How to Soothe Hip Pain

The hip is the largest joint in the human body. The hips support most of the body weight and are responsible for maintaining balance. The hip joint and hip area directly affect movement, so arthritis and bursitis in the hip area are often especially painful. Chronic hip pain is common in the elderly, but hip pain can be treated with lots of exercise and lifestyle changes. Follow the steps below to relieve hip pain.

Table of Contents

Lifestyle change

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Diagnose before doing anything. Knowing the cause of pain is extremely important. You should see your doctor before you start exercising or taking any medication. There are many reasons for hip pain such as arthritis, bursitis, or sports injuries. Always ask your doctor what to do and what not to do after knowing the cause of hip pain.

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Use pain relievers. The most effective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) for hip pain (usually caused by arthritis) are ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin. These medications help reduce inflammation and relieve pain for several hours. NSAIDS help block enzymes that make chemicals that cause inflammation in the body. ^{[1] X Research Source}

If over-the-counter medications like aspirin don’t seem to be helping, you should see your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe stronger pain relievers. You should also always consult your doctor before taking any new medication (even popular ones like aspirin).

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Apply ice to the joint. Applying ice to your hips helps reduce arthritis. You should apply an ice pack to the affected hip for 15 minutes several times a day. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If you feel the ice pack is too cold, you can wrap an extra towel around it, then apply it to the painful hip area.

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Use heat to relieve hip pain caused by arthritis. Warming up the joint can ease existing pain. Consider taking a hot shower or soaking in a hot tub if a bathtub is available in your home. You can also purchase hot packs to apply directly to your hips.

Do not use heat to ease joint pain if you have bursitis. Heat can cause a hip with bursitis to become more inflamed.

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Rest. If you have a hip injury, it’s best to give your hip time to heal. Avoid anything that makes you feel hip pain. Instead, you should lie still, watch a movie, eat popcorn, relax, and apply ice to your hips. You should rest your hips for at least 24-48 hours. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Avoid activities subject to impact. If you are in severe pain, of course you won’t want to run or jump, but it’s important to stay away from these activities anyway. Impact-bearing activities will make joints more inflamed and cause more severe pain. Instead of running, you should try walking briskly because walking doesn’t have much impact on joints.

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Consider losing weight. The heavier you are, the more weight your hips have to support. Losing weight helps relieve hip pain simply by reducing the weight placed on cartilage and joints. You should apply ways to help lose weight.

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Choose the right shoes. You should choose shoes that are as supportive as possible. Look for shoes with good foam or thick removable insoles for easy adjustment. The sole of the shoe should withstand impact, minimize noise (when moving or rotating the foot) and evenly distribute the pressure along the length of the foot. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Exercise and stretch

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Start each day with exercise. Increasing blood circulation and loosening joints can help relieve pain the rest of the day. Exercise is especially good for arthritis. You should start each day by activating the hips through the Bridge exercise. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Lie on your back on the floor and bend your knees. Feet are fixed on the floor and hip-width apart.
Straighten your ankles to lift your back into the air. Keep your abs, knees, and ankles in a straight line. Body straight from shoulder to knee. Hold the position for 3-5 seconds, then slowly lower your back to the floor. Repeat the movement 10 times.

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Exercise in the water. Swimming and water exercise are great ways to strengthen the hips without putting too much strain on the hips (like running). Consider swimming or doing an aquatic aerobics course at a local gym.

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Do exercises every day. Again, you should always consult with your doctor or physical therapist before beginning an exercise program to help relieve hip pain.

Stand up straight, feet facing forward. Raise your right leg horizontally and as far as you can, then lower it. Do the same for the other leg. This exercise helps to stretch the hip muscles.

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Strengthen the inner thighs. The inner thighs play an important role in supporting the hips. Weak inner thighs can even damage a healthy hip.

Lie on your back on the floor, arms extended out to the sides. Clamp the exercise ball in your legs, then raise your legs perpendicular to the floor.
Squeeze the ball 10 times using your inner thighs. Repeat this movement 2-3 times, 10 strokes each time.

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Strengthen the outer thigh muscles. A strong outer thigh helps you cope with hip arthritis because it is a part of the body that supports some of the weight. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Lying on the side does not hurt. You should lie on the mat or yoga mat instead of lying on the hard ground.
Elevate the leg on the affected side, 15 cm off the floor. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds, then lower your leg and relax on the other leg (2 feet should be parallel to the floor).
Repeat the process of raising, holding, and lowering legs 10 times. If you can, you can also do the same exercise for the other leg, but stop if it hurts too much.

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Hip stretch. Talk to a physical therapist before starting a stretching program. Stretching can relieve hip pain, while also helping to strengthen the hip muscles to prevent pain later on. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Stretch by rotating hips: Lie on your back on the floor, hands on both sides of your hips. Bend the leg you want to stretch by placing your foot on the floor. Straighten your other leg on the floor so that your toes point up in the air. Rotate the bent leg away from the body. Do not push your legs too far to avoid discomfort. Stop stretching if you feel pain. Hold the stretch position for 5 seconds, then bring the leg back to the original position so that the foot is close to the floor. Repeat 10-15 times on each side.
Stretch by flexing the hips: Lie on your back on the floor. Select the pivot leg, then fold it so that the foot is flat on the floor. 2 arms embrace the bent leg, right at the shin position and pull the leg towards the chest. You should only do the movement as much as your body can handle and release your leg if it feels painful. Press your feet to your chest for 5 seconds, then release. Repeat 10-15 times on each side.
Squeeze the glutes: Roll up a towel tightly. Lie on your back on the floor with your legs bent so that your feet are flat on the floor. Clip the towel between your knees. Squeeze your knees together using your buttocks and inner thighs. Hold the squeezing position for 3-5 seconds, then release. Repeat the movement 10-15 times.

Advice

Talk to your doctor or physical therapist for advice on pain relief. You should also always consult a specialist before starting any medication or performing any exercises or stretches.
Consider consulting a chiropractor.

Warning

Do not continue the exercise when the hip pain feels worse. If the strengthening or stretching exercises mentioned above cause pain, you can try other exercises.
The joint with bursitis should not be heated to avoid aggravating the inflammation.

Steps

Lifestyle change

Exercise and stretch

Advice

Warning

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