Is unexplained pain in your hip slowing you down in your everyday life? It can be frustrating to wake up one day and suddenly feel pain in your hip for no reason. However, there are a number of things that may cause you hip pain aside from an obvious injury. Internal strains, sprains, inflammation-based diseases and arthritis are common culprits for unexplained sudden hip pain.

While around 10% of the general population experiences hip pain, it can still be limiting and painful to live with. Don’t let sudden hip pain without an obvious injury stop you from living an active life. Let’s explore some common causes of sudden hip pain, a few exercises you can use to relieve that pain at home and how to know when it’s time to see a doctor.

Common causes of sudden hip pain without injury

If you don’t participate in highly active sports, you may not think you’re at risk for a hip injury; however, you can still experience hip pain without a fall or obvious injury. Here are a few common causes that could be the key to your sudden hip pain:

• Bursitis — Between the tendons and bones near your joints, there are small sacs of fluid called bursae. These sacs are there to prevent your tendons from rubbing up against your joints and causing inflammation. However, if these bursae become inflamed, this is called bursitis, which is a painful condition that can be caused by overexertion or strain from prolonged sitting. If you have hip bursitis, you may experience pain at the point of your hip that extends to the outside of the thigh. It’s typically worse at night or when lying on the affected hip.
• Tendinitis — Tendons are thick cords that connect your muscles to your bones, and if those tendons around the hip joint get inflamed, it can cause tendinitis of the hip. This condition can be caused by overexertion during physical activity, though you may not realize it at the time. If you have hip tendinitis, you may experience a tender, burning pain in and around your hips when you try to use your legs.
• Strained muscles — There are muscles in the hips and groin area that support your trunk, and when those muscles are stretched too far, they can strain or tear. This strain may be caused by overexerting your hips through exercise or sometimes even daily physical activity. If you have strained muscles in your hip or groin area, it will be painful to try to move your hips.
• Arthritis — Cartilage inside of your hip joint helps the ball and socket of that joint move smoothly and without pain. Hip arthritis occurs when the cartilage of the hip joint begins to deteriorate. Several types of arthritis can affect the hip joint, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and post-traumatic arthritis. Arthritis can be caused by many things, but the most common is general wear and tear on your body as you age. If you have hip arthritis, you may experience pain in or near the hip joint, clicking sounds when moving your hip, and stiffness and weakness in your hip.
• Other injuries — If you’ve injured another part of your body, such as your foot or ankle, your body will try to compensate by relying more on the muscles around the injury. This can result in extra strain on your hip as your body adjusts, and over time, that strain can cause pain from overusing that part of your body.

There isn’t always a clear cause for sudden hip pain without an obvious injury, but if you’ve developed unexpected pain in your hip, it may have been caused by one of these things. Your doctor should be able to provide a formal diagnosis.

How to relieve hip pain at home

If your hip pain is relatively minor and has no direct cause, you may be able to treat it with some at-home stretching exercises. Here are a few simple things you can do to try to relieve some of your discomfort:

• Hip switch — This exercise can help loosen tight muscles and increase mobility in the internal and external rotation of your hip. 
• Begin by sitting on the ground with your right thigh straight out in front of you and your right foot pointed toward the left side of your body. Your leg will make an L shape on the ground. Stretch your left leg to the side with your left foot pointed behind you. Both knees should be at a 90-degree angle. 
• Lean forward over your front leg until you feel a gentle stretch in your glutes, and hold for several seconds. Pivot to the left, keeping your heels on the ground so your left leg is now in front of you. Repeat the stretch. You can do about 10 to 15 reps in total.
• Hip flexor stretch — This exercise can stretch and loosen your hip flexor muscles, which may get tight when you sit for too long.
• Begin by kneeling on one knee. Make sure your hip, knee and ankle are in line with each other. Gently squeeze your abs and glutes to tuck your pelvis in, and slowly lean forward onto your front leg. You should feel a slight stretch in the front portion of your hip and upper thigh. 
• Take your hand opposite to the leg in front of you and bring that hand to your front knee to bend your body away from your front leg. Hold this position for about 30 seconds, and then switch legs. You can do up to three reps.
• Single-leg squat — This exercise can help strengthen the muscles around your hip such as your gluteus medius and minimus, which can help with hip pain and overall stability.
• Begin by balancing on one leg with the opposite leg held up in front of your body. If you struggle with stability, you can hold on to a table or counter while doing this exercise. 
• Squat your hips down and back as though you’re about to sit in a chair. Make sure your knee stays in line with your body, and don’t cave in as you push back up to a straight standing position. Take your time with this move. Aim for a three-second descent and two-second return to standing position. You can do up to three sets of eight to 12 reps.

Strength and stretching exercises can be a great way to relieve minor hip pain. However, though these exercises may result in temporary discomfort or soreness, they should never cause or aggravate pain. If one of these exercises causes you pain, stop doing it immediately or try doing it at a gentler pace.

When to see a medical professional about your hip pain

How do you know when your hip pain has progressed beyond the help of at-home remedies? There are a few key things to look for. You should see your doctor or physical therapist away if you have hip pain that:

• Was caused by a fall, injury or other accident.
• Is getting worse.
• Makes you struggle with daily activities such as walking, going up stairs or leaning forward when sitting.
• Makes you feel feverish or unwell or has caused you to lose weight.

If you think your hip pain is serious, don’t wait to seek treatment. The sooner you get a diagnosis and treatment for your pain, the sooner you can get back to feeling more like yourself. 

Hip pain doesn’t have to limit you from doing the activities you want. Our physical therapists at Lattimore PT are trained in a number of physical therapy treatment methods that can help you get back to the life you deserve. If you’re ready to take control of your hip pain, contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.