When your hip aches, it is easy to imagine the joint slowly grinding down. You might have heard the phrase “wear and tear” and worry that every step brings you closer to needing a new hip. These worries are very common, but the picture is usually much more reassuring than it sounds.

Common worries about hip pain

Many people with hip pain worry that:

• Their joints are wearing out.
• Walking or exercise will make it worse.
• Pain means they will eventually need surgery.

It is understandable to worry, especially if you know someone who has had a hip replacement. But most hip pain is not a sign of a joint wearing out. Hip replacements work well for people who need them, but most people with hip pain never do.

What usually drives hip pain

Hip pain can come from several places. Some of the most common sources are:

• The muscles and tendons around the hip, especially on the outside of the hip.
• The lower back, which can send pain into the hip and buttock.
• The hip joint itself, sometimes with changes like osteoarthritis.

Even when osteoarthritis is involved, it is not simply wear and tear. It involves changes to the joint surfaces as well as low-grade inflammation inside the joint, and the joint is constantly repairing itself. Scans often show joint changes in people with no pain at all, and the amount of change on a scan does not always match how much pain someone feels.

Why movement helps rather than harms

Your hip joint relies on movement to keep the cartilage nourished. Movement circulates the fluid inside the joint, a bit like oil in an engine. Keeping still, on the other hand, can leave the joint stiffer and the muscles around it weaker.

Research shows that exercise is one of the most effective treatments for hip pain, including hip osteoarthritis. In large education and exercise programmes, hip pain reduced by around a quarter on average, and many people used less pain relief afterwards.

Hurt does not mean harm

Pain is your body’s alarm system, and it can be more sensitive than it needs to be. Feeling some discomfort when you walk or exercise does not mean you are wearing your hip out. A mild ache that settles fairly quickly is usually fine. Hip pain often varies from day to day, and a sorer day does not mean the joint has worn further.

Staying comfortable day to day

Some things that can help your hip feel more comfortable:

• Get up and move every half hour or so if you sit for long periods.
• Choose higher chairs, or add a cushion to low seats.
• Use warmth, like a warm shower or heat pack, when your hip feels stiff.
• Break longer walks into shorter ones spread across the day.
• Sleep with a pillow between your knees if lying on your side is uncomfortable.
• Try swimming or cycling on days your hip prefers less load.

Keeping your hip moving

Gentle movement helps your hip feel less stiff. Something to try once or twice a day, holding onto something steady:

• Leg swings forwards and backwards, within a comfortable range.
• Slow hip circles in each direction.
• Knee lifts towards your chest.

If you would like a guided stretch, VIDA has short videos you can follow at your own pace.

Building hip strength

Strong muscles around your hip help support the joint. Something to try two or three times a week:

• Sit to stand. Rise from a chair without using your hands, then lower slowly.
• Bridges. Lie on your back with your knees bent, lift your hips, then lower slowly.
• Step-ups. Step up onto the bottom stair and down again, holding the banister.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of sit to stands and bridges you can use at your own pace.

Your VIDA pain check-in can help you notice how your hip changes as you build strength and activity.

What to take away

• Most hip pain is not a sign of a joint wearing out.
• Joint changes on scans do not always match how much pain you feel.
• Movement keeps your hip joint healthy.
• Exercise is one of the most effective treatments for hip pain.
• Build strength gradually and keep moving through the day.

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