Hip and outer-hip pain: assessment and everyday advice
Updated: 17 hours ago
By Andy Duckmanton, BOst (Hons), GOsC registered osteopath.
Editorial update: 13 November 2026.
Hip and thigh pain can make walking, stairs or getting out of a chair difficult. It can arise from the hip joint, nearby tendons and muscles, or the lower back. The location gives useful clues but does not establish the diagnosis.
When to seek medical help
Call 999 or go to A&E for severe hip pain after a fall or injury, inability to walk or bear weight, or tingling or loss of feeling in the hip or leg after injury. Do not drive yourself.
Get urgent GP or NHS 111 advice for sudden severe hip pain without injury, a hot swollen hip, skin colour changes around it, or hip pain with fever or feeling unwell. These signs do not all have to occur together.
See your GP if pain affects sleep or normal activity, is worsening or keeps returning, has not improved after two weeks of self-care, or morning stiffness lasts more than 30 minutes.
Common patterns and possible causes
Hip-joint problems can be felt in the groin, thigh or knee. Osteoarthritis can cause pain and stiffness, but symptoms vary and do not inevitably worsen. Our hip and knee osteoarthritis guide explains exercise and treatment choices.
Pain over the outside of the hip, especially with side-lying, walking or stairs, can be part of greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). Gluteal tendons, nearby bursae or both may be involved. It should not automatically be labelled an inflamed bursa.
A strain after activity, a painful clicking hip, or pain referred from the lower back may need different advice. Tingling, numbness or weakness can suggest nerve involvement. See the sciatica guide when these symptoms are present.
Walking and stairs
Choose a manageable amount of walking and adjust it to your response. If long walks or hills repeatedly flare outer-hip pain, try shorter, flatter routes initially and build up gradually.
Use a handrail on stairs if helpful. Slow down or reduce repeated trips while symptoms are irritable. If walking has become unsafe or you are limping substantially, seek advice rather than pushing through a set distance.
Strengthening and an appropriate activity plan are usually more useful than complete rest. The starting level should reflect the assessment and what you can manage comfortably.
Side-lying, sitting and standing
With outer-hip pain, reducing pressure on the painful side may help:
Try sleeping on your back, or on the other side with a pillow between the knees.
Avoid prolonged sitting with crossed legs if this provokes symptoms.
Choose a chair that is easy to rise from; very low seats can be uncomfortable.
If hanging your weight on one hip is painful, vary your standing position and share your weight more evenly.
These are options to improve comfort, not rules everyone must follow. Avoid repeatedly forcing a stretch that compresses or aggravates the outer hip.
Assessment and treatment choices
Andy will ask about the onset, injuries, sleep, walking tolerance, health and goals. Examination may include the hip, lower back and other relevant areas, with your consent.
For suitable muscle and joint problems, a plan may combine exercise, activity advice and optional hands-on care. It should not promise to realign the hip or correct every possible cause of pain.
GP or NHS physiotherapy assessment may be appropriate. Medicines, injections, imaging or specialist review depend on the suspected problem and how symptoms develop. After surgery, follow the rehabilitation advice from your surgical team.
Choose one thing you would like to make easier
It helps to be specific about what your hip is stopping you doing. That might be a walk you enjoy, getting upstairs at home or finding a comfortable sleeping position.
For example, if walking is the main difficulty, notice when symptoms begin, whether you start to limp and how the hip feels afterwards. Tell me about hills, stairs or carrying bags if they make a difference. You do not need to test yourself with a long walk before the appointment.
We can use that information, together with the examination, to choose a practical starting point and a way to review it. Progress might mean doing the same task more comfortably, recovering more easily or gradually managing more.
Pain over the outside of the hip does not automatically mean bursitis, and pain felt around the hip can sometimes come from elsewhere. The aim is to understand the pattern and choose appropriate care, rather than make your symptoms fit a label you have found online.
For more detail, read bursitis and outer-hip pain, arthritis information and choosing the right help.
See your first appointment and location, access and fees before arranging care.
Sources and further information
Sources checked: 13 October 2026. General patient information; assessment and care depend on your individual circumstances.
Patient information from Eastbourne Osteopathy. About Andy Duckmanton, BOst (Hons), GOsC registered osteopath.