Osteopath for Hip Pain
Osteopath Hip Pain Treatment: Symptoms, Causes, and Recovery Time
At Wellthy Clinic, we specialise in treating hip pain with an integrated approach. This article explores symptoms, possible causes, recovery timelines, and how seeing an osteopath for hip pain can help you heal faster and more effectively.
Where is Hip Pain Felt?
It can be felt deep into the hip joint, but also refers to your buttock, groin, and sometimes down the front of your thigh. Pain referrals are common to groin pain and are similar to lower back pain. So, it's important that you get a diagnosis from our osteopath to establish the cause of your symptoms.
What Causes Hip Pain?
The most common causes are osteoarthritis, especially in older adults. Osteoarthritis alternative treatment leads to hip joint inflammation and cartilage breakdown that cushions your hip bones. Hip bursitis and bursae are fluid-filled sacs that can become inflamed and cause pain. Tendinitis is when the tendons that attach your bones to muscles become inflamed again. Both bursitis and tendinitis are generally associated with repetitive overuse movements. Muscular strains (especially your hip flexor muscle) can become inflamed and be painful during hip movements.
Less Common Causes of Hip Pain
Hip fractures are more common with age, as the bones can become weaker and break with falls. Avascular necrosis of the hip occurs when the blood flow to the hip slows, and the tissue dies. This is more likely to happen following a fracture or a dislocation. Kidney or digestive referral, inflammatory and vascular conditions, and potentially cancer are other differentials.
Hip labral tear, where the ring of cartilage within the hip joint (labrum) has torn. Athletes who have experienced a fall or a trauma with fast twisting movements are at higher risk of experiencing this problem. Or it could simply be a running injury from bad form, or an old injury aggravating the hip. It is essential to gain a specific diagnosis to know how best to treat your condition.
What Does Bursitis in the Hip Feel Like?
Joint pain and tenderness, there may also be swelling and warmth around the affected area. It will feel like a sharp pain for the first few days and dull and achy afterwards. You will notice it more when going from seated to standing, after prolonged sitting and when sleeping on the affected side. A bursitis can resolve relatively quickly (hours or days) or take longer (weeks and sometimes months). A bursitis can go away and then return with particular positions or movements. It would be best to see an osteopath to develop a plan to optimise your healing process.
How Do I know if Hip Pain is Osteoarthritis?
A pain that feels deep inside the hip joint can refer to your groin, buttocks and thigh. You will feel joint stiffness worse in the morning or after prolonged sitting. You will typically experience a reduced hip range of motion when you spread the legs apart. Extend the leg straight back, or point toes inward and move the entire leg in that direction. Your hip pain will feel better with short rest, but you will feel stiff after more extended rest periods. Typically, hip osteoarthritis is more common in older people (60+ years old) and those who are overweight. In addition, females are more than males, with a past history of hip trauma and a family history of osteoarthritis.
What Doctor Helps with Hip Pain?
For the majority of cases, it’s not necessary to see your GP for a diagnosis. Manual therapists (Osteopaths, physiotherapists, or chiropractors) can diagnose hip pain. They will take a full case history and perform a physical examination with testing. They will give you a diagnosis so you understand the cause of your pain. If the manual therapist feels you require extra information, a scan or GP referral will be made.
Can an Osteopath Help with Hip Pain?
Yes, absolutely, but it depends on the injury and condition of your hip joint. For hip pain treatment, a Sports Osteopath London will address the whole posture to move other areas more freely (typically knees, cranial osteopath for back pain, shoulder pain and your other hip). This will reduce pressure on your hip by distributing the forces more evenly. Osteopaths will use a combination of muscular stretching, joint articulations and joint manipulations (only when appropriate) techniques to increase movement functionality and reduce pain. Cranial Osteopathy techniques can be very useful for patients with hip pain as they are beneficial for pelvic balancing. You will be advised on how best to self-manage your tensions. Be given both muscular stretching and strengthening exercises. Our musculoskeletal health nutritionist specialist can also advise on optimising healing times.
How Do I Know if my Hip Pain is Serious?
It depends on how it started and how limited your hip movements are normally. If you have experienced a fall or accident and feel a deep pain in your hip, you should go to A&E and request a scan to gain further information.
Should I keep Walking with Hip pain?
Yes, if the pain is not too severe, then light exercise is beneficial for people with hip OA for reduced knee pain and physical function (Cochrane 2018). At Wellthy Clinic, we are big advocates for meaningful movement, and Pilates exercises are superb for rehabilitation. Combining stretching and strengthening exercises helps increase blood flow to optimise inflammatory processes. In addition, increases the functionality of joints, strengthens muscles, and self-empowers you to feel a little bit better. Exercises will be graded depending on the severity of your symptoms, regularly reviewed and changed to ensure progression.
Can Exercise Programmes Aid Recovery?
Chronic ongoing pain can affect all domains of people’s lives. People’s beliefs about chronic pain shape their attitudes and behaviours about how to manage their pain. Without adequate information and advice from healthcare professionals, people do not know what they should and should not do. Therefore, they avoid activity for fear of causing harm. Participation in exercise programmes may slightly improve physical function, as well as depression and pain. Furthermore, gaining reassurance and straightforward advice about the value of exercise in controlling symptoms will encourage greater exercise participation, which brings a range of health benefits (Cochrane Library 2018). Our Pilates Rehabilitation exercises may speed up recovery.
How Long Should Hip Pain Last?
From an osteopath’s perspective typically an acute (experienced for less than 6 weeks) mechanical hip pain lasts 3-4 weeks. However longer lasting pains, depending on the cause and the individual will either take longer to recover. In both cases having a structured Rehabilitation plan will enable you to take control of your tensions would be worthwhile.
Why Choose Wellthy Clinic for Osteopath Hip Pain Treatment?
At Wellthy Clinic, we take a unique, holistic approach to treating hip pain. Our expert team combines advanced osteopathic techniques, clinical Pilates, and nutrition to address the root causes—not just the symptoms—of your discomfort. Whether your hip pain stems from arthritis, overuse, or injury, our osteopath hip pain specialists will create a personalised treatment plan tailored to your body and lifestyle. Located in the heart of London, our boutique clinic offers a calm, light-filled environment where you can heal, move, and feel your best. With one-on-one care and a reputation for helping people with complex conditions, we’re here to guide your recovery every step.
More Resources for Osteopathy for Pain
References
Cochrane Library (2019) Paracetamol versus placebo for knee and hip osteoarthritis https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013273/full?highlightAbstract=knee%7Cpain
Cochrane Library (2018) Exercise interventions and patient beliefs for people with hip, knee or hip and knee osteoarthritis: a mixed methods review https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010842.pub2/full?highlightAbstract=knee%7Cpain
Matthew Glithero
He is a dynamic Osteopath who delivers bespoke treatments aimed to reducing pain. Helping you feel better and empowering you to pro-actively manage your own symptoms.