Specialized Treatment

Hip Pain Relief
in London

Expert clinicians providing evidence-based treatments
for hip arthritis, bursitis, labral tears, and all forms of hip discomfort.

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Hip Specialists

Expert hip pain practitioners

Root Cause Analysis

Targeted, effective solutions

Holistic Approach

Long-term pain relief

Hip Pain Assessment in London

Expert Hip Pain Treatment in London

Comprehensive care for all types of hip pain

At Holistic Healthcare Clinics, our multidisciplinary team specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all forms of hip pain, from acute injuries to chronic conditions. We understand how limiting hip pain can be, affecting your mobility, sleep, and overall quality of life.

Our approach combines evidence-based treatments including physiotherapy, osteopathy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and rehabilitation exercises to create a personalized recovery program that addresses your specific condition and lifestyle needs. We don't just mask symptoms – we identify and treat the underlying causes of your hip pain for long-term relief.

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Common Hip Pain Issues

Understanding the various types and causes of hip pain

Hip Osteoarthritis

Degenerative wear and tear of the hip joint cartilage causing pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion, typically worse after periods of inactivity or increased use.

Hip Labral Tears

Damage to the labrum, the cartilage ring that surrounds the hip socket, often causing pain, clicking, locking sensations, and instability in the hip joint.

Hip Bursitis

Inflammation of the bursae (fluid-filled sacs) around the hip joint, typically causing pain on the outside of the hip that may spread down the thigh and worsen with activity.

Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)

A condition where extra bone forms along the femoral head or acetabulum, causing friction during hip movement and potential labral tears over time.

Piriformis Syndrome

Compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle in the buttock region, causing pain in the hip and buttock that may radiate down the leg.

Hip Flexor Strains

Stretching or tearing of the muscles that help you lift your knee and bend at the waist, often from sports or sudden movements, causing pain in the front of the hip.

IT Band Syndrome

Inflammation and irritation of the iliotibial band that runs along the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee, common in runners and cyclists.

Hip Tendonitis

Inflammation of tendons around the hip joint due to overuse or repetitive movements, causing localized pain that worsens with specific movements.

Referred Pain

Hip pain that actually originates from problems in the lower back, sacroiliac joint, or knee, requiring careful diagnosis to identify the true source of symptoms.

Our Approach to Hip Pain Treatment

A comprehensive, evidence-based strategy for effective hip pain management

Thorough Assessment

We begin with a comprehensive evaluation of your condition, including detailed history-taking, physical examination, and movement analysis to identify the specific causes and contributing factors to your hip pain.

Root Cause Focus

Rather than just treating symptoms, we work to identify and address the underlying causes of your hip pain, whether it's related to joint degeneration, muscle imbalances, movement patterns, or referred pain from other areas.

Personalised Treatment Plans

We develop individualized care strategies based on your specific diagnosis, activity levels, lifestyle needs, and goals, combining different therapeutic approaches for optimal results.

Active Rehabilitation

We emphasize active involvement in your recovery through targeted exercises, movement retraining, and self-management strategies that empower you to take control of your hip health and function.

Multi-disciplinary Collaboration

Our team works together to provide integrated care, drawing on expertise from physiotherapy, osteopathy, massage therapy, and other disciplines to address all aspects of your hip condition.

Long-term Prevention

Beyond immediate pain relief, we focus on strategies to prevent recurrence through education, activity modification, biomechanical improvements, and ongoing self-care techniques to maintain hip health.

Effective Treatment Methods

Evidence-based therapies to relieve hip pain and restore function

Manual Therapy

Skilled hands-on techniques to improve joint mobility, reduce muscle tension, and enhance tissue flexibility in the hip, pelvis, and surrounding regions to reduce pain and improve function.

Strengthening Exercises

Targeted exercise programs to rebuild strength in hip stabilizers, core muscles, and lower limb structures to improve joint support, stability, and movement control.

Soft Tissue Techniques

Specialized massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy to address tension in muscles around the hip joint, including the gluteals, hip flexors, and lateral hip muscles.

Biomechanical Assessment

Detailed analysis of your walking, running, and movement patterns to identify and correct dysfunctional mechanics that contribute to hip strain and overload.

Electrotherapy

Including TENS, ultrasound, and shockwave therapy to reduce pain, decrease inflammation, and enhance tissue healing in various hip conditions such as bursitis and tendonitis.

Acupuncture

Fine needles inserted at specific points to stimulate the body's natural pain-relieving mechanisms, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation around the hip joint.

Flexibility Training

Customized stretching programs to address muscle tightness and joint restrictions that contribute to hip pain, particularly focusing on hip flexors, rotators, and surrounding tissues.

