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Hip pain can affect nearly every part of your day. Walking, climbing stairs, getting out of a chair, exercising, sleeping, or simply standing for long periods can become uncomfortable.

But “hip pain” does not always mean there is a problem with the hip joint itself.

Pain felt around the hip may involve the hip joint, muscles, tendons, bursae, pelvis, or lower back. In some cases, pain can even travel from the lumbar spine into the buttock or hip region.

At O'Leary Chiropractic, we provide comprehensive evaluations and conservative care for appropriately selected patients experiencing hip pain and related musculoskeletal conditions.

Our goal is to identify the factors contributing to your symptoms and determine the most appropriate course of care.

If hip pain is limiting your movement, work, exercise, or daily activities, a thorough evaluation can help identify the next step.

Chiropractic care may be an appropriate part of a conservative treatment plan for some patients experiencing hip pain.

Treatment is based on your history, physical examination, movement limitations, and individual goals.

Depending on your condition, your care may include:

Chiropractic and Manual Therapy

When clinically appropriate, manual therapy may be used to address movement restrictions and musculoskeletal dysfunction involving the hip, pelvis, or surrounding regions.

For people with hip osteoarthritis, major clinical guidance recommends considering manual therapy alongside therapeutic exercise, rather than as a stand-alone treatment.

Therapeutic Exercise

Exercise may be used to improve:

• Hip mobility
• Muscle strength
• Stability
• Balance
• Movement control
• Functional tolerance

Your exercise recommendations should be based on your individual symptoms and examination findings.

Soft Tissue Treatment

Muscle and soft tissue dysfunction involving the hip, buttock, thigh, or lower back may contribute to pain and restricted movement. When appropriate, treatment may address these areas as part of a broader care plan.

Movement and Activity Guidance

We may provide recommendations regarding activities such as:

• Walking
• Exercise
• Lifting
• Squatting
• Running
• Climbing stairs
• Work activities

The goal is to help you remain appropriately active while managing symptoms and improving function.

Education and Home Care

Understanding which movements or activities aggravate your symptoms can help guide your recovery.

Your care plan may include individualized recommendations for exercise, mobility work, activity modification, and self-management strategies.

Yes. The lumbar spine can sometimes refer pain into the buttock, hip, or leg.

For example, nerve irritation in the lower back may cause:

• Pain traveling into the buttock or leg
• Tingling or numbness
• Burning or shooting pain
• Muscle weakness

In other cases, hip and low back conditions can occur at the same time.

This is why our examination evaluates more than just the location where you feel pain.

We may assess the:

• Hip
• Pelvis
• Lumbar spine
• Range of motion
• Strength
• Neurological function
• Movement patterns

The goal is to better understand which structures may be contributing to your symptoms.

Some hip symptoms require prompt medical attention.

Seek urgent medical evaluation if you experience:

• Severe pain after a significant fall or trauma
• Inability to bear weight after an injury
• An obvious deformity
• A hot, swollen, or significantly red joint
• Fever or other signs of significant illness with severe hip pain
• New or progressive weakness or neurological symptoms
• Severe pain that is rapidly worsening

Following acute trauma, imaging decisions depend on the suspected injury and clinical findings. The American College of Radiology provides separate evidence-based imaging pathways for traumatic hip pain and suspected fractures or soft-tissue injuries.

If your symptoms suggest a fracture, infection, significant neurological problem, or another serious condition, prompt medical evaluation is more appropriate than routine conservative treatment.

Hip pain can make it difficult to stay active and enjoy the activities that matter to you.

Whether your symptoms developed gradually or began after an injury, a comprehensive evaluation can help determine what may be contributing to your pain and whether conservative chiropractic care is appropriate.

At O'Leary Chiropractic, we provide individualized care for patients with musculoskeletal hip pain, focusing on appropriate evaluation, manual therapy when indicated, therapeutic exercise, movement, rehabilitation, and referral when necessary.

Schedule Your Hip Pain Evaluation

If you are experiencing hip, groin, buttock, or outer-hip pain that is affecting your work, exercise, sleep, or daily activities, contact O'Leary Chiropractic to schedule an evaluation.

Call (518) 793-1205 or request an appointment online.

Serving patients in Queensbury, Glens Falls, Lake George, Hudson Falls, and the surrounding Adirondack region.