Hip Pain: When Should You Be Concerned?
Hip pain can make everyday activities feel surprisingly difficult. Walking around Grande Prairie, climbing stairs, getting in and out of your vehicle, exercising, playing sports, or even getting comfortable in bed can all become challenging when your hip isn't moving the way it should.
At Adventure Physiotherapy, we see a wide range of hip problems, from recent injuries and activity-related pain to longer-standing joint and muscle problems. While hip pain is common and often responds well to physiotherapy, there are some situations where it is important to seek medical attention.
So, how do you know when hip pain is something you should be concerned about—and when physiotherapy may be able to help?
What Does Hip Pain Feel Like?
Hip pain doesn't always feel the same from one person to another. In fact, where you feel the pain can sometimes provide useful clues about what may be contributing to your symptoms.
You may experience pain:
In the front of the hip or groin
On the outside of the hip
Around the buttock
In the upper thigh
Around the hip and sometimes into the leg
The sensation itself can also vary. Hip pain may feel like a dull ache, sharp pain, stiffness, soreness, burning, or pressure.
You might notice your symptoms during particular activities, such as:
Walking or running
Going up or down stairs
Squatting or bending
Getting in or out of a car
Putting on socks or shoes
Standing for long periods
Getting up after sitting
Sleeping on your side
Participating in sports or other physical activities
Some people have pain primarily during movement, while others notice stiffness or aching after activity or when resting.
One important thing to remember is that pain doesn't necessarily mean that you have damaged your hip. Pain is influenced by many factors, and the amount of pain you experience doesn't always correspond directly with what is happening inside a joint or muscle.
This is one reason a proper assessment can be so valuable.
When Should You Be Concerned About Hip Pain?
Most hip pain does not require emergency care. However, there are situations where you should seek medical assessment rather than simply trying to work through the symptoms.
After a significant injury
If you have fallen or experienced a significant impact and now have severe hip pain, you should seek medical attention—particularly if you:
Cannot put weight on your leg
Cannot move your hip normally
Have significant swelling or deformity
Notice numbness or loss of sensation
Have severe pain that started immediately after the injury
These symptoms can occur with more serious injuries, including fractures.
When hip pain comes with other symptoms
You should also seek prompt medical assessment if hip pain is accompanied by symptoms such as:
Fever or feeling generally unwell
Significant redness, warmth, or swelling around the hip
Sudden and severe pain without an obvious injury
Rapidly worsening symptoms
Unexplained weight loss or other unexplained systemic symptoms
These symptoms don't automatically mean that something serious is happening. However, they are reasons to have your symptoms assessed rather than assuming they are simply a muscle or joint problem.
If you're unsure whether your symptoms are appropriate for physiotherapy, that's okay. Part of a physiotherapist's role is determining whether physiotherapy is appropriate for your presentation or whether you should see another healthcare professional.
When Should You See a Physiotherapist?
You don't need to wait until your hip pain becomes severe before getting help.
A physiotherapy assessment may be appropriate if your hip pain is:
Limiting your exercise or recreational activities
Making work or everyday activities more difficult
Affecting your sleep
Preventing you from participating in sports
Getting progressively worse
Keeping you from walking or moving normally
Repeatedly coming back
Not improving as you would expect
For people here in Grande Prairie and the surrounding Peace Region, getting your hip pain assessed early can help you understand what is happening and what you can do about it.
At Adventure Physiotherapy, our goal isn't simply to make your hip feel better for a short period of time. We focus on helping you understand your symptoms, improve your capacity for movement, and get back to the activities that are important to you.
What Happens During a Physiotherapy Assessment?
Your first appointment at Adventure Physiotherapy will begin with a conversation about your hip pain.
We'll want to understand things such as:
When your symptoms started
Whether there was an injury or change in activity
What movements or activities aggravate your symptoms
What makes your symptoms better
How your hip pain is affecting your day-to-day life
What activities you want to return to
We'll then assess how your hip and surrounding areas are moving and functioning.
Depending on your symptoms, this may include looking at:
Hip mobility
Hip and leg strength
Balance and control
Walking and movement patterns
Functional movements such as squatting or stepping
The way your symptoms respond to different movements
We aren't simply looking for a single structure that is "causing" your pain. Instead, we want to understand the bigger picture and identify the factors that may be contributing to your symptoms.
