Hip Pain Physiotherapy in Eastbourne
Hip pain can interfere with walking, climbing stairs, putting on socks or getting comfortable in bed. For others, it appears during running, football or gym training and keeps returning whenever activity increases.
DC Physiotherapy provides assessment and rehabilitation for hip and groin pain at our clinic at Foundry in The Beacon, central Eastbourne. Whether your symptoms are recent or longstanding, we’ll look at what is limiting you and discuss a practical route forward.
Hip Problems Physiotherapy Can Help With
Physiotherapy may be appropriate for:
Hip osteoarthritis and associated stiffness
Pain on the outside of the hip, including gluteal tendon problems
Groin strains and other muscle or tendon injuries
Hip or groin pain associated with sport and exercise
Reduced strength or mobility following injury or inactivity
Rehabilitation following hip replacement or other hip surgery
You may have been given a diagnosis such as hip bursitis, gluteal tendinopathy or greater trochanteric pain syndrome. These terms can describe overlapping problems around the outside of the hip. An assessment helps establish which movements and activities are difficult and what may help.
Understanding Where the Pain Is Coming From
Pain felt around the hip does not always come from the hip joint itself. Symptoms can arise from nearby muscles and tendons or be referred from the lower back. Hip joint pain may also be felt in the groin, thigh or sometimes the knee.
The location provides useful clues, but it cannot confirm a diagnosis on its own. We’ll ask about how symptoms started, your activity levels, sleep and any previous treatment before examining relevant movement, strength and function.
Depending on your goals, this might include walking, stairs, standing on one leg or movements used in your sport. We’ll explain our findings and advise if further investigation or medical review would be useful.
How Is Hip Pain Treated?
Your treatment will reflect the problem identified and what you need your hip to do. Exercises may focus on improving movement, strengthening the hip and surrounding muscles, and gradually increasing your tolerance to activity.
Hands-on treatment may sometimes be useful alongside advice and exercise. We’ll also discuss manageable changes to aggravating activities, rather than expecting you to stop everything you enjoy.
For outer-hip pain, this may include adjusting sleeping positions or reducing prolonged pressure on the painful side. For sporting hip or groin pain, rehabilitation may progress towards running, changing direction or heavier training as appropriate. We’ll review how you respond and adjust the programme as your capacity improves.
Can Physiotherapy Help With Hip Arthritis?
Yes. Tailored strengthening and general exercise are core treatments for osteoarthritis and can help improve symptoms and function. An arthritis diagnosis does not automatically mean that exercise should stop or that you need a hip replacement.
We can help you find a suitable starting point and build towards everyday activities such as longer walks or getting up from a chair. If symptoms continue to substantially affect your life despite appropriate treatment, a discussion with your GP or specialist about other options may be appropriate.
If you’ve already had a hip replacement, our post-operative rehabilitation can support your recovery in line with your surgical team’s guidance.
When Is Medical Assessment More Appropriate?
Go to A&E if you have severe hip pain after a fall or injury, or cannot walk or put weight through your leg. Seek urgent GP or NHS 111 advice for sudden severe hip pain without an injury, a hot or swollen hip, or hip pain with fever or feeling unwell.
For other hip symptoms affecting your usual activities, you can book a physiotherapy assessment without knowing the diagnosis first.
Hip pain getting in the way of walking, sleep or sport?