Jump to content

  • Set Your Location
  • Sign in or Enroll
Set Your LocationSet Your Location
  • Find a Doctor
  • Find a Location
  • Donate Now
  • Patient Login
    • Sign In to My Health Online
    • Enroll in My Health Online
    • Learn About My Health Online
    • Open Choose a medical group or hospital
    • Clear my location
Change Location
Sutter Health
  • BOOK APPOINTMENT
  • Book Appointment
  • Profile
Book Appointment
Walk-In Care

In-person care for minor illnesses.

Urgent Care

In-person care for moderate illnesses and injuries.

Video Visits

Virtual care with a Walk-In Care clinician.

Primary Care

Ongoing care and wellness for everyone.

COVID-19

Resources for vaccination and boosters.

Patient Login
  • Sign In to My Health Online
  • Enroll in My Health Online
  • Learn About My Health Online
  • Patients and Visitors

    Patients and Visitors

    Get personalized, coordinated care across Northern California through the Sutter network.

    View Patient Resources
    My Health Online

    Make appointments, message your doctor and more through our patient portal.

    Enroll Now
    • Find a DoctorFind a Doctor
    • Find a LocationFind a Location
    • View All ServicesView All Services
    • Request RecordsRequest Records
    • Pay a BillPay a Bill
    • Check SymptomsCheck Symptoms
    Patient Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Patient and Visitor Information
    • My Health Online Patient Portal
    • Classes and Events
    • Doctor Referrals
    • Health and Wellness
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
    Billing and Insurance
    • Pay a Bill
    • Accepted Health Plans
    • Cost Estimates/Charges
    • Medicare Advantage
    • Sutter Health Plus
  • Treatments and Services

    Treatments and Services

    Access award-winning, comprehensive primary and specialty care for your whole family.

    View All Services
    Schedule a Visit

    Convenient care options for your everyday health needs.

    Book Appointment
    Get Care
    • Primary CarePrimary Care
    • Video VisitsVideo Visits
    • Walk-In CareWalk-In Care
    • Urgent CareUrgent Care
    • Emergency CareEmergency Care
    Featured Services
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy and Childbirth
    • Imaging
    • Pediatrics
    • Orthopedics
    • Cancer
    • Heart and Vascular
     
    • Dermatology
    • Physical Therapy
    • Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT)
    • Labs
    • Urology
    • Neuroscience
    • Women's Health (OB/GYN)
    • View All Services
  • Research and Education

    Research and Education

    Our contributions to medical research and education lead to better healthcare outcomes.

    Research at Sutter
    Graduate Medical Education

    Join our robust training programs led by nationally known healthcare leaders.

    Explore Opportunities
    Research
    • Clinical TrialsClinical Trials
    • Research StudiesResearch Studies
    • PublicationsPublications
    • InvestigatorsInvestigators
    Education
    • Residencies and Fellowships
    • Continuing Medical Education
  • About Sutter

    About Us

    Explore the ways we provide innovative, compassionate care through our network.

    Learn About Sutter Health
    Work at Sutter Health

    Shape the future of healthcare and build your career within our diverse teams.

    Find Jobs
    About Sutter Health
    • About Us
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Awards and Honors
    • Leadership
    • Annual Report
    • News and Media
    • Patient Stories
    • Business Programs
    Community
    • Giving
    • Volunteer With Us
    • Community Benefit
    Careers
    • Jobs at Sutter
    • Physician Opportunities
    • Residencies and Fellowships
  • BOOK APPOINTMENTBook Appointment
Logo
  • Patients and Visitors
  • Treatments and Services
  • Research and Education
  • About Sutter
Find a DoctorFind a DoctorFind a LocationFind a LocationContact UsContact UsDonate NowDonate Now
BOOK APPOINTMENT
  • My Health Online Patient LoginMy Health Online Patient Login
  • Set My LocationSet My Location
Logo
  • Find a DoctorFind a Doctor
  • Find a LocationFind a Location
  • View All ServicesView All Services
  • Request RecordsRequest Records
  • Pay a BillPay a Bill
  • Check SymptomsCheck Symptoms
Patient Resources
  • Contact Us
  • Patient and Visitor Information
  • My Health Online Patient Portal
  • Classes and Events
  • Doctor Referrals
  • Health and Wellness
  • COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
Billing and Insurance
  • Pay a Bill
  • Accepted Health Plans
  • Cost Estimates/Charges
  • Medicare Advantage
  • Sutter Health Plus

Patients and Visitors

Get personalized, coordinated care across Northern California through the Sutter network.

View Patient Resources
My Health Online

Make appointments, message your doctor and more through our patient portal.

Enroll Now
Patient
My Health Online

Make appointments, message your doctor and more through our patient portal.

Enroll Now
Logo
Get Care
  • Primary CarePrimary Care
  • Video VisitsVideo Visits
  • Walk-In CareWalk-In Care
  • Urgent CareUrgent Care
  • Emergency CareEmergency Care
Featured Services
  • Mental Health
  • Pregnancy and Childbirth
  • Imaging
  • Pediatrics
  • Orthopedics
  • Cancer
  • Heart and Vascular
  • Dermatology
  • Physical Therapy
  • Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT)
  • Labs
  • Urology
  • Neuroscience
  • Women's Health (OB/GYN)

Treatments and Services

Access award-winning, comprehensive primary and specialty care for your whole family.

View All Services
Schedule a Visit

Convenient care options for your everyday health needs.

