PATIENT EDUCATION
Hip Symptoms
Select the symptom that most closely describes what you are experiencing. The information below describes common causes, possible conditions, self-care and when medical assessment may be needed.
Select a symptom below to view more information.
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Groin Pain
What you'll notice or feel
- Pain felt in the front of the hip or deep in the groin crease rather than on the outer hip.
- Pain when putting on shoes and socks, getting in and out of a car, or crossing your legs.
- Discomfort that may be brought on by turning or pivoting on the leg.
- Sometimes a deep ache that is difficult to pinpoint precisely.
Common causes
- Wear of the hip joint surface.
- Irritation or a tear of the cartilage ring lining the hip socket.
- Shape variations in the hip joint causing the bones to pinch during movement.
- Muscle or tendon strain around the groin, particularly in athletes.
What it could be
- Hip osteoarthritis — a common cause of true groin pain in older adults.
- A labral tear or irritation of the cartilage ring around the hip socket.
- Femoroacetabular impingement, where bony shape variations cause pinching within the joint.
- A groin muscle or tendon strain, usually with a clearer link to activity or injury.
- Referred pain from the lower back, which can occasionally present as groin discomfort.
Initial self-care
- Modify activities involving deep hip bending, pivoting or prolonged sitting in low chairs.
- Keep the hip gently moving within a comfortable range rather than resting completely.
- Use over-the-counter pain relief if appropriate, as per the label.
- A walking stick used in the opposite hand can reduce load through a painful hip.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Inability to bear weight on the leg, particularly after a fall.
- Groin pain with fever or feeling generally unwell.
- Sudden severe pain following an injury, or an obviously shortened or rotated leg.
- In children or adolescents, any new hip or groin pain associated with a limp.
When to see a doctor
- Groin pain persisting beyond a few weeks despite activity modification.
- Pain limiting walking distance, work or sleep.
- Increasing stiffness alongside the pain.
Pain With Walking / Limp
What you'll notice or feel
- Pain that begins after walking a certain distance and eases with rest.
- A shorter comfortable walking distance than a few months ago.
- An uneven walking pattern, sometimes noticed by others first.
- Needing to hold onto furniture or use a walking stick where this was not previously necessary.
Common causes
- Wear of the hip joint surface causing pain with increasing load.
- Weakness of the muscles on the outer hip that stabilise the pelvis during walking.
- A previous hip injury or condition affecting joint mechanics.
- Referred pain from the lower back, especially if leg numbness is also present.
What it could be
- Hip osteoarthritis.
- Weakness or irritation of the outer hip stabilising muscles.
- Spinal stenosis, which may cause leg symptoms that improve with sitting or leaning forward.
- Avascular necrosis, particularly in people with a history of steroid use or heavy alcohol intake.
Initial self-care
- Pace walking — several shorter walks may be better tolerated than one long walk.
- Begin gentle strengthening of the hip and thigh muscles once acute pain allows.
- Weight management, where relevant, can meaningfully reduce load through the hip.
- Use a walking stick in the opposite hand for longer distances if needed.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Sudden inability to walk or bear weight.
- A limp associated with fever or feeling generally unwell.
- A limp following a fall, especially in an older adult or someone with known bone weakness.
When to see a doctor
- A limp or reduced walking distance persisting beyond a few weeks.
- Walking distance that is progressively shortening.
- A limp affecting independence or work.
Stiffness, Especially Turning the Leg Inward
What you'll notice or feel
- Difficulty turning the leg inward, often one of the first movements lost at the hip.
- Trouble putting on socks, cutting toenails or crossing your legs.
- Stiffness that may be worse first thing in the morning and ease after moving.
- A sense that one hip does not move as freely as the other.
Common causes
- Wear of the hip joint surface, which often restricts inward rotation early.
- Bony shape variations restricting movement mechanically.
- Inflammation of the joint from an underlying inflammatory condition.
- Stiffness following a previous hip injury or surgery.
What it could be
- Hip osteoarthritis.
- Femoroacetabular impingement.
- An inflammatory condition affecting the hip joint.
- Avascular necrosis, which can produce both pain and stiffness.
Initial self-care
- Gentle daily hip range-of-motion exercises within a comfortable range.
- Heat before activity to ease stiffness.
- Avoid prolonged sitting in low or deep chairs.
