Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHip Pain CausesRisk FactorsPain Relief After WalkingWhen It May Be SeriousTreatmentDoes Walking Worsen Pain?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Hip Pain Causes
Risk Factors
Pain Relief After Walking
When It May Be Serious
Treatment
Does Walking Worsen Pain?
Hip pain when walking has various causes that affect the bones, joints, tendons, or hip joint muscles. Diagnosis and treatment depend on what part of your hip hurts and your medical history. Hip pain can affect the entire hip or just the inner or outer part. It may affect one or both hips.
It may start subtly with stiffness and discomfort and worsen over time, or it can be sudden and painful. Since you cannot avoid walking or movement, it is crucial to determine the cause of hip pain and how to treat it best.
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Hip Pain Causes When Walking
According to a 2015 study, hip pain when walking is a common problem related to a variety of causes, including the following.
1. Arthritis
Different types of arthritis, includingrheumatoid arthritis(RA),osteoarthritis(OA), andtraumatic arthritis, can lead to the deterioration of thecartilageof the hip joints.The cartilage in the hip acts as a cushion betweenthe ball and socketjoints, allowing the ball to glide and rotate smoothly with movement.
When the cartilage is damaged, movement can become difficult and may be painful. The thinning of the cartilage alsonarrows the spacebetween the bones. In advanced cases, bone will rub on bone, causing pain and stiffness, especially with movement.
Friction between bones may also lead tobone spurs—bone growth at the edge of bones.
2. Joint Fluid Buildup
Inflammatory arthritistypes like RA can lead to fluid buildup in the joints.Fluid buildupcan occur anywhere in the body, including in the hip joints. It can cause joint pain, swelling, and pain when walking or performing other movements.
3. Bursitis
Trochanteric bursitisis a type of bursitis that causes painful swelling near the hip joint.Bursitis is swelling in a small, fluid-filled sac called abursa. Bursae (plural of bursa) cushion bones and other tissues.
Trochanteric bursitis affects the pointed upper, outside edge of thefemur(the thigh bone), called the greater trochanter. It happens when the bursa covering the greater trochanter becomes damaged or inflamed. It can cause pain and difficulty with walking.
4. Tendonitis
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5. Fractures
Ahip fractureis a break in the top of the femur.It is treated with surgery. A hip fracture may cause significant pain in the hip or groin, and some people with hip fractures might not be able to walk.
Others can walk but have vague pain in the hip, buttock, thigh, groin, or back. Hip fractures are more common in older adults and often occur after a fall or other trauma. They are also common in people withosteoporosis(a bone-weakening disease).
6. Dislocation
A hip dislocation occurs when the end of the hip bone moves (or is moved) out of the hip socket.It is a medical emergency that can cause severe and disabling pain. It may also affect the ability to walk and cause pain with walking.
7. Infection or Inflammation
Infections and inflammatory conditions of the hip joint can cause severe pain with walking. This includesosteomyelitis,toxic synovitis, andsacroiliitis.
Toxic synovitis is an inflammatory condition of the hip joints that primarily affects children. It causes pain across the hip area that worsens when bearing weight.
Sacroiliitis is inflammation of the area where thesacral spinemeets the pelvis, which causes pain that worsens with walking and standing.
8. Labral Tear
Ahip labral tearinvolves the labrum, the ring of cartilage that lines the outside rim of the hip joint socket.The labrum cushions the hip and acts like a seal to hold the ball at the top of the femur (thigh bone) within the hip socket.
9. A Tendon or Muscle Strain
Repetitive motions, usually from exercise, can strain the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the hips.A hip strain can lead to pain and walking troubles.
10. Avascular Necrosis
Avascular necrosis occurs when there is blood loss to the hip, and parts of the bone start to die off.Causes include trauma,corticosteroid use, orradiation treatment.
11. Referred Pain From a Back or Spine Problem
Sometimes, hip pain with walking isn’t directly related to a hip problem but rather a problem of the lower back.Sciaticaorlumbar spinal stenosiscan cause pain that radiates into the hip or leg and affects your walking.
Sciatica is pain that travels along the path of thesciatic nerve—the nerve that starts in the lower back and runs down each leg.It causes inflammation, pain, and numbness along the affected leg.