What Does Treatment for Hip Pain Look Like?
At Adventure Physiotherapy, we believe that active rehabilitation is an important part of achieving lasting results. Our approach is centered around helping you become an active participant in your recovery rather than relying solely on passive treatments.
Your treatment plan will depend on your specific symptoms, goals, and assessment findings.
Exercise and strengthening
Exercise is often an important part of hip rehabilitation.
Your physiotherapist may prescribe exercises designed to improve:
Hip and leg strength
Mobility
Balance
Coordination
Muscle endurance
Your ability to tolerate everyday or athletic activities
Exercises should be appropriate for where you are in your recovery. As your capacity improves, your program can be progressed.
The goal isn't simply to give you a list of exercises. It's to help you build the capacity you need to return to the activities you enjoy.
Activity modification
Hip pain doesn't necessarily mean you have to stop everything you enjoy doing.
Instead, we can help you determine how to modify your activities while your symptoms settle. This could mean temporarily changing the intensity, volume, frequency, or type of exercise you're doing.
For an active person, the goal is often to find a way to keep moving while gradually rebuilding tolerance.
Manual therapy
Depending on your individual presentation, hands-on treatment may also be used as part of your rehabilitation.
Adventure Physiotherapy offers manual therapy to help with areas such as mobility, pain, and movement. However, we view hands-on treatment as one tool within a broader rehabilitation program rather than the entire solution.
Education
Understanding your hip pain can be an important part of recovery.
We'll help you understand what may be contributing to your symptoms, what you can safely do, what to expect during recovery, and how to manage your symptoms between appointments.
Our aim is for you to leave your appointment with a better understanding of your body and a clear plan for what comes next.
What If Your Hip Pain Is Related to Arthritis?
Hip osteoarthritis is one common source of hip pain, particularly as we get older.
If you've been told you have arthritis in your hip, it doesn't necessarily mean that surgery is your only option—or that you need to stop being active.
Physiotherapy can help you improve strength, maintain mobility, modify activities when necessary, and build your confidence in using your hip.
At Adventure Physiotherapy, we treat joint pain using a combination of exercise, activity modification, education, manual therapy, and strengthening.
What If You Injured Your Hip Playing Sports?
Grande Prairie is home to an active community, and hip pain can affect athletes and recreationally active people of all ages.
Whether your symptoms started while running, playing hockey, skiing, lifting weights, participating in team sports, or simply increasing your training too quickly, rehabilitation can help you safely rebuild your ability to participate.
Adventure Physiotherapy works with athletes and active individuals and has physiotherapists with experience in athletic injury management and return-to-activity rehabilitation.
The goal isn't just to get you through your day without pain. It's to help you get back to the activities that make life more adventurous.
How Long Does Hip Pain Take to Improve?
There isn't a single timeline for hip pain.
Some people improve relatively quickly, while others with long-standing symptoms or more complex problems may require a longer rehabilitation process.
Your recovery can depend on:
The cause and duration of your symptoms
Your current strength and fitness
How much your hip is being loaded
Your sleep and recovery
Other injuries or health factors
Your goals and activity level
How your symptoms respond to rehabilitation
Rather than focusing solely on a specific number of treatment sessions, your physiotherapist can help you establish meaningful goals and track your progress along the way.
Don't Let Hip Pain Keep You From Your Next Adventure
Hip pain can be frustrating, but it doesn't automatically mean that you need to stop doing the things you enjoy.
Whether you're a recreational athlete, an active parent, someone who enjoys getting outdoors, or simply want to walk around Grande Prairie without constantly thinking about your hip, physiotherapy may be able to help.
At Adventure Physiotherapy, our approach is built around individualized care, active rehabilitation, education, and helping people become stronger and more resilient. Our goal is to help you get back to living an active life—not simply to treat your hip in isolation.
If your hip pain is getting in the way of your life, book an assessment with Adventure Physiotherapy in Grande Prairie and let us help you figure out what's going on and what you can do about it.
This article is intended for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for an individualized medical assessment. If you have experienced significant trauma, cannot bear weight, have severe or rapidly worsening pain, fever, significant swelling/redness, or other concerning symptoms, seek appropriate medical attention promptly.