Bellevue physical therapy

If you have hip pain — chronic or temporary — you know how debilitating it can often be. Hip pain can be inconvenient, diminish your quality of life, and prevent you from doing the things you love. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Making sure that you’re getting it checked out in a timely fashion can help save you pain and ensure that nothing worsens while you wait for it to pass. Your doctor will be able to effectively diagnose and treat your pain. He or she may very well suggest physical therapy, which can give you hip exercises for hip stability or hip strengthening techniques, improving your pain level and range of motion. So let’s talk about who can experience this type of pain, common causes, and how physical therapy might be the answer for treatment.

Is Hip Pain Just For Older People?

Though hip pain can be more common in the elderly, no one is exempt from experiencing it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that hip pain takes a toll on around 7% of adults in the United States. If you’re an athlete, for example, you may have hip pain because of a sports injury or repeated stress. Luckily, that’s easily managed, through rest and even physical therapy, if the injury is bad. Early diagnosis is definitely key in young people though, to prevent deterioration.

The bottom line is no matter how old you are, make sure that you see a doctor if it lasts for more than a week or so, especially if it’s truly impacting your day to day routine. You want to prevent it from worsening and often times, carrying on as normal can do further damage.

What are Common Reasons I Might Be Having Hip Pain?

Osteoarthritis (OA), which affects over 30 million adults in the United States can be a big cause of hip pain. It’s the most common type of arthritis and is often found in the knees, hands, and hips. If you suffer from osteoporosis, you may also experience a hip fracture, which leads to pain.

If you’re female, don’t discount gynecological problems either. Endometriosis or other issues can feel like hip pain or radiate out to your hips. Hernias, tendinitis, and bursitis can also be common causes of hip pain.

As mentioned above, if you’re an athlete, you may already have a good idea where your hip pain is stemming from, thanks to a fracture, tear, or dislocation from playing.

Self-diagnosis isn’t always the best tactic however, so it’s recommended that you check in with your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

How Can Physical Therapy Help My Hip Pain?


Physical therapy will help introduce exercises or stretches that can help strengthen your hip, increase flexibility, and reduce your pain levels. They’re intended to be gentle and low impact and will hopefully promote blood flow and healing. Of course, physical therapy only works if you’re doing it diligently and regularly — if you wind up finishing therapy at home, make sure that family keeps you on task, even if it hurts. Some physical therapy exercises can also be done at the gym, to take advantage of the equipment based there.

If your hip pain is bad enough, you may do the exercises under the supervision of a physical therapist at a clinic. He or she will make sure that you’re doing them properly — without enacting more strain on other parts of your body — and will help you move your hip until you can do it comfortably on your own.

If you have hip pain, know that you don’t have to simply live with it. Visiting your doctor and finding out the cause, and then working to effectively treat it can make a huge difference in your quality of life.