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses thespinal cordornerve roots.Depending on the area of the compression, it causes pain and numbness in the hands, arms, hips, buttocks, legs, and/or feet.
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12. Knee Pain
Knee pain, whether related to arthritis or an injury, can put extra pressure on the hip, triggering hip pain when walking.
13. Walking on a Treadmill
Some people experience hip pain while walking on a treadmill because it can disrupt natural waking patterns and cause inflammation and dysfunction.
Hip pain while on a treadmill can also be the result of overuse and repetitive stress from frequent use, inadequate footwear, or a preexisting condition.
14. Gynecologic Issues
Gynecologic conditions such asdysmenorrhea(painful menstruation),endometriosis, andadenomyosiscan also cause hip pain with walking.
Severe abdominal cramping from menstruation can cause pain that radiates to the back, hips, and legs.
Endometriosis, a condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows into other tissues, can affect the nerves in the pelvis and lead to hip pain.
Adenomyosisis when the endometrial lining spreads into the muscular layer of the uterus. It causes an enlarged uterus, heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods, and hip and pelvic pain.
What Causes Hip Pain?
The prevalence of hip pain in the general population is 10%, and your risk of hip pain increases with age.
Additional risk factors for hip pain include:
Is My Hip Pain From the Joint or Muscle?
Hip pain can be felt in several areas, including the thigh, inside the hip joint, down the legs, in the entire pelvis, and in the buttocks, making it harder to determine what is causing the pain when walking.
It may be a hip issue, or it may not be related to the hip. Hip pain when walking can be a problem with the hip joint or with hip muscles.
The affected joint will typically swell if hip pain is related to a joint problem. The joint will hurt not just while walking but also when resting. Joint pain related to a hip issue can be dull, achy, and throbbing.Pain will mainly be felt at the front of the hip, but it can radiate into the groin and down into the buttocks and the knee on the affected side.
Muscle spasmsaccompany muscle pain, which subsides with rest. Conditions that affect the tendons can cause pain in the muscles and tendons of the front, side, and back of the hip.You may experience burning pain on the side of the hip and the inside. Pain might also be felt near the groin.
Check Your Walking FormA good walking form may help when you’ve had hip pain when walking. Consider the following:Wear shoes that fit right, are comfortable, supportive, cushioned, and in good shape.Start with good posture, shoulders relaxed and down, hips tucked under your torso, stomach pulled in tight, chin parallel to the ground, eyes forward.Roll through each step from striking with the heel, rolling through the mid foot, and pushing off with the toes.Use natural arm swing with elbows bent, forward and back near your side, not crossing your chest.
Check Your Walking Form
A good walking form may help when you’ve had hip pain when walking. Consider the following:Wear shoes that fit right, are comfortable, supportive, cushioned, and in good shape.Start with good posture, shoulders relaxed and down, hips tucked under your torso, stomach pulled in tight, chin parallel to the ground, eyes forward.Roll through each step from striking with the heel, rolling through the mid foot, and pushing off with the toes.Use natural arm swing with elbows bent, forward and back near your side, not crossing your chest.
A good walking form may help when you’ve had hip pain when walking. Consider the following:
How to Relieve Mild Hip Pain After Walking
If your hip pain with walking is mild, you can do things to manage the pain and reduce strain on the hips:
Easy Stretches for Hip Pain
If your hip pain lasts more than a few days, contact a healthcare provider. They can run tests to determine the cause of symptoms and treat your condition.
You should see a healthcare provider immediately for hip pain with the following characteristics:
These might be signs of an infectious condition, such as osteomyelitis. Left untreated, osteomyelitis may cause abscesses (pockets of pus), osteonecrosis (bone death), and (in children) slowed bone growth.
Treating Moderate to Severe Hip Pain
Treatment for hip pain will depend on the cause. Some causes, like a minor sprain or a pinched nerve, may improve over time and might not need treatment.
Other causes can be treated withphysical therapyto strengthen the hip joints, back, and abdomen, which can lead to less pain when walking and running.
Additionaltreatment options for hip paininclude:
An Overview of Hip Replacement Surgery
Discuss your treatment options with a healthcare provider. They can assess you to determine the cause of symptoms and create a treatment plan to manage moderate to severe hip pain.
