wears away, leaving bone rubbing on bone. Avascular necrosis (AVN), a poor blood supply to the cartilage and bone, is a less common but important cause, and can affect younger patients. It can also come from the muscles and tendons around the hip, from the sacroiliac joint, or be referred from the lower back. Getting the source right is the first and most important step, because the right treatment depends entirely on it.
Common symptoms
- Groin or thigh pain, sometimes felt in the knee
- Pain over the lower back or buttock, which can be hip, spine or sacroiliac joint pain in disguise
- Stiffness putting on shoes and socks, or getting out of a car
- Pain at night that disturbs sleep
- A limp, or walking shorter distances than you used to
- Grinding, clicking or a feeling the hip may "catch"
How it is diagnosed
A careful history and examination usually tell most of the story. A standing X-ray, often taken the same visit, confirms the diagnosis and grades severity. An MRI is occasionally added when the picture is less clear, or when a labral tear or another cause is suspected in a younger patient.
Your treatment options
Lifestyle & physiotherapy
Targeted strengthening, activity modification and weight optimisation, always the starting point.
Joint injections
Image-guided steroid or lubricant injections can settle pain for months, and help confirm the diagnosis.
Hip replacement
When conservative care no longer holds the line, modern implants with small-incision techniques. See Hip Replacement Surgery.
Mini hip replacement
A bone-preserving, small incision alternative discussed specifically with younger, active patients. See Mini Hip Replacement.
Sacroiliac joint fusion
For confirmed sacroiliac joint pain that has not settled with simpler treatment. See Sacroiliac Joint Fusion.
Revision hip surgery
Specialist care if a previous hip replacement has become painful, loose or worn. See Revision Hip Surgery.
When should I seek help?
If hip pain is limiting your walking, your sleep or your sport, or you find yourself planning your day around it, it is worth a conversation. Seeing a specialist early does not commit you to surgery, it simply means every option, including the simplest ones, is still on the table.
Get your hip assessed
Treatment Options
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