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🦵 Lower limb

🦴Hip

The hip is a deep, stable ball-and-socket joint that bears several times body weight during walking and running, making it a common site of both overuse pain and degenerative change.

Also called: Hip Joint · Coxofemoral Joint

OverviewAnatomyConditionsAssessmentExercisesProgressionPrecautionsRecovery

Media credits

Illustration of the hip joint and surrounding muscles
Protohiro at English Wikipedia Later versions were uploaded by Daoui , Andrew pmk at en.wikipedia . · CC BY-SA 3.0

Quick facts

Ball-and-socket (deep socket)Joint type
Flexion, extension, abduction, rotationPrimary motions
Osteoarthritis, tendinopathy, muscle strainCommon cause
8–12 weeks for tendinopathyTypical recovery
Gluteus medius, iliopsoas, hamstringsKey muscles
Inability to bear weight after traumaRed-flag signs

The hip is a deep ball-and-socket joint where the femoral head sits within the pelvis's cup-shaped socket, giving it far greater inherent bony stability than the shoulder while still allowing a substantial range of motion for walking, running, and squatting.

As a major weight-bearing joint, the hip is subject to forces several times body weight during activities such as running or climbing stairs, which contributes to its vulnerability to both overuse injuries in active individuals and degenerative osteoarthritis with advancing age.

Hip pain can also originate from surrounding soft tissue, including the gluteal tendons at the outer hip or the iliopsoas tendon at the front, rather than the joint itself, which is why a careful examination is often needed to localize the true source. This page reviews the hip's anatomy, common conditions, assessment approaches, and general exercise and recovery patterns.

The profile

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  • Pain frequency55
  • Recovery length60
  • Exercise load55
  • Clinician need65
  • Self-care fit45
  • Recurrence risk55

Clinician need

65 / 100

The hip is a deep, stable ball-and-socket joint that bears several times body weight during walking and running, making it a common site of both overuse pain and degenerative change.

Seven ways into this topic

01

Anatomy

How the hip's bones, muscles, and ligaments work together, and the typical range of motion for the joint.

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 02

Conditions

An overview of frequently diagnosed hip conditions, their relative severity, and how often each is seen in clinical practice.

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 03

Assessment

How clinicians examine the hip, including common orthopedic tests and warning signs that warrant urgent care.

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 04

Exercises

Commonly used hip exercises covering mobility, gluteal strengthening, and progressive functional loading.

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 05

Progression

A typical four-phase progression for hip rehabilitation, from symptom management to full functional loading.

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 06

Precautions

Common precautions and warning signs to be aware of while recovering from hip pain or injury.

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 07

Recovery

A general timeline for recovery from common hip conditions and the criteria clinicians use to judge readiness to return to full activity.

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Frequently asked questions

What causes hip pain in older adults?
Osteoarthritis is among the most common causes of hip pain after middle age, involving gradual breakdown of the joint's cartilage and associated changes in the surrounding bone and soft tissue.
What is greater trochanteric pain syndrome?
Greater trochanteric pain syndrome describes pain at the outer hip related to irritation of the gluteal tendons or the nearby bursa, often mistaken in the past for bursitis alone.
What is femoroacetabular impingement?
Femoroacetabular impingement describes abnormal contact between the femoral head and the hip socket during certain movements, related to subtle variations in bone shape, which can contribute to groin pain and reduced range of motion in some individuals.
Does hip osteoarthritis always require surgery?
Many cases of hip osteoarthritis are managed for years with exercise, weight management, and activity modification; joint replacement is typically considered when conservative measures no longer provide adequate relief.
Can weak glute muscles cause hip pain?
Reduced strength or endurance in the gluteal muscles is commonly associated with several hip and even knee conditions, since these muscles are central to controlling pelvis and leg alignment during walking and running.
What is a hip labral tear?
A hip labral tear is damage to the ring of cartilage that deepens the hip socket, which can occur from trauma, repetitive impingement, or gradual wear, and may contribute to pain, clicking, or a sense of instability.
Is running bad for hip joints?
Current evidence does not consistently show that recreational running increases the risk of hip osteoarthritis, and moderate running is generally considered compatible with joint health for most people.
How is groin pain in athletes typically categorized?
Groin pain in athletes is often categorized by the primarily affected structure — adductor muscles, iliopsoas, hip joint, or pubic symphysis — since each category responds to a somewhat different management approach.

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