Hot & Cold Therapy

Strategic application of thermal treatments to manage inflammation, improve circulation, and provide pain relief for hip conditions at different stages of healing.

Gait Retraining

Analysis and correction of walking patterns to improve hip mechanics, reduce joint stress, and provide more efficient movement patterns that minimize pain.

Benefits of Our Hip Pain Care

How our comprehensive approach can transform your hip health

Pain Relief

Effective reduction in acute and chronic hip pain through multiple therapeutic approaches, allowing comfortable walking, sitting, and daily activities.

Improved Mobility

Enhanced range of motion in the hip joint, allowing smoother, more comfortable movement for walking, climbing stairs, and daily activities.

Increased Strength

Rebuilt hip, core, and leg strength to provide better support for the hip joint and improve overall lower body function and stability.

Reduced Recurrence

Lower risk of hip pain returning through improved movement patterns, better muscle balance, and preventative exercise habits.

Better Posture

Improved alignment of the pelvis and hip joint, reducing excess strain and pressure on surrounding tissues and joints in the kinetic chain.

Improved Sleep

Less pain and discomfort when lying down, allowing more restful sleep without frequent position changes due to hip discomfort.

Return to Activities

Safely resume walking, running, sports, and recreational activities that hip pain previously limited or prevented you from enjoying.

Self-Management

Knowledge and skills to independently care for your hip health and respond effectively to early warning signs of strain or overuse.

Our Services for Hip Pain Relief

Specialised treatments that can help resolve your hip pain

Physiotherapy

Our physiotherapists use manual therapy, exercise prescription, and movement analysis to address joint mobility, muscle imbalances, and movement dysfunctions affecting the hip.

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Osteopathy

Osteopathic treatment takes a whole-body approach to hip pain, addressing how back, pelvis, and lower limb mechanics influence hip function and overall body alignment.

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Massage Therapy

Therapeutic massage helps release tension in hip, gluteal, and lower back muscles, improve circulation, and reduce pain through specialized soft tissue techniques.

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Acupuncture

Many hip pain conditions, including arthritis and bursitis, respond well to acupuncture therapy that targets inflammation, circulation, and the body's natural healing processes.

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Sports Therapy

Our sports therapists specialize in treating and preventing hip injuries in athletes, with specific expertise in running mechanics, return-to-play protocols, and sport-specific movement patterns.

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Rehabilitation

Our comprehensive rehabilitation programmes focus on restoring hip function after injuries, surgeries, or chronic conditions through progressive exercise protocols and movement retraining.

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Hip Pain Prevention & Management Tips

Practical strategies to maintain healthy hips and prevent pain recurrence

Maintain Strong Hip Muscles

Regular strengthening exercises for the hip flexors, extensors, abductors, and adductors help stabilize the hip joint and improve function. Strong core muscles also provide better support for your hips during daily activities.

Improve Flexibility

Regular stretching of the hip muscles and surrounding areas helps maintain range of motion and reduces tension. Focus on the hip flexors, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles which often become tight with prolonged sitting.

Maintain Healthy Weight

Excess body weight increases stress on the hip joints. For every pound of weight loss, there's a four-pound reduction in the load exerted on the knee during daily activities—with similar benefits for your hips.

Wear Proper Footwear

Supportive shoes with good arch support and cushioning help align your feet, knees, and hips properly. Avoid high heels, which alter your posture and put extra stress on your hip joints.

Avoid Prolonged Sitting

Take breaks from sitting every 30-60 minutes. Prolonged sitting tightens hip flexors and weakens gluteal muscles, creating imbalances that can contribute to hip pain and dysfunction.

Low-Impact Activities

Choose exercises that don't stress your hips excessively. Swimming, cycling, and elliptical training provide cardiovascular benefits without the jarring impact that can aggravate hip conditions.

Proper Lifting Technique

When lifting heavy objects, bend at your knees rather than your waist, keep the load close to your body, and avoid twisting while lifting to prevent strain on your hip joints and supporting muscles.

Sleep Position Matters

If you have hip pain, sleep on your back or on the non-painful side with a pillow between your knees to maintain proper hip alignment and reduce pressure on painful structures during the night.

Progress Gradually

When starting new exercise programs or returning to activity after injury, increase intensity, duration, and frequency gradually to allow your hip joints and muscles to adapt without becoming overloaded.

Address Early Signs

Don't ignore mild hip discomfort. Early intervention when symptoms first appear can prevent minor issues from developing into more serious conditions that require lengthy treatment.