Does Walking Make Hip Pain Worse?
Walking can be helpful for managing pain. However, it is vital to listen to your body and adjust your walking and activities in a way that manages and reduces pain.
If you have hip pain while out walking, consider the following:
Your individual experience with hip pain while walking may vary. Contact a healthcare provider for advice on how much rest and activity can help manage hip pain.
Summary
Hip pain while walking is a common complaint. Many causes of hip pain exist, including arthritis, trauma, overuse, infection, inflammation, or a back or spine problem. Some of these issues are serious and chronic, while others are short-term and can improve over time.
Hip pain can usually be treated and managed, and mild pain while walking can be managed with things like using a cane or wearing supportive shoes. In some cases, you may need long-term care, like physical therapy. Surgery is typically a last-resort option and is used in cases of fracture or joint damage.
Contact a healthcare provider if you experience severe pain while walking, are unable to bear weight, or are experiencing signs of infection, such as fever or chills.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Chye CL, Liang CL, Lu K, Chen YW, Liliang PC.Pulsed radiofrequency treatment of articular branches of femoral and obturator nerves for chronic hip pain.Clin Interv Aging. 2015;10:569-574. doi:10.2147/CIA.S79961Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hip arthritis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hip problems.UPMC.Trochanteric bursitis.Chamberlain R.Hip pain in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(2):81-89.Hospital for Special Surgery.Hip dislocation.Dudareva M, Ferguson J, Riley N, et al.Osteomyelitis of the pelvic bones: a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.J Bone Jt Infect. 2017;2(4):184-193. doi:10.7150/jbji.21692Ryan DD.Differentiating transient synovitis of the hip from more urgent conditions.Pediatr Ann. 2016;45(6):e209-e213. doi:10.3928/00904481-20160427-01Lee A, Gupta M, Boyinepally K, Stokey PJ, Ebraheim NA.Sacroiliitis: a review on anatomy, diagnosis, and treatment.Adv Orthop. 2022;2022:3283296. doi:10.1155/2022/3283296Hospital for Special Surgery.What to know about hip pain when walking.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sciatica.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Spinal stenosis.Ro DH, Lee J, Lee J, Park JY, Han HS, Lee MC.Effects of knee osteoarthritis on hip and ankle gait mechanics.Adv Orthop. 2019;2019:9757369. doi:10.1155/2019/9757369Senior Fitness.Understanding hip pain after treadmill walking: Causes and solutions.Yacubovich Y, Cohen N, Tene L, Kalichman L.The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea among students and its association with musculoskeletal and myofascial pain.J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2019;23(4):785-791.doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2019.05.006Vilasagar S, Bougie O, Singh SS.A practical guide to the clinical evaluation of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain.J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2020;27(2):270-279. doi:10.1016/j.jmig.2019.10.012Schrager S, Yogendran L, Marquez CM, Sadowski EA.Adenomyosis: diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2022;105(1):33-38.Ahuja V, Thapa D, Patial S, Chander A, Ahuja A.Chronic hip pain in adults: current knowledge and future prospective.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2020;36(4):450-457. doi:10.4103/joacp.JOACP_170_19NHS Inform.Exercises for hip problems.National Insitute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Health effects of overweight and obesity.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.How to use crutches, canes, and walkers.Piedmont.When to treat pain with ice vs heat.Penn Medicine.Hip pain—symptoms and causes.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Chye CL, Liang CL, Lu K, Chen YW, Liliang PC.Pulsed radiofrequency treatment of articular branches of femoral and obturator nerves for chronic hip pain.Clin Interv Aging. 2015;10:569-574. doi:10.2147/CIA.S79961Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hip arthritis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hip problems.UPMC.Trochanteric bursitis.Chamberlain R.Hip pain in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(2):81-89.Hospital for Special Surgery.Hip dislocation.Dudareva M, Ferguson J, Riley N, et al.Osteomyelitis of the pelvic bones: a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.J Bone Jt Infect. 