Get Your Free Hip Pain Report!
If you’ve been struggling with hip pain, stiffness, or a deep, nagging ache, it’s very tempting to tell yourself it’s nothing serious. Maybe you’ve blamed it on “getting older,” being a bit less active, or simply sitting awkwardly… and hoped it would ease off on its own.
But it’s not going away – and now it’s starting to affect your day-to-day life more than you expected.
If this sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone – we hear this story all the time. Hip pain is another common issue people come to see us about at our physical therapy clinic here in Oklahoma City, OK especially when it’s been lingering for weeks and just isn’t improving the way they hoped.
Hip pain is a common issue that affects people of all ages, and at Taylor Physical Therapy, we see it frequently. What makes hip pain unique is that it can come from more than one source. Sometimes the pain originates in the hip joint itself, while other times it begins in the lumbar spine and radiates into the hip region. Because these areas are closely connected, it can be difficult for individuals to determine what is truly causing their discomfort.
The hip is a deep, powerful joint responsible for walking, standing, bending, climbing stairs, and maintaining balance. When something is not working correctly, the pain may appear in the front of the hip, the side of the leg, the buttock area, or even travel down the back of the thigh. Each of these patterns gives important clues about what structures are irritated and whether the problem is coming from the hip, the back, or a combination of both.
Hip pain can limit daily activities, change the way you walk, and increase fall risk. It can even affect confidence with simple movements such as getting out of a chair, standing on one leg, or turning in bed. Understanding the source of the pain is the key to building a plan that leads to long-term relief and better movement.
Hip pain can show up in many different ways, and the location of the discomfort often provides the biggest clue about what is causing it. Common symptom patterns include:
Other symptoms frequently associated with hip pain include:
Hip pain also commonly affects balance and stability:
At Taylor Physical Therapy, our approach to hip pain is built on identifying the exact source of the problem. Imaging alone rarely tells the full story. Two people may have similar X-rays or MRIs, but completely different reasons for their pain. That’s why we rely heavily on hands-on assessment and specialized testing to determine whether the discomfort is coming from the hip joint, the lumbar spine, or both.
Once we identify the source, we create a customized treatment plan focused on restoring functional strength, improving joint mobility, and correcting gait patterns. Manual therapy helps reduce stiffness, improve movement, and address soft tissue restrictions. Strengthening exercises target the muscles that support the hip and lower back, helping improve stability and reduce compensations during walking.
Balance and fall-prevention training is also a key part of our approach. Many patients with hip pain struggle with stability, so we incorporate exercises that retrain how the body reacts to movement and weight-bearing. The goal is to help you walk confidently without limping or shifting your weight, reducing your risk of future injury.
Through personalized care and a focus on functional movement, we guide patients back to daily activities with less pain and greater ease.
If hip pain has been affecting your movement or making daily tasks more difficult, download our free report. It offers helpful guidance to understand your symptoms and provides practical steps you can take today to begin improving your hip function and mobility.