Physiotherapy for Hip Pain in Glasgow

Hip pain can be deep in the groin, on the outside of the hip, or in the buttock – and each tells a different story about what’s happening underneath. The hip is a complex joint that influences everything from the lower back to the knee, which is why thorough assessment matters.

Our physiotherapists treat the full range of hip presentations including gluteal tendinopathy (the most common cause of pain on the outside of the hip), hip osteoarthritis, hip impingement syndromes, referred pain from the lower back, and the everyday tightness and stiffness that comes from desk-based lifestyles.

Hip pain presents in different locations and different ways. Patients commonly describe:

• Pain on the outside of the hip, often worse when lying on that side
• Deep groin pain that’s worse with movement, prolonged sitting, or pivoting
• Buttock pain that may be hip, lower back, or both
• Stiffness in the hip that makes putting socks or shoes on awkward
• A ‘pinching’ feeling at the front of the hip on deep flexion
• Hip pain that’s worse after walking or standing for long periods
• A limp or change in gait that has crept in over time

Hip assessment looks at the joint’s range of motion in all planes, the strength of the gluteal muscles and deep hip rotators, the contribution of the lumbar spine (a common source of referred hip pain), the muscles that cross the hip (hip flexors, adductors, hamstrings), and how the hip behaves under load… squatting, single-leg balance, walking patterns.

The most consistent thing we do for hip pain is targeted gluteal strengthening. The glutes are the engine of the hip, and they’re almost always under-recruited in patients with chronic hip pain. We combine this with manual therapy for joint stiffness, soft tissue techniques for tight hip flexors and rotators, and mobility work for restricted ranges.

Where the hip pain is tendon-related (such as gluteal tendinopathy), the approach is a specific tendon-loading programme. For arthritic hips, we work to maximise what the joint can comfortably do. Laser therapy may be used to support recovery in selected presentations. Practical advice on activity modification, particularly avoiding the positions that aggravate the hip, makes a real difference.