2017;2(4):184-193. doi:10.7150/jbji.21692Ryan DD.Differentiating transient synovitis of the hip from more urgent conditions.Pediatr Ann. 2016;45(6):e209-e213. doi:10.3928/00904481-20160427-01Lee A, Gupta M, Boyinepally K, Stokey PJ, Ebraheim NA.Sacroiliitis: a review on anatomy, diagnosis, and treatment.Adv Orthop. 2022;2022:3283296. doi:10.1155/2022/3283296Hospital for Special Surgery.What to know about hip pain when walking.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sciatica.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Spinal stenosis.Ro DH, Lee J, Lee J, Park JY, Han HS, Lee MC.Effects of knee osteoarthritis on hip and ankle gait mechanics.Adv Orthop. 2019;2019:9757369. doi:10.1155/2019/9757369Senior Fitness.Understanding hip pain after treadmill walking: Causes and solutions.Yacubovich Y, Cohen N, Tene L, Kalichman L.The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea among students and its association with musculoskeletal and myofascial pain.J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2019;23(4):785-791.doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2019.05.006Vilasagar S, Bougie O, Singh SS.A practical guide to the clinical evaluation of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain.J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2020;27(2):270-279. doi:10.1016/j.jmig.2019.10.012Schrager S, Yogendran L, Marquez CM, Sadowski EA.Adenomyosis: diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2022;105(1):33-38.Ahuja V, Thapa D, Patial S, Chander A, Ahuja A.Chronic hip pain in adults: current knowledge and future prospective.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2020;36(4):450-457. doi:10.4103/joacp.JOACP_170_19NHS Inform.Exercises for hip problems.National Insitute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Health effects of overweight and obesity.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.How to use crutches, canes, and walkers.Piedmont.When to treat pain with ice vs heat.Penn Medicine.Hip pain—symptoms and causes.
Chye CL, Liang CL, Lu K, Chen YW, Liliang PC.Pulsed radiofrequency treatment of articular branches of femoral and obturator nerves for chronic hip pain.Clin Interv Aging. 2015;10:569-574. doi:10.2147/CIA.S79961
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hip arthritis.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hip problems.
UPMC.Trochanteric bursitis.
Chamberlain R.Hip pain in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(2):81-89.
Hospital for Special Surgery.Hip dislocation.
Dudareva M, Ferguson J, Riley N, et al.Osteomyelitis of the pelvic bones: a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.J Bone Jt Infect. 2017;2(4):184-193. doi:10.7150/jbji.21692
Ryan DD.Differentiating transient synovitis of the hip from more urgent conditions.Pediatr Ann. 2016;45(6):e209-e213. doi:10.3928/00904481-20160427-01
Lee A, Gupta M, Boyinepally K, Stokey PJ, Ebraheim NA.Sacroiliitis: a review on anatomy, diagnosis, and treatment.Adv Orthop. 2022;2022:3283296. doi:10.1155/2022/3283296
Hospital for Special Surgery.What to know about hip pain when walking.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Sciatica.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Spinal stenosis.
Ro DH, Lee J, Lee J, Park JY, Han HS, Lee MC.Effects of knee osteoarthritis on hip and ankle gait mechanics.Adv Orthop. 2019;2019:9757369. doi:10.1155/2019/9757369
Senior Fitness.Understanding hip pain after treadmill walking: Causes and solutions.
Yacubovich Y, Cohen N, Tene L, Kalichman L.The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea among students and its association with musculoskeletal and myofascial pain.J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2019;23(4):785-791.doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2019.05.006
Vilasagar S, Bougie O, Singh SS.A practical guide to the clinical evaluation of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain.J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2020;27(2):270-279. doi:10.1016/j.jmig.2019.10.012
Schrager S, Yogendran L, Marquez CM, Sadowski EA.Adenomyosis: diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2022;105(1):33-38.
Ahuja V, Thapa D, Patial S, Chander A, Ahuja A.Chronic hip pain in adults: current knowledge and future prospective.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2020;36(4):450-457. doi:10.4103/joacp.JOACP_170_19
NHS Inform.Exercises for hip problems.
National Insitute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Health effects of overweight and obesity.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.How to use crutches, canes, and walkers.
Piedmont.When to treat pain with ice vs heat.
Penn Medicine.Hip pain—symptoms and causes.
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