Tight Or Sore Hips - What Causes Them And How To Fix It

Let’s go through the 3 most common areas people experience pain or tightness in their hips. Whilst the majority of people will just experience tightness, some experience pain. Those with pain need to be able to identify the signs and symptoms of a more serious hip issue that would require immediate attention from a physio. When in doubt, book in to see your physio anyway!

PAIN AT THE FRONT OF THE HIP- WHAT IS CAUSING IT?

• tight hip flexors

• hip flexor tendinopathy

• an undiagnosed hip joint issue - e.g. labral tear, femoral acetabular impingement (FAI)

• non-structural impingement

PAIN AT THE SIDE OF THE HIP- WHAT IS CAUSING IT?

• tight gluteus medius/minimus or tensor fascia latae muscle

• gluteal tendinopathy

• undiagnosed hip joint issue

PAIN IN THE GROIN -WHAT IS CAUSING IT?

• tight adductor muscles

• adductor tendinopathy

• undiagnosed hip joint issue

• non-structural impingement

• hernia

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

General

Hip Joint Injury

• pain more than tightness

• can be difficult to locate the pain - feels deep

• Usually there has been an incident that triggered the pain.

• a loss of movement in the hip

• pinchy/sharp pain in certain positions and can ache persistently

• gets worse with activity

• pain will most commonly be in the groin or at the front of the hip. Can be side though.

• difficulty sleeping on the sore hip

Non-structural Impingement

• pinchy/sharp pain or tightness in certain positions

• Usually no pain if not in an aggravating position

• Sleeping on it is fine

• Can warm up with activity but may stay there without getting worse

• There was no incident that caused the pain. It is something that you have had for a while.

Front of Hip

Hip Flexor Tightness

• tightness over front of the hip

• can touch the areas of tightness and feel it

• sitting can be tight/sore

• activity can make it more tight or it can warm up and feel better

• common for people with lower back pain/tightness

Hip Flexor Tendinopathy

• pain in the hip flexor tendon presenting as pain over the front of the hip

• can be difficult to distinguish from a hip joint issue

• Develops in people who suddenly increase or already do a lot of physical activity

• lifting the leg up can be sore

• no incident, pain progressively built over time

• may warm up with activity and then feel much worse afterwards

Side of Hip

Tight glute/tensor fascia latae

• common in runners or people with lower back pain

• tightness on outside of the hip that feels good when released

• the tightness/pain can be located by pressing on it

• usually can continue with activity despite discomfort/tightness

Gluteal tendinopathy

• most common in middle age females

• tender across outside of hip

• pain at night, particularly when lying on that hip

• pain with weight bearing activities such as walking, running, stairs

• crossing legs or sitting for a long time is often sore

• pain can refer down the side of the leg

Groin

Tight dductor muscles

• tightness on inside of thigh extending down towards the knee

• uncomfortable with running but particularly with off-line movements (e.g. changing direction)

• usually can continue with activity even though it is uncomfortable

• common for people that play change of direction sports (e.g. soccer, football, basketball)

Adductor tendinopathy

• pain more than tightness, high in the groin

• can be difficult to distinguish from a hip joint issue

• Develops in people who suddenly increase or already do a lot of physical activity

• lifting the leg up can be sore

• no incident, pain progressively built over time

• may warm up with activity and then feel much worse afterwards

• hurts to squeeze something between knees

Hernia

• a bulge, pain and/or swelling in the groin region

• hurts to cough or sneeze

• can describe a feeling of heaviness in the groin region

• discomfort is there constantly and is worse when bending down to pick something up

• bowel movements or urination can be painful

DON’T FORGET

If you do a lot of impact-based activities (i.e. with running and jumping) and you have hip pain, one of the most important injuries to rule out is a stress fracture. Please refer to our blog on stress fractures for more information.

HOW TO FIX IT:

See a physio as soon as possible if your signs/symptoms match with any of the following

• hip joint issue

• adductor or gluteal tendinopathy

• stress fracture

Physios can also help with any of the following:

• muscle tightness

• non-structural impingement

See a doctor if:

• you suspect you could have a hernia.

• your hip pain doesn’t fit any of the other categories