What Our Patients Say

Read about the experiences of those we've helped

Patient Testimonial

"After struggling with hip osteoarthritis for over a year, my mobility was severely limited and everyday activities became painful. The team at Holistic Healthcare Clinics created a comprehensive treatment plan combining physical therapy, specific exercises, and lifestyle modifications. Their approach has dramatically reduced my pain and improved my function. I can now walk, climb stairs, and garden again without constant discomfort."

Margaret Reynolds
Hip Osteoarthritis Patient
Patient Testimonial

"As a serious runner, developing hip bursitis was devastating and threatened my training for an upcoming marathon. Previous treatments elsewhere had limited success, but the specialists at Holistic Healthcare Clinics took a different approach. Their combination of manual therapy, targeted strengthening, and gait analysis identified and addressed imbalances I wasn't aware of. I'm now back to my full training schedule, running pain-free and stronger than before."

Jason Thompson
Hip Bursitis Patient
Patient Testimonial

"At 32, being diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) was confusing and frightening. I was experiencing sharp hip pain during certain movements and after sitting at my desk job. The team provided clear explanations about my condition and developed a treatment plan focused on joint mobility, core stability, and movement retraining. Their expert care has allowed me to avoid surgery and return to my active lifestyle without the constant gripping pain I had before."

Aisha Patel
Hip Impingement (FAI) Patient

Frequently Asked Questions About Hip Pain

Answers to common questions about hip pain and treatment

The location and nature of hip pain can often provide clues about its source:

  • True Hip Joint Pain: Typically felt in the groin or front of the hip. This pain is often related to arthritis, labral tears, or joint impingement. It may be felt as deep, aching discomfort and is often aggravated by weight-bearing activities, internal rotation of the hip, or prolonged sitting.
  • Outer Hip/Trochanteric Pain: Pain on the outside of the hip is usually associated with greater trochanteric pain syndrome, which includes conditions like trochanteric bursitis and gluteal tendinopathy. This pain can be sharp when lying on the affected side or when crossing the legs.
  • Posterior Hip/Buttock Pain: Pain in the buttock region may be related to the sciatic nerve, piriformis syndrome, or sacroiliac joint dysfunction rather than the hip joint itself. This type of pain may radiate down the leg or be associated with back pain.
  • Referred Pain: Sometimes pain felt in the hip area actually originates from the lower back or knee. This referred pain follows nerve pathways and can be misleading without proper assessment.

Certain movements can help differentiate the source:

  • Pain with internal rotation of the hip (turning the knee inward while the hip is bent) often indicates a problem within the hip joint
  • Pain when pressing directly on the outer hip that reproduces your symptoms suggests trochanteric bursitis
  • Pain that radiates from the back down the leg suggests nerve involvement

Professional assessment is important for accurate diagnosis, as proper treatment depends on correctly identifying the source of pain. Our specialists use specific movement tests, detailed history-taking, and sometimes imaging to determine exactly where your hip pain is coming from.

Deciding whether to exercise with hip pain depends on several factors. Complete rest is rarely the best approach for most hip conditions, but modifications are usually necessary. We typically recommend:

  • Activity modification: Temporarily reducing or modifying high-impact or pain-provoking activities rather than stopping exercise completely
  • Pain guidance: Using the pain response as a guide - mild discomfort during activity that quickly subsides afterward may be acceptable, but sharp pain or increasing pain during activity suggests the need to modify
  • Alternative exercises: Switching to low-impact activities like swimming, water exercises, stationary cycling, or elliptical training which place less stress on the hip joint
  • Proper warm-up: Ensuring adequate preparation with gentle movement and specific stretches before more demanding activities
  • Graded return: Gradually reintroducing more challenging activities as your condition improves

Beneficial exercises for many hip conditions include:

  • Gentle hip mobility exercises within a pain-free range
  • Core strengthening to support the pelvis and hip
  • Controlled strengthening of the hip muscles, particularly the gluteals
  • Balance exercises to improve proprioception and joint control

Our specialists can provide a personalized exercise program that takes into account your specific hip condition, overall fitness level, and activity goals. This ensures you maintain fitness and function while promoting healing of the affected structures.

Not all hip pain requires imaging tests for effective treatment. The decision to recommend imaging depends on several factors:

  • Clinical presentation: Your symptoms, their duration, and progression help determine if imaging is necessary
  • Physical examination findings: Certain test results during your clinical assessment might suggest the need for imaging
  • Response to initial treatment: If conservative treatment doesn't produce expected improvement, imaging may be recommended
  • Age and risk factors: Certain demographics or risk factors may make some conditions more likely, influencing imaging decisions
  • Suspected diagnosis: Some conditions require imaging confirmation for proper management

Common imaging methods for hip pain include:

  • X-rays: Often the first imaging test, useful for assessing bone structure, arthritis, and alignment
  • Ultrasound: Excellent for evaluating soft tissues like tendons, bursae, and detecting fluid collections
  • MRI: Provides detailed images of soft tissues, cartilage, and bone marrow, useful for detecting labral tears, early arthritis, stress fractures, and avascular necrosis
  • CT scan: Offers detailed bone imaging, sometimes used for complex cases or pre-surgical planning

It's important to understand that imaging findings don't always correlate with symptoms. Many people with abnormalities on imaging have no pain, while others with significant pain may have normal imaging results. This is why we take a comprehensive approach, considering your clinical presentation alongside any imaging results.

