Hip & Pelvis CareGonstead Method

Hip Pain Treatment

Hip pain can originate from the joint itself, the surrounding muscles, or the lumbar nerve roots above. Getting the diagnosis right is everything — treatment follows from that.

Understanding the Condition

What Is Hip Pain?

Hip pain is discomfort in the hip joint, groin, or surrounding soft tissues, which may originate from the joint itself or be referred from the lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint, or pelvic muscles. The hip is the body's load-bearing crossroads, connecting the lumbar spine through the pelvis to the lower limbs. Pain felt in the hip or groin region can originate from the glenohumeral joint itself (true hip pain), the lumbar spine via L2–L4 nerve root referral, the sacroiliac joint, the hip flexor and gluteal muscles, or the bursae overlying the greater trochanter. Correctly identifying the source requires a systematic assessment of lumbar alignment, pelvic symmetry, and hip joint mobility — the kind of structural evaluation that Gonstead chiropractic is built around. Many patients referred for hip pain find that pelvic and lumbar correction resolves symptoms that joint injections and physiotherapy did not.

Clinical Review

Medical note before you book

Reviewed by Bewell Chiropractic's Gonstead-trained clinical team.

Care is delivered by T&CM / ACM-registered chiropractors with rehabilitation support where appropriate.

This page is educational and not a diagnosis. Seek urgent medical care for severe weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, fever, or trauma.

Root Causes

What Causes Hip Pain?

Hip pain presentations span true joint pathology, referred lumbar nerve pain, and soft tissue overload — each requiring a different approach. Misidentifying the source is the most common reason treatment fails.

Hip Osteoarthritis

Cartilage breakdown in the femoroacetabular joint causes groin-deep aching, stiffness after rest, and progressive loss of internal rotation. Most common in adults over 50.

Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)

Bony CAM or Pincer morphology creates friction between the femoral head and acetabulum during hip flexion — a common cause of anterior groin pain in active younger adults.

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

The SI joint connects the sacrum to the ilium. Misalignment or inflammation here produces a dull, aching pain at the posterior hip and buttock that is frequently mistaken for hip joint or disc pathology.

Lumbar Nerve Root Referral

L2 and L3 nerve root compression refers pain into the anterior thigh and groin — indistinguishable from hip joint pain without a proper spinal assessment.

Trochanteric Bursitis

Inflammation of the bursa overlying the greater trochanter causes lateral hip pain that is tender to touch and worsens lying on the affected side — a common presentation in runners and postpartum women.

Hip Flexor & Gluteal Imbalance

Prolonged sitting shortens the hip flexors and inhibits the gluteal muscles, creating anterior pelvic tilt that compresses the posterior hip and drives both hip and lumbar pain.

Progression

How Hip Pain Develops

Hip pain often develops silently over years before becoming functionally limiting. At each stage, the underlying pelvic and spinal alignment plays a role in how fast the condition progresses.

Stage 1Mild

Stiffness & Occasional Aching

Hip stiffness on rising from a chair, aching after long walks, or soreness after sport. Full movement is available. Pelvic and lumbar correction at this stage frequently halts progression entirely.

Stage 2Moderate

Activity-Related Pain

Groin or lateral hip pain during walking, stairs, or getting in and out of a car. Antalgic gait begins to develop. The altered movement pattern begins loading the knee and lumbar spine secondarily.

Stage 3Severe

Persistent Pain & Gait Alteration

Pain at rest and significant limp. Sleep is disrupted by hip aching at night. The opposite side accumulates overload injury. Daily function — shopping, walking distances — becomes significantly restricted.

Stage 4Critical

Joint Failure

Bone-on-bone contact, severe deformity, and near-total functional loss. Total hip replacement is the standard of care at this stage. Post-surgical chiropractic care addresses the lumbar and pelvic compensation patterns that preceded the joint failure.

Many 'hip' problems are actually pelvis and lumbar spine problems in disguise.

A full pelvic and spinal assessment at Bewell can differentiate true hip joint pathology from referred lumbar pain or SI joint dysfunction — a distinction that completely changes the treatment plan.

Recognition

Do You Experience These Symptoms?

Hip pain that limits how far you walk, interrupts your sleep, or produces a limp deserves a full structural assessment — not just a referral for an X-ray of the joint alone.

Groin or deep hip aching

Pain felt deep in the groin or front of the hip — the hallmark location of true hip joint pathology

Stiffness after rest

Hip stiffness and pain on first rising from a chair or bed that eases after a few minutes of movement

Limited hip rotation

Difficulty crossing the legs, putting on socks, or rotating the hip inward — early arthritic signs

Lateral hip tenderness

Tenderness to pressure over the greater trochanter, worsened lying on that side — bursitis pattern

Altered gait or limping

Unconscious shift of weight away from the painful hip, leading to a visible limp or shortened stride

Real Results

“I was on the waiting list for a hip injection when a friend suggested Bewell. The chiropractor found my SI joint was the real problem, not my hip joint at all. Three weeks of adjustments and the 'hip' pain I'd had for eight months resolved completely. No injection needed.”

Mr. Lee C.K.

Patient, Sri Petaling

Ready to heal

Get Your Spine Assessed Today

Book a Gonstead consultation at any of our three Klang Valley branches. No waiting, no forms — just fast WhatsApp booking.

Sunway Geo Sri Petaling Kota Damansara

Available every day · Walk-ins welcome

Frequently Asked

Common questions

Hip joint pain is often felt in the groin or side of the hip, while lower back irritation may travel into the buttock or leg. A proper examination helps separate hip joint issues from spinal causes.

Pain may travel when nerves from the lower back or pelvis are irritated. It can also happen when muscles around the hip refer pain down the thigh.

Morning hip stiffness may come from joint restriction, inflammation, sleeping position, or pelvic imbalance. If it keeps happening, it is a sign the area should be assessed.

Yes, chiropractic care can help when hip pain is related to pelvic misalignment, lower back dysfunction, or poor joint mechanics. Gonstead care focuses on restoring proper function to the specific area involved.

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