Your hip hurts.
But is the hip joint
itself the problem?
Hip pain can make walking, running, sitting, climbing stairs, and everyday movement uncomfortable. Symptoms may be felt in the groin, outside of the hip, or buttock.
At Yokohama Physio, we assess the painful area alongside relevant movement, strength and functional demands to develop a rehabilitation approach tailored to you.
Where do you feel the pain?
The location of hip pain, what triggers it, and how it behaves can help guide the clinical assessment.
Groin or front-of-hip pain
Discomfort or pinching during deep squats, hip bending, running or getting into a car.
Pain on the outside of the hip
Pain when lying on one side, walking, climbing stairs or standing on one leg.
Buttock or posterior hip pain
Discomfort after sitting, when standing up, or during prolonged activity. Symptoms can sometimes be referred from the back.
Hip pain during exercise
Pain during lunges, running, squats, lifting, sports or other demanding movement.
Look beyond the painful area. Without overlooking the hip.
Hip pain is not always caused by tight muscles or weakness. Sometimes the joint or surrounding tendons need attention. Sometimes activity demands, movement patterns or the lumbar spine are relevant. Understanding the individual presentation helps guide the next step.
Why does hip pain keep coming back?
Hip-region pain can come from several sources. These include hip joint conditions, gluteal tendon problems, muscle injuries, and pain referred from the lumbar spine.
Symptoms can also be influenced by changes in training load, physical capacity, activity habits and tissue sensitivity.
For some people, hip mobility or control during movement may be relevant. For others, reducing irritation and gradually improving activity tolerance may be more important.
We do not assume that every painful hip needs stretching, strengthening or the same manual treatment.
Questions worth asking
- Where exactly is the pain located?
- Does it worsen with sitting, walking or exercise?
- Is pain related to hip movement or loading?
- Are lumbar spine or nerve symptoms present?
- Has your activity level recently changed?
- What activities do you want to return to?
Pain around the buttock may arise from local tissues or be referred from the lower back. Pain deep in the groin may suggest different possibilities from pain on the outside of the hip. A history and physical examination help guide appropriate care and medical referral if needed.
We assess the hip. And how you use it.
Every assessment begins with your symptoms and history. The physical examination is then tailored to what matters for your situation.
Understand your symptoms
We discuss where pain occurs, how it began, activities that provoke it, previous treatment, relevant health history and your goals.
Examine relevant function
We assess the hip and surrounding tissues. When appropriate, we also examine the lumbar spine, strength, walking, squatting or running.
Test meaningful changes
We explore suitable changes in movement, activity or treatment and observe the response to help guide your rehabilitation plan.
Hip pain treatment should fit the individual.
The right approach depends on the diagnosis, relevant movement findings, activity demands and response to treatment.
Hands-on treatment
Where appropriate, manual techniques may help manage symptoms as part of a broader rehabilitation plan.
Movement modification
Exploring different ways of walking, squatting, lifting or training when movement changes may be useful.
Strength and capacity
Individual exercises to improve relevant strength, tolerance and function through progressive loading.
Return to activity
A practical plan for returning to walking, running, sport, gym training or daily activities.
A sensation of tightness does not necessarily mean a muscle is shortened. Depending on the diagnosis, aggressive stretching may aggravate symptoms. We first consider what is contributing to the discomfort and what the individual tolerates.
From everyday discomfort to sports performance.
Hip pain affects people across different ages and activity levels.
Desk workers
Hip or buttock discomfort associated with sitting, standing up or daily movement.
Runners
Running-related hip, groin or buttock symptoms, including return to running.
Gym and HYROX athletes
Symptoms during squats, lunges, loaded movements, running or other demanding exercises.
Active older adults
Hip pain affecting walking, stairs, strength, mobility and everyday independence.
Experienced care. Individual clinical reasoning.
BHSc Physiotherapy / BSc Sports & Recreation
15+ years of clinical experience
I've worked with people experiencing hip and movement-related problems, from everyday pain to sports rehabilitation.
My approach is to listen, examine what may be contributing to symptoms, and use the clinical findings to guide individualised treatment.
Learn More About Yuji ↗Questions about hip pain
Why does my hip hurt after sitting?
Hip-region pain after sitting can have several causes, including sensitivity to sustained positions, hip joint conditions or symptoms referred from the lumbar spine. The location, behaviour and examination findings help distinguish them.
Why does the outside of my hip hurt when sleeping?
Pain on the outside of the hip when lying on that side is common in greater trochanteric pain syndrome, which can involve the gluteal tendons. Other causes are possible. Assessment helps guide activity modification and rehabilitation.
Can lower back problems cause hip or buttock pain?
Yes. Some lumbar spine conditions can refer pain into the buttock or hip region, sometimes with symptoms extending into the leg. A clinical assessment helps determine whether the hip, spine or both require attention.
Should I stretch my tight hip flexors?
Not necessarily. Tightness does not always indicate shortened muscles. Some conditions are aggravated by stretching. We assess what is contributing to your symptoms before recommending exercises.
Can physiotherapy help hip pain when running?
Physiotherapy may help with many running-related hip problems through diagnosis-informed rehabilitation, suitable strength work, activity modification and, where relevant, movement assessment. Outcomes depend on the underlying condition.
Do I need an X-ray or MRI before my consultation?
Not everyone needs imaging before attending physiotherapy. Whether imaging is appropriate depends on your history, examination and suspected condition. We can recommend medical assessment when indicated.
What happens at my initial consultation?
We begin with your medical and activity history, assess the hip and relevant movement, and provide treatment or exercise guidance where appropriate. Sessions are available in English and Japanese.
Seek urgent evaluation for severe hip pain following a fall or injury, inability to bear weight, a hot or swollen joint with fever, or rapidly worsening neurological symptoms. Persistent unexplained pain or other concerning symptoms also warrant medical assessment. This page provides general information, not a diagnosis.
Let's understand what's happening with your hip.
Whether hip pain affects walking, sitting, running or exercise, start with an individual consultation at Yokohama Physio.
Book Initial Consultation ↗