Our specialists will recommend appropriate imaging only when it's likely to change your management plan or provide important information for your care. We work with your primary care physician or can refer you for necessary imaging when indicated.

Recovery timeframes for hip bursitis (also called trochanteric bursitis or more broadly, greater trochanteric pain syndrome) vary considerably depending on several factors:

  • Duration of symptoms: Recent onset cases generally respond faster to treatment than chronic conditions that have been present for months or years
  • Underlying causes: Whether biomechanical issues, muscle imbalances, or activity factors contributing to the condition can be effectively addressed
  • Individual factors: Age, weight, activity level, and adherence to treatment recommendations
  • Associated conditions: Presence of other conditions like low back pain, hip osteoarthritis, or leg length discrepancies can affect recovery

As a general guideline:

  • Acute cases: Often show significant improvement within 2-6 weeks with appropriate interventions including activity modification, targeted exercises, and possibly physical therapy modalities
  • Subacute cases: May require 6-12 weeks of consistent treatment for substantial relief
  • Chronic cases: Can take 3-6 months or longer to see significant improvement, especially if there are longstanding muscle imbalances or biomechanical issues to address

Improvement is typically gradual rather than sudden. Most patients notice pain beginning to decrease with certain activities first, followed by improvement with more challenging movements. Night pain when lying on the affected side is often one of the last symptoms to fully resolve.

Our approach focuses not just on relieving inflammation but on addressing the underlying movement patterns, muscle imbalances, and loading factors that contributed to the development of bursitis. This comprehensive approach takes more time but leads to better long-term outcomes and reduced risk of recurrence.

After your assessment, we can provide a more personalized estimate based on your specific condition and contributing factors.

Hip osteoarthritis and hip impingement (femoroacetabular impingement or FAI) are distinct conditions that affect the hip joint in different ways, though they can sometimes coexist:

Hip Osteoarthritis:

  • Nature of the condition: A degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive breakdown of articular cartilage within the hip joint
  • Typical age group: More common in older adults (usually over 50), though it can occur earlier, especially after injury or in those with other risk factors
  • Symptoms: Usually develops gradually with deep, aching pain in the groin, buttock, or thigh; stiffness especially after inactivity; reduced range of motion; pain that typically worsens as the day progresses or with activity
  • Pain pattern: Often worse after prolonged activity and improves with rest; morning stiffness that improves within 30 minutes of moving around
  • Movement limitations: Generally affects all directions of hip motion, with internal rotation often most limited

Hip Impingement (FAI):

  • Nature of the condition: A structural problem where the femoral head (ball) and acetabulum (socket) rub abnormally, causing damage to the labrum and cartilage
  • Types: Cam impingement (excess bone on femoral head/neck), Pincer impingement (overcoverage of the socket), or Mixed (combination of both)
  • Typical age group: More common in younger, active adults (teens to 40s)
  • Symptoms: Sharp, catching pain with specific movements; discomfort sitting for long periods; pain with deep flexion or rotation of the hip
  • Pain pattern: Often position-dependent and activity-specific rather than constant; may feel like a catching or pinching sensation
  • Movement limitations: Typically painful at end ranges, especially with flexion combined with internal rotation

Key differences:

  • Hip impingement often causes more specific, positional pain while osteoarthritis tends to cause more generalized, activity-related aching
  • Hip impingement is often present in younger, athletic individuals while osteoarthritis is more common in older adults
  • Hip impingement may eventually lead to osteoarthritis if left untreated, as the abnormal contact can damage joint surfaces over time
  • Treatment approaches differ, with FAI often focusing on movement modification and sometimes surgical correction of structural abnormalities, while osteoarthritis management centers on managing symptoms and slowing progression

Both conditions benefit from physical therapy, but with different focuses. Our specialists can determine which condition is causing your symptoms and develop an appropriate management plan. Accurate diagnosis is essential, as the treatment approaches and prognosis differ significantly between these conditions.

Have other questions about hip pain treatment? Contact our team for personalized answers.

Don't Let Hip Pain Limit Your Mobility

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