Hip osteoarthritis is the progressive wearing of the cartilage in the hip joint. It's common — roughly 1 in 4 adults will develop it over their lifetime — and while it can eventually require joint replacement, the road there can be long and comfortable with the right approach.
What patients typically experience
- Groin pain (most common), sometimes referring to the thigh, knee, or buttock
- Morning stiffness that eases with movement
- Reduced range — putting on socks, tying shoes, getting into a car become harder
- Deep ache after long walks or standing
- Sometimes a limp on the affected side
What the imaging doesn't tell you
X-ray severity correlates poorly with pain and function. Some people with severe imaging have modest symptoms, and vice versa. Don't let the X-ray dictate the plan — how you actually feel and move matters more.
The evidence-based conservative approach
Exercise is the single most-studied intervention for hip OA. It reliably reduces pain and improves function, and its effect size rivals or exceeds most surgical outcomes for mild-to-moderate OA. Strength work — especially glute medius, glute max, and quadriceps — is core.
Weight management matters. Every 1 lb of body weight equals 3-6 lbs of force through the hip during gait.
Manual therapy — joint mobilization, soft tissue work, and gentle traction — improves range and reduces stiffness. Chiropractic care for hip OA is a well-tolerated, evidence-supported complement to exercise.
Acupuncture has moderate evidence for pain modulation.
Activity modification — switching from high-impact (running, jumping) to low-impact (cycling, swimming, walking) preserves the joint while maintaining fitness.
What we do
We build a plan that maintains and restores what's possible: joint mobilization, targeted soft tissue work, and a progressive strength program specific to your hip. Our goal is to keep you active, mobile, and out of surgery as long as makes sense for you.
When surgery gets discussed
Pain that's severe, constant, and unresponsive to good conservative care over 6-12 months, combined with functional limitations that affect your quality of life. Modern hip replacement is a highly successful procedure — but it's not urgent for most people, and delaying it while you stay active is often the right call.
Come in for an assessment. Many patients with hip OA feel dramatically better within 6-8 weeks of structured care.