- Long-handled aids such as a shoehorn or sock aid may help with dressing while stiffness is being managed.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Sudden, marked loss of hip movement, especially with severe pain.
- Stiffness associated with fever or feeling generally unwell.
- Stiffness following a fall or injury.
When to see a doctor
- Stiffness persisting beyond a few weeks and limiting daily tasks.
- Difficulty with dressing, footwear or personal care because of hip stiffness.
- Stiffness that is progressively worsening.
Referred Thigh or Knee Pain
What you'll notice or feel
- Pain felt in the thigh or even at the knee, with little or no pain felt at the hip itself.
- Knee pain despite examination of the knee being normal.
- Pain that changes with hip movement rather than knee movement.
- In children, the only complaint may sometimes be knee pain even though the problem is at the hip.
Common causes
- The hip joint shares nerve pathways with the thigh and knee, allowing pain to be felt away from the hip.
- Hip joint wear or inflammation referring pain down the thigh.
- A hip condition in a child or adolescent presenting mainly as knee pain.
- Referred pain from the lower back travelling down the thigh.
What it could be
- Hip osteoarthritis referring pain to the thigh or knee.
- Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in an adolescent.
- Perthes disease in a younger child.
- Referred pain from a nerve or structure in the lower back.
Initial self-care
- Note whether the pain changes with hip movement.
- Avoid assuming knee pain always means a knee problem, especially in children and adolescents.
- Modify aggravating activities while arranging assessment.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Any child or adolescent with knee or thigh pain associated with a limp.
- Inability to bear weight.
- Pain associated with fever or feeling generally unwell.
When to see a doctor
- Knee or thigh pain persisting despite the knee itself appearing normal.
- Pain that seems to move or is difficult to localise.
- Pain that changes with hip position or movement.
Night Pain or Pain at Rest
What you'll notice or feel
- Pain that wakes you at night or makes it difficult to find a comfortable position.
- Pain present at rest, not only with walking or activity.
- Difficulty lying on the affected side.
- Pain that has progressed from activity-related discomfort to more constant pain.
Common causes
- Advanced wear of the hip joint surface.
- Inflammation of the fluid-filled cushion over the outer hip.
- Reduced blood supply to the hip bone.
- Less commonly, infection or a bone lesion.
What it could be
- Advanced hip osteoarthritis.
- Trochanteric bursitis or related outer-hip soft-tissue irritation.
- Avascular necrosis.
- Rarely, infection or a bone lesion.
Initial self-care
- Try sleeping on the opposite side with a pillow between your knees.
- Avoid lying directly on the painful side if the discomfort is mainly over the outer hip.
- Use simple pain relief before bedtime if needed, as per the label.
- Keep a note of whether night pain is becoming more frequent or severe.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Night pain associated with fever, night sweats or unexplained weight loss.
- Severe, unrelenting pain that is not eased by changing position.
- Night pain following a fall or injury.
When to see a doctor
- Night or rest pain persisting beyond 2–3 weeks.
- Pain that has progressed from activity-related to constant.
- Sleep being regularly and significantly disrupted.
YOUR CONSULTATION
What to Expect at Your Visit
- The doctor will ask where exactly the pain is felt, how far you can walk, which movements are difficult and whether the pain disturbs your sleep.
- Your hip movement will be examined in all directions, with inward rotation checked particularly carefully because this is often one of the first movements to become restricted.
- Your walking pattern, leg lengths and hip muscle strength may also be assessed.
- The lower back and knee may be examined as well, because back problems can refer pain toward the hip and hip problems can refer pain toward the knee.
- Imaging usually begins with an X-ray of the hip and pelvis. MRI may be added when a labral tear, early avascular necrosis or another soft-tissue cause is suspected.
- Management may range from activity modification, physiotherapy, walking aids and weight management to injections, with joint replacement discussed when advanced joint wear is significantly affecting walking, sleep and quality of life.
* IMPORTANT: A Note Before You Go
Hip symptoms can sometimes be felt in the groin, thigh, knee or lower back, which means the location of pain does not always identify the source on its own.
This page covers some of the more common reasons for hip symptoms and is not a complete list of everything that can affect the hip. It cannot replace an individual medical assessment. If your symptoms are persistent, worsening or affecting walking, sleep or normal daily activities, it is appropriate to have them assessed.