The hip is a complex region where muscles, tendons, joints, nerves, and the pelvic floor work together to support movement, balance, and stability. Pain in this area can have many different causes, and identifying the structures involved is essential to developing an effective treatment plan.
Not all hip pain is the same. Discomfort in the groin, outer hip, buttock, or deep within the pelvis may arise from different tissues, each requiring a different approach to rehabilitation.
My approach begins with a careful evaluation to better understand where your pain is coming from, why it may have developed, and what your body needs to recover.
Different Areas of the Hip Require Different Approaches
1. Anterior Hip & Groin Pain
Pain at the front of the hip may involve the hip flexor muscles, including the iliopsoas and rectus femoris, or structures within the hip joint itself, such as the labrum or joint capsule.
It is important to distinguish between muscular or tendon-related pain and pain arising from the joint. Although symptoms may feel similar, the appropriate treatment can be quite different.
2. Lateral Hip Pain
Pain along the outside of the hip is frequently associated with the gluteal muscles and tendons, particularly the gluteus medius and minimus. These muscles play an important role in pelvic stability during walking, running, and standing on one leg.
Treatment may involve improving strength and load tolerance while reducing positions or activities that place excessive compression on sensitive tendons.
3. Posterior Hip & Hamstring Pain
Pain in the buttock or near the sitting bones may involve the proximal hamstring tendons, deep hip rotators, surrounding nerves, or structures of the hip joint.
Understanding the difference between these conditions is important. For example, a painful hamstring tendon may need progressive strengthening and adjustments to loading rather than repeated stretching.
4. The Pelvic Floor & Deep Hip Muscles
The pelvic floor is an important part of the hip and pelvic system, but it does not function in isolation.
The pelvic floor works in coordination with the abdominal muscles, diaphragm, and surrounding hip musculature. Changes in strength, coordination, mobility, or muscle tension throughout this region may contribute to pelvic discomfort and movement difficulties.
Treatment considers the relationship between the pelvic floor, hip muscles, breathing, and the way the pelvis moves and responds to load.
Sometimes what feels like tightness is a response to pain, irritation, or protective muscle activity—not a lack of flexibility.
A thorough examination helps determine whether stretching, strengthening, movement retraining, or reducing mechanical irritation is the most appropriate starting point.
An Individualized Approach to Hip Rehabilitation
My work combines detailed physical therapy assessment with gentle manual therapy, movement education, strengthening, and principles of the Feldenkrais Method.
Rather than focusing only on the painful area, I look at how the hip functions in relation to the pelvis, spine, feet, and the rest of the body.
