Everything You Need to Know About Hip Arthritis
What is Hip Arthritis?
Hip arthritis is when the cartilage that cushions the hip joint wears down, causing the bones to rub against each other. This leads to pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced movement in the hip. It usually develops gradually over time, but can sometimes be triggered after injury or heavy joint loading.
An analogy…
Imagine your hip joint like a hinge with smooth padding. Over time, if that padding wears away, the metal parts grind together, causing damage and stiffness, that’s what happens in arthritis.
What are other names that hip arthritis can be called?
Hip Osteoarthritis, Osteoarthritis of the Hip, Arthritis of the Hip, Degeneration of the Hip
What causes hip arthritis?
The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint where the femoral head (ball) fits into the acetabulum (socket) of the pelvis. These surfaces are normally covered by smooth cartilage. In arthritis, the cartilage breaks down, the joint space narrows, and bone spurs (osteophytes) can form. This leads to painful friction, inflammation, and loss of normal joint movement.
What are the signs and symptoms of hip arthritis?
- Pain deep in the groin or hip, often worse after activity
- Stiffness, especially after sitting or waking up in the morning
- Reduced range of motion (difficulty bending, rotating, or putting on shoes)
- Aching or sharp pain that can radiate to the thigh or buttocks
- Grinding, clicking, or locking sensations in the hip
- Difficulty walking, standing, or climbing stairs
What tests are used to diagnose hip arthritis?
Palpation: Checking for tenderness around the hip joint
Range of motion tests: Assessing stiffness and pain during hip movement
FABER Test: Flexing, abducting, and externally rotating the hip to see if it reproduces groin pain
How long does hip arthritis take to heal?
Mild to moderate cases can improve in 6 to 12 weeks with proper management and exercise. Severe cases may need ongoing management for months or years.
How does hip arthritis happen?
- Aging
- Previous hip injuries
- Repetitive strain from heavy lifting or high-impact sports
- Genetic predisposition
- Hip joint abnormalities
What treatment can help hip arthritis?
- Manual therapy (joint mobilisation, soft tissue release, massage)
- Exercise programs to strengthen the glutes, core, and hips
- Stretching tight muscles around the hip
- Activity modification
- Use of walking aids (cane or stick)
What exercises or stretches can I do for hip arthritis?
- Glute strengthening
- Hip flexor and hamstring stretches
- Gentle range of motion exercises
- Core strengthening
- Balance and stability drills to protect the hip
- Low-impact aerobic exercises
What products can help with hip arthritis?
Resisted hip flexion (standing)
Stand up straight and hold onto a supportive surface.
Place a resistance band around the ankle on your affected leg.
Stand firmly on the other end of the resistance band.
Lift your leg up in front of you, bending your knee.
You should feel the effort at the front of the hip against the resistance band.
Slowly lower your leg back down.
Lateral hip rotation
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, your knees slightly bent and your hips back.
Lift one knee into the air and laterally rotate your hip.
Repeat the movement with your other leg.
Continue alternating the movement to complete the set.
Supine knee hugs
Lie on your back.
Draw one foot up and then the other.
Bring one knee in towards your chest and then the other, using your hands for assistance to curl yourself in to a ball.
Glute Bridges
Lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor.
Exhaling, lift your pelvis off the mat and move up into the Pelvic Curl position with your shoulders and arms pressing onto the mat.
This will be your starting position.
INHALE: raise one leg upwards, keeping your knee bent at 90 degrees, with the foot Plantar flexed (pointed).
EXHALE: lower your leg down and tap the floor with your toes.
INHALE: raise the same leg up, keeping a consistent angle at the knee.
EXHALE: lower your leg down, keeping your pelvis absolutely stable.
Continue on for the desired number of repetitions and repeat the movement with your other leg.
Keep your body stable as your leg hinges at the hip joint.
Maintain your pelvis at the same height throughout.
Squats
Squatting helps to strengthen the quadriceps muscle that is very important for many daily activities such as sitting down and standing up from a chair, walking, and climbing stairs.
Stand upright with a chair behind you, and your arms out in front of you for balance.
Bend your knees, pushing your hips back behind you and leaning your body forwards, as though you are about to sit on the chair.
Come as close as you can to the chair without actually sitting on it and make sure that you do not feel unbalanced.
Be careful to keep your legs away from the back of the chair, so they don’t press against it.
Stand back up, squeezing your buttock muscles to help with the movement.
Repeat the exercise, making sure you keep your back straight throughout.
