Choose care that fits the source of hip soreness

Try physical therapy for hip pain

Movement keeps muscles working around the hip, but the right load depends on the sore tissue. Joint stiffness and outer-tendon soreness often need different exercises.

Physical therapy for hip pain may build strength and make daily tasks easier. It doesn't rebuild worn cartilage, and average soreness relief can be modest.

A cane can take some force off the hip during a painful spell. Hold it on the side opposite the sore hip.

Pacing also matters, because the body handles steady work better than sudden jumps. Add walking, stairs, or yard work in amounts your hip tolerates.

Review medicines with your own doctor

Anti-inflammatory medicine can ease soreness for some people over a short period. Kidney, stomach, heart, and medicine-mixing risks may make it unsafe for others.

Check with your own doctor before adding a pill or supplement. Bring every medicine you take so the review is complete.

Heat may help stiffness before activity, and cold may soothe the hip afterward. Neither replaces a visit when the ache steadily worsens.

Sleep position can also change pressure on an outer-hip tendon. Try the other side with support between your knees if that feels better.

Discuss non-surgical choices after the exam

Regenerative treatments are non-surgical clinic choices that may include PRP. PRP is platelet-rich plasma, prepared by separating your blood and keeping the platelet-rich portion.

Concentrated PRP is another prepared form discussed by the licensed clinic staff. Research on hip soreness is mixed, so results aren't certain for every person.

Surgery may enter the discussion when rest soreness, lost sleep, and poor movement remain severe. An opinion about surgery gives you information without forcing a decision.

Write down what you want to regain and which care you've already tried. QC Kinetix offers hip surgery alternatives, including PRP and concentrated PRP, after licensed clinic staff examine you.

Sources

1. The 2019 ACR/Arthritis Foundation guideline makes STRONG recommendations for exercise, weight loss in people with overweight or obesity, self-efficacy and self-management programmes, tai chi, cane use and oral NSAIDs across hand, hip and knee OA - but its strong recommendations for topical NSAIDs and for intra-articular glucocorticoid injection are specific to the KNEE, not the hip.

   Kolasinski SL, et al. — 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee.. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 2020. DOI: 10.1002/art.41142.

2. OARSI 2019 designates arthritis education plus structured land-based exercise as CORE treatments for hip OA, and explicitly states that intra-articular corticosteroids, intra-articular hyaluronic acid and aquatic exercise - Level 1B/2 treatments for KNEE OA - were NOT recommended for individuals with hip or polyarticular OA. Oral and transdermal opioids are strongly not recommended (Level 5).

   Bannuru RR, et al. — OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis.. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2019.06.011.

3. The AAOS evidence-based clinical practice guideline on Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hip states verbatim: STRONG evidence supports intra-articular corticosteroids to improve function and reduce pain in the SHORT TERM; STRONG evidence does NOT support intra-articular hyaluronic acid, because it does not perform better than placebo for function, stiffness and pain; STRONG evidence supports physical therapy for mild to moderate symptoms; STRONG evidence supports NSAIDs for short-term pain and function; and MODERATE evidence does not support glucosamine sulfate.

   American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons — Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hip: Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline.. AAOS, 2017.

4. A 2025 systematic review restricted to medium/high-quality low-risk-of-bias RCTs found only four interventions with demonstrated efficacy in gluteal tendinopathy: exercise and education (moderate strength, medium short-term effect on pain SMD 0.95 and function SMD 0.91), corticosteroid injection (small short-term pain effect SMD 0.51), PRP (superior to corticosteroid for short-term function), and focused shockwave therapy (long-term pain superiority over corticosteroid). Exercise and education is the recommended core.

   Bremer T, et al. — The efficacy of gluteal tendinopathy treatments: A systematic review.. Clinical Rehabilitation, 2025. DOI: 10.1177/02692155251327298.

5. UK FASHIoN, a 348-patient pragmatic multicentre RCT, found hip arthroscopy improved hip-related quality of life more than a personalised physiotherapist-led programme at 12 months (adjusted mean iHOT-33 difference 6.8, 95% CI 1.7-12.0; p=0.0093), just exceeding the 6.1-point minimum clinically important difference. Both groups improved substantially, and five of six serious adverse events in the surgical arm were treatment-related.

   Griffin DR, et al. — Hip arthroscopy versus best conservative care for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (UK FASHIoN): a multicentre randomised controlled trial.. The Lancet, 2018. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31202-9.