Book Appointment
Logo
Research
  • Clinical TrialClinical Trials
  • Research StudiesResearch Studies
  • PublicationsPublications
  • InvestigatorsInvestigators
Education
  • Residencies and Fellowships
  • Continuing Medical Education

Research and Education

Our contributions to medical research and education lead to better healthcare outcomes.

Research at Sutter
Graduate Medical Education

Join our robust training programs led by nationally known healthcare leaders.

Explore Opportunities
Research
Graduate Medical Education

Join our robust training programs led by nationally known healthcare leaders.

Explore Opportunities
Logo
About Sutter Health
  • About Us
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Awards and Honors
  • Leadership
  • Annual Report
  • News and Media
  • Patient Stories
  • Business Programs
Community
  • Giving
  • Volunteer With Us
  • Community Benefit
Careers
  • Jobs at Sutter
  • Physician Opportunities
  • Residencies and Fellowships

About Us

Explore the ways we provide innovative, compassionate care through our network.

Learn About Sutter Health
Work at Sutter Health

Shape the future of healthcare and build your career within our diverse teams.

Find Jobs
Career
Work at Sutter Health

Shape the future of healthcare and build your career within our diverse teams.

Find Jobs
  • Home
  • Health and Wellness
  • Bones, Joints and Muscle Health
  • Help For Hip Pain
Content

Help for Hip Pain

Diagnosing the cause of hip pain can be complicated. Here's what you need to know.

Daniel B. Marcus, M.D.

Daniel B. Marcus, M.D.

Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz

Palo Alto Medical Foundation

One day, you feel a twinge in your hip. That twinge gets worse, and you start to notice just how many movements your hips make in a day — sitting, rising, walking, climbing stairs. What can you do about it?

It’s complicated, says Daniel Marcus, M.D., a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. “When I ask a patient to point to the pain, you’d be surprised how many areas are identified as the ‘hip,’ ” he says. Patients may point to the side of the body, the groin area, the buttocks or the low back.

What people describe as hip pain may not be pain in the hip joint itself, Dr. Marcus says. “Hip pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis.”

Woman having hip adjusted

Common Causes of Hip Pain

The hip joint sits deep within the body, where the top of the thigh bone rotates inside the hip socket. The joint is supported by tendons, ligaments and muscles that hold it all together and initiate movement.

Strong, flexible muscles help the hip joint function smoothly. But it’s common for one part of the hip to be overused and tight while the opposite side doesn’t get enough use and is weak, causing pain.

Poor biomechanics of the feet, knees or spine can also cause discomfort in the hip joint. Runners can strain the hip due to bad running form or improper shoes, which can cause unusual force on the joint and surrounding muscles.

Back problems can cause pain that radiates down the leg or hip, when the culprit is a nerve exiting the vertebrae of the spine. Some hip pain might not be musculoskeletal at all, but arising from a hernia or a urinary tract infection.

Osteoarthritis is another common cause of hip pain, characterized by the breakdown of the cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones where they meet to form joints.

Preventing and Treating Hip Pain

Good conditioning is key to keeping your hip joint pain free. “Stretching and strengthening are so important, especially as we age,” Dr. Marcus says. “You may have been able to push your body in your chosen sport in your 20s and 30s without much stretching, but in later life, you need to be more careful to avoid injuries.”

He recommends swimming, running in the shallow end of the pool, yoga and regular long walks to keep the hip joint limber and flexible.

If you have hip pain, treatment depends on your age, fitness level and needs. For younger athletes with hip pain, physical therapy and other non-invasive treatments can help. For older people with severe pain, treatment depends on your goals.

“If your goal is to walk with your grandchildren, then good shoes, a stretching routine, or even use of cane might be all you need to achieve them,” Dr. Marcus says. “If your pain is more severe or limiting daily activities, then a new hip joint might be the best answer."

Related Articles

  • Painkiller Comparison Guide
  • Managing Joint Pain
  • Knee Pain Self-Care
  • Build Strong Bones
  • How to Reduce TMJ Pain
  • Help for Hip Pain

More Resources

View Sutter's full resource library

Healthwise Resource Library

Look up helpful health information.

View information for Sutter Health Patients

Patient Information

Practical info for Sutter patients.

Tools and Quizzes

Tools and Quizzes

Online tools to help you make decisions about your health.

The Sutter Health Network of Care
Expertise to fit your needs
Primary Care

Check-ups, screenings and sick visits for adults and children.

Specialty Care

Expertise and advanced technologies in all areas of medicine.

Emergency Care

For serious accidents, injuries and conditions that require immediate medical care.

Urgent Care

After-hours, weekend and holiday services.

Walk-In Care

Convenient walk-in care clinics for your non-urgent health needs.

  • Contact Us
  • Find Doctors
  • Find Locations
  • Book Appointment
  • Request Medical Records
  • Donate Now
Sign in to My Health Online

Billing and Insurance

  • Pay a Bill
  • Accepted Health Plans
  • Estimate Costs
  • Medicare Advantage

About Sutter

  • About Our Network
  • Community Benefit
  • Annual Report
  • News and Media

Our Team

  • For Employees
  • For Medical Professionals
  • For Vendors
  • For Volunteers

Careers

  • Jobs at Sutter
  • Physician Jobs
  • Graduate Medical Education

Copyright © 2023 Sutter Health. All rights reserved. Sutter Health is a registered trademark of Sutter Health ®, Reg. U.S. Patent & Trademark office.

  • ADA Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • LinkedIn Opens new window
  • YouTube Opens new window
  • Facebook Opens new window
  • Twitter Opens new window
  • Instagram Opens new window
  • Glassdoor Opens new window

Cookie Policy

We use cookies to give you the best possible user experience. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences

Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences