Pain guide · Hip pain

Hip pain in women: the outer hip tendons, the hip joint, loose joints, pregnancy and the menopause

Hip pain in women from about 40 is most often the tendons on the outside of the hip, which hurt over the bony point you lie on and were more than twice as common in women as in men in a large US study. Later in life the hip joint itself, felt in the groin with stiffness, becomes commoner. In younger women, a shallow hip socket and very flexible joints are worth thinking about, and pregnancy, bone loss after the menopause and the lower back can all be felt in the hip. Where it hurts, and what brings it on, are the best clues.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from a 999 call or accident and emergency (A&E) to the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP): not being able to stand or put weight on the leg after a fall, a hot, swollen hip or hip pain with a fever, a painful lump at the top of the thigh, and sudden severe hip pain late in pregnancy. Then it explains what to change in sitting, standing and sleeping, what the trials found for the outer hip, and a three-stage plan with 3D demos that builds strength without squeezing the tendons.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 41 sourcesUpdated 25 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: severe hip pain after a fall or injury, or you cannot stand, walk or put weight on the leg. In an older adult this can be a broken hip; the leg may be at an odd angle or look shorter. Don't drive yourself.
Call 999 or go to A&E: tingling or loss of feeling in the hip or leg after an injury.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have sciatica on both sides, weakness or numbness in both legs that's severe or getting worse, or numbness around or under your genitals, or around your bottom (anus); if you find it hard to start peeing, cannot pee or cannot control when you pee; or if you do not notice when you need to poo or cannot control when you poo, and this is not normal for you. These could be symptoms of a serious back problem that needs to be treated in hospital as soon as possible.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have severe hip pain that started suddenly but you've not had a fall or injured your hip, your hip is swollen and feels hot, the skin around your hip has changed colour, or you have hip pain, feel generally unwell and have a high temperature (or feel hot, cold or shivery). A hot, swollen hip with a high temperature can be a joint infection.
Call 999 or go to A&E now if you have a femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of your thigh, in your groin) and very bad tummy pain, you feel sick or you're being sick, you cannot fart or poo, you have a high temperature or you feel hot, cold or shivery, or you've suddenly become confused. Do not drive to A&E. With any other hernia and pain in or around it, a bloated tummy, feeling or being sick, vomiting blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, constipation, a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery, or sudden confusion, get help from NHS 111.
Sudden, severe hip or groin pain, or being unable to put weight on a leg, especially late in pregnancy: get help the same day. A rare thinning of the hip bone in pregnancy (transient osteoporosis) or a fracture needs a scan.
Call 999 or go to A&E: you have pelvic pain (pain low in your tummy) and it's severe, getting worse or hurts when you move or touch the area, or you feel faint, dizzy or lightheaded or pass out, have pain in the tip of your shoulder, have difficulty breathing, have heavy bleeding from your vagina, or suddenly feel confused. Don't drive yourself.
Contact your GP or call NHS 111 straight away: you might be pregnant, even without a positive pregnancy test, and you have a combination of tummy pain low down on one side, vaginal bleeding or a brown watery discharge, pain in the tip of your shoulder, or discomfort when peeing or pooing. It can be an ectopic pregnancy.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): severe pain that usually starts in the side of your tummy or your lower back, may spread to the area at the top of your inner thigh (groin), your testicles or the area around the opening of your vagina, and may come and go, or this pain with a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery. It can be a kidney stone.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): throbbing pain in one leg (rarely both), usually the calf or thigh; swelling in one leg (rarely both); red, blue or darkened skin around the painful area, which may be harder to see on brown or black skin; or swollen veins. This can be a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is more likely after surgery, a hospital stay, 3 or more days in bed, a journey of over 4 hours, pregnancy or a recent birth, cancer, a previous clot, or contraception or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that contains oestrogen.
Same day, and stop running now: groin or front-of-hip pain in a runner, sometimes felt in the thigh or knee, that builds with running, hurts with every step or at night, or hurts when the hip is turned to the end of its range. Keep weight off the leg, using crutches if you have them, and get an urgent GP appointment or help from NHS 111 the same day: a stress fracture of the hip (femoral neck) needs urgent imaging.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Hip pain that stops normal activities or disturbs sleep, keeps getting worse, or has not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it at home.
Stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes after waking.
Bone pain that is constant or worse at night, especially with a lump, unexplained weight loss, fever or tiredness, or a past history of cancer.
Hip or groin pain that hasn't settled after 6 weeks, especially with a normal X-ray, or new hip pain if you take high-dose steroids, drink heavily, or have sickle cell disease or lupus: ask your GP about an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan and a hip specialist. It can be avascular necrosis, which an X-ray can miss early on.
A lump in the groin, upper thigh or tummy, especially one that appears when you cough or strain and goes when you lie down: see a GP, as it may be a true hernia. A femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of the thigh, mainly in women over 50) needs treating in hospital.
Call your midwife or GP if you have pelvic pain and it's hard for you to move around, it hurts to get out of a car or turn over in bed, or it's painful going up or down stairs.
Joints that keep aching, spraining or popping out, often with tiredness or poor balance: see a GP if you think you have joint hypermobility syndrome. Building muscle strength and fitness is the main treatment.
Outer hip pain that hasn't improved within 6 weeks of following this advice, or is getting worse: talk to a healthcare professional. In many areas you can refer yourself to NHS musculoskeletal services.
You're 50 or over, or past the menopause, and have broken a bone: ask your GP about a fracture risk assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) offers a bone density scan after a spinal fragility fracture.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

The bony point on the outside of the hip, worse lying on it, on stairs and crossing your legs, often from about 40

Usually the tendons on the outside of the hip (greater trochanteric pain syndrome, often called hip bursitis), the commonest women's hip problem in mid-life.

Read: Outer hip pain →The groin or the front of the hip, stiff and worse walking, from about 45

Often hip arthritis.

Read: Hip arthritis →Deep in the groin or the side of the hip in a teenager or young woman, with clicking or a feeling it may give way

Possibly hip dysplasia, a shallow socket, often with very flexible joints.

Read: Hip dysplasia →Deep groin pain with catching or locking

Possibly a labral tear.

Read: Hip labral tear →A pinch in the groin when you bend deeply

Possibly hip impingement.

Read: Hip impingement (FAI) →In pregnancy or after the birth: the pubic bone, the groin or the back of the pelvis

Usually pelvic girdle pain, which affects up to 1 in 5 pregnant women.

Read: Pelvic girdle pain (SPD) →A burning or numb patch on the outer thigh, sometimes in pregnancy

Possibly meralgia paresthetica, a squeezed skin nerve.

Read: Meralgia paresthetica →After a fall in later life, you can't stand or put weight on the leg

Possibly a broken hip: call 999 or go to A&E.

Read: Broken hip →A small lump at the top of the thigh, in the groin crease

Possibly a femoral hernia, mainly in women over 50: see a GP, and call 999 with very bad tummy pain or vomiting.

Read: Groin pain →The buttock and outer hip, with back stiffness or pins and needles down the leg

Often the lower back, which can be felt only in the hip.

Read: Lower back and hip pain →Hip pain at night, or when you lie on your side

Our night guide covers how to sleep and the warning signs.

Read: Hip pain at night →The groin when you walk

Our groin pain when walking guide sorts the causes.

Read: Groin pain when walking →

Understand it

The outer hip tendons: the commonest women's hip problem from mid-lifeStrong evidence

Pain over the bony point on the outside of the hip, sometimes down the outer thigh, is usually the tendons of the buttock muscles where they attach to the bone (greater trochanteric pain syndrome, often called hip bursitis). In 3,026 US adults aged 50 to 79, it affected one hip in 15.0% of women and 6.6% of men, and both hips in 8.5% and 1.9%, so women had about 3.4 times the odds; NHS inform says it is more common in women and in people aged 40 to 60. Among young, active US military personnel, women had about 5 times the rate of men.

It hurts to lie on that side, on stairs, standing on one leg, sitting with your legs crossed and getting your legs in or out of a car or bed. NHS inform lists a sudden rise in walking or activity, a fall onto the side of the hip, weak hip muscles, sitting or standing in one position for too long, being overweight and hormone changes among the things that can contribute, and it often goes with low back pain or arthritis of the hip or knee. A review suggests the tendons suffer most when they're squeezed against the bone as the thigh drifts across the body. It is often mistaken for back trouble: half of 273 people seen in one spine clinic had it, women more often than men.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The hip joint, a shallow socket and very flexible joints

Hip arthritis is felt in the groin, the front of the thigh or the buttock, worse walking and stiff after rest, usually from about 45, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) diagnoses it without a scan at that age. The NHS says osteoarthritis is more common in women, and worldwide rates of osteoarthritis as a whole are higher in women, but in a meta-analysis the difference between the sexes was clear for the knee and hand, not for other joints such as the hip.

In younger women, a shallow hip socket (dysplasia) and very flexible joints are the causes most linked with being a woman. Dysplasia showed on X-rays of 3.4% of 4,151 Danish adults, with little difference between the sexes, but girls are at higher risk as babies, and mild dysplasia can first cause symptoms in adulthood. At one hip clinic, 77.9% of adults with dysplasia had very flexible joints, against 32.8% of those with other hip problems, and 70% of the people diagnosed with hypermobility disorders in Wales were women. The NHS says building muscle strength and fitness is the main treatment for joint hypermobility syndrome.

Sources 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Pregnancy, the menopause and your bones

Pelvic girdle pain affects up to 1 in 5 pregnant women: pain at the pubic bone, across the low back, between the vagina and anus or into the thighs, worse walking, on stairs, standing on one leg, turning in bed and getting out of a car. It isn't harmful to your baby. Rarer causes of hip pain in pregnancy and after the birth include a temporary thinning of the hip bone late in pregnancy (transient osteoporosis), a labral tear after the birth, and a squeezed skin nerve on the outer thigh (meralgia paresthetica).

After the menopause, women lose bone quickly, so a fall can break the hip. In England in 2024, 69.0% of people who broke a hip were women, and the average age was 82.4; the national audit notes that women can develop osteoporosis after the menopause. A broken hip hurts in the hip, the upper leg and the groin, and you can't stand or put weight on the leg.

Sources 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

Pain from elsewhere

Problems in the lower back can be felt only in the buttocks, down the back of the legs and over the outside of the hip, and NHS inform says a hip problem can come from the back even when the back doesn't hurt. A femoral hernia, a small, grape-sized lump at the top of the thigh in the groin, mainly affects women over 50 and needs treating in hospital; other hernias can grow when you cough or strain. The pelvic organs can be felt in the lower tummy and groin, and rarely a hip joint is infected, which makes it hot, swollen and very painful, often with a high temperature.

Sources 22, 23, 5, 24, 25, 26, 27

When a scan or test helpsStrong evidence

Outer hip pain and hip arthritis are diagnosed by examination: NICE diagnoses osteoarthritis without imaging from 45 when activity brings on joint pain and morning stiffness lasts 30 minutes or less. Dysplasia in adults is confirmed with hip X-rays. After a fall, X-rays come first, and NICE offers a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan if a broken hip is still suspected despite normal X-rays. A thinning of the hip bone in pregnancy shows on MRI. A hot, swollen joint needs urgent tests, including fluid taken from the joint. The LEAP trial used MRI to confirm outer hip pain for research, but everyday care doesn't need a scan.

Sources 8, 12, 28, 18, 27, 29

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

Outer hip pain is slow: an NHS physiotherapy leaflet expects most people to improve over 8 to 12 weeks of the right exercise and changes, some taking up to a year, and NHS inform says it often takes 6 to 12 months of rehabilitation, with flare-ups along the way. In the LEAP trial, 51 of 66 people rated education plus exercise a success at 8 weeks, and 51 of 65 at a year. Hip arthritis tends to change slowly over years, and exercise eases the pain a little while it's kept up. Pelvic girdle pain usually gets better after the birth. Recovery from a broken hip takes weeks to months. No one can promise a timescale.

Sources 3, 2, 29, 30, 17, 21

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Outer hip pain: education and exercise did better than an injectionStrong evidence

In the LEAP trial of 204 people aged 35 to 70, 167 of them women, 8 weeks of education plus exercise succeeded for 51 of 66, against 38 of 65 after a steroid injection and 20 of 68 with wait and see. At a year, success was 51 of 65, 36 of 63 and 31 of 60, though pain was then similar after exercise and the injection. The education taught people to avoid positions that squeeze the tendons, and the exercises loaded the hip muscles gradually. An NHS trust leaflet's home programme starts with a lying hip press against a band, bridges and chair squats, and adds side-lying lifts, staggered sit-to-stands and staggered bridges at its second level.

Sources 29, 3, 2

Hormone therapy didn't clearly help outer hip painEmerging evidence

In a trial of 132 postmenopausal women with outer hip pain, all of whom were taught to avoid squeezing the tendons, every group improved. Menopausal hormone cream didn't clearly beat a dummy cream, and tendon exercises didn't beat sham exercises on top of that advice. It is one trial, so the honest summary is that hormone therapy isn't a proven treatment for outer hip pain.

Source 31

Wide hips aren't the explanationMixed evidence

Outer hip pain is commoner in women, but body mass index wasn't linked with it once other factors were allowed for. In one small study, people with the diagnosis had hip bones slightly wider relative to the pelvis (a ratio of 1.09 against 1.05), but in 273 people, hip shape on X-ray wasn't linked with tendon changes on ultrasound. The evidence points more to load and position, especially the thigh drifting across the body, and NHS inform adds that hormone changes may play a part.

Sources 1, 32, 33, 6, 2

Hip arthritis: exercise helps a littleMixed evidence

Exercise eased hip arthritis pain by about 8 points out of 100 in 9 trials of 549 people (2014), and by about 7 points against no treatment or usual care in the 2026 update (moderate certainty), with little or no difference against attention control in 2 small studies. NICE makes therapeutic exercise, tailored to the person, the core treatment, and warns that joint pain may rise at first.

Sources 34, 30, 8

With very flexible joints, strength rather than stretchStrong evidence

The NHS says the main treatment for joint hypermobility syndrome is improving muscle strength and fitness, starting with low-impact exercise such as swimming or cycling, not overextending your joints just because you can, and pacing repetitive activities with regular breaks.

Source 16

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within an hour, no worse that night or the next morning; outer hip pain shouldn't rise during or after the lying hip pressEmerging evidence

During the exercise, pain up to about 5 out of 10 is acceptable. It should settle within an hour or so, and your hip should be no worse that night or the next morning. If it is, do less next time (fewer repetitions, a smaller range, a lighter load), not nothing. NHS inform's hip exercise page uses the same 0 to 10 scale, NICE warns that joint pain may rise when you start exercising for arthritis while the exercise still helps, and in trials of long-lasting pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

Outer hip pain shouldn't increase during or after the lying hip press; if it does, press more gently, as the move page says. Night pain counts: if lying on that side is worse that night after a session, do less next time (our suggestion). In pregnancy, keep active but avoid what makes your pelvic pain worse, as the NHS says. With very flexible joints, work in the middle of your range and stop any movement that makes a joint feel unstable (our suggestion, from the NHS's advice not to overextend your joints).

Sources 35, 8, 36, 17, 16

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Settle: take the squeeze off the tendons, and keep the hip moving

About the first 2 weeks, daily. Make the position changes below, load the outer hip gently without lying on it, and keep a stiff joint moving. In pregnancy, our pelvic girdle pain guide's plan replaces this one.

Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupine isometric hip abduction (belt press)Beginner · A band

3 to 5 holds of 5 to 10 s, twice a day, at a light effort · The move page's dose, the LEAP trial programme's starting dose; the Leicestershire leaflet holds for 10 s, 5 times, once or twice a day. Outer hip pain shouldn't rise during or after, and it's done on your back, not your side, as the move page says

Harder: Lateral band walk

Glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment

5 to 10 slow reps, once or twice a day · The Leicestershire outer hip leaflet's first-level bridge

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

Sit to stand from a chair demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box

5 to 10, once or twice a day, from a firm chair · The Leicestershire leaflet's chair squat; keep your knees in line with your feet (editorial)

Easier: Sit to stand, pushing on the thighs · Harder: Bodyweight squat

Supine heel slide demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupine heel slideBeginner · No equipment

10 slow reps each side, once or twice a day · The move page's dose (editorial), as in our hip pain guide's first stage; useful if the hip joint is stiff

Harder: Hip windshield wipers

Hip windshield wipers demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHip windshield wipersBeginner · No equipment

10 slow passes side to side, 2 rounds · The move page's dose (editorial), for a stiff joint. A pinch in the groin means a smaller movement, as the move page says; leave it out if rolling your knees across squeezes the outside of the hip (our suggestion)

Easier: Supine heel slide · Harder: 90/90 switch

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

Short walks, building up gradually · Editorial: the NHS says keep moving without overdoing it. Keep your weight even on both feet

Harder: Treadmill jogging

Move on when: These feel easy, and your hip is no worse that night or the next morning.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Build: hip strength without the squeeze

About weeks 2 to 8: 3 days a week, walking on most days. Load the hip muscles standing up and on your back, as the LEAP trial did, with balance work. Side-lying exercises wait until the outside of the hip is calm.

Staggered-stance bridge (offset bridge) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStaggered-stance bridge (offset bridge)Beginner · No equipment

5 slow reps each side once a day, building to 2 sets of 5 to 10 at a somewhat hard effort · The move page's dose, from the LEAP trial programme

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 10 from a lower seat without your hands, then with one foot slightly behind the other · As in our hip pain guide (editorial); the staggered sit-to-stand is the Leicestershire leaflet's second level

Easier: Sit to stand, pushing on the thighs · Harder: Bodyweight squat

Side-stepping (sideways walking) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-stepping (sideways walking)Beginner · A wall

10 steps each way next to a counter · The move page's dose, from the NHS balance exercises: hip muscle work standing up, without lying on the sore side

Harder: Lateral band walk

Low step-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLow step-upBeginner · A step

2 to 3 sets of 8 each side, holding a rail · As in our lower back and hip pain guide (editorial); keep your pelvis level and your knee over your foot

Harder: Step-up

Standing band hip extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding band hip extensionBeginner · A band + An anchor point

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose (editorial). Stop the leg where your low back starts to arch, as the move page says

Harder: Back extension on a 45-degree bench

Single-leg stand demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSingle-leg standBeginner · A wall

3 holds of 10 to 20 s each side, fingertips on a support · As in our hip pain guide (editorial). Skip it with pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy, as the move page says

Easier: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walk · Harder: Single-leg reach matrix

Move on when: Editorial: these pass the pain rule for 2 weeks, a 20 to 30 minute walk is comfortable, and lying on the sore side for a short while no longer flares it.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Strengthen: single-leg strength, bone, and back to everything

From about week 8, and ongoing: single-leg strength and impact for bone, while walking, stairs, sleep, the car and sport come back by the written steps below.

Dumbbell goblet squat demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell

3 sets of 8 to 10, to a box or chair at first · As in our hip pain guide (editorial)

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Barbell front squat

Split squat demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSplit squatIntermediate · No equipment

3 sets of 6 to 10 each side · As in our hip pain guide (editorial). Skip it, or keep the stance narrow, with pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy, as the move page says

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Reverse lunge

Single-leg Romanian deadlift demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSingle-leg Romanian deadliftAdvanced · A dumbbell

2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 each side · As in our lower back and hip pain guide (editorial). Learn it with your fingertips on a wall or rail, as the move page says

Easier: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

3D demoStep-upBeginner · A step

3 sets of 8 each side · As in our back pain guide (editorial). Lower yourself under control rather than dropping off the edge, as the move page says

Easier: Low step-up · Harder: Dumbbell step-up

Suitcase carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSuitcase carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 m each side · As in our back pain guide (editorial); the hip on the side away from the weight works to keep you level

Easier: Farmer's carry · Harder: Overhead carry (waiter's walk)

Heel drop (impact for bone) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHeel drop (impact for bone)Beginner · No equipment

20 to 30 drops, building towards about 50 on most days · The move page's dose, which it credits to the UK osteoporosis consensus, for bone after the menopause. Keep them gentle, or march instead, with spinal fractures or several low-trauma fractures, and ask your specialist first with avascular necrosis of the hip, as the move page says

Harder: Jump rope (basic bounce)

Move on when: Our suggestion: walking, stairs, sleep and your usual sport are back for 2 weeks without a flare. Keep two strength days a week; for hip arthritis, NICE makes exercise the long-term core treatment.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Positions that squeeze the outer hip tendons (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show these. They come from NHS inform and an NHS trust leaflet, and the LEAP trial's education taught the same ideas.

1. Spread your weight evenly across both feet; don't stand leaning on one leg with your hip pushed out.
2. Don't sit with your legs crossed, and avoid low chairs.
3. If lying on the painful side hurts, lie on the other side with a pillow between your knees, and a pillow behind your back so you don't roll onto the sore side; or lie on your back with a pillow under your knees.
4. Build walking up gradually rather than jumping to longer or faster walks.
5. Keep active and stay at work if you can, changing your duties if you need to.

Sources 2, 3, 29

Stairs, chairs, the car, shoes and ice (written steps)

These come from NHS inform and the NHS, except where a step is our suggestion.

1. On stairs, use a handrail, leading with your good leg going up and the sore leg coming down. A walking stick, if you use one, goes in the hand opposite the sore hip (NHS inform).
2. Raise low seats with a cushion, and wear supportive shoes with cushioned soles rather than high heels (NHS inform and the NHS).
3. To get into a car, sit on the seat first with your back to the car, then swing both legs in together (our suggestion, as in our lower back and hip pain guide); in pregnancy, keep your knees together getting in and out, as the NHS says.
4. Don't carry anything heavy while your hip is sore. An ice pack wrapped in a towel for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours can ease it, and extra cushions around a sore joint in bed can help (the NHS).

Sources 37, 7, 17, 38

With very flexible joints (written steps)

These come from the NHS's joint hypermobility page.

1. Start with low-impact exercise such as swimming or cycling.
2. Don't overextend your joints just because you can.
3. Pace repetitive activities with regular breaks.
4. Wear supportive shoes, and special insoles if a podiatrist recommends them.

Source 16

Medicines, injections and surgery

For outer hip pain, a steroid injection helped at 8 weeks, but less than education plus exercise, and it wasn't better at a year; NHS inform mentions an injection if painkillers aren't controlling the pain, adding that it may not cure the condition. Menopausal hormone cream didn't clearly help in a trial. For hip arthritis, the NHS lists painkillers, physiotherapy, steroid injections and, when other treatments haven't helped, a hip replacement. A broken hip needs surgery, usually on the day you arrive at hospital or the day after.

Sources 29, 2, 31, 7, 21

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Lying on the painful hip	NHS inform and an NHS trust leaflet advise against it with outer hip pain.	The other side, with a pillow between your knees and one behind your back.
Sitting cross-legged, or standing with your weight on one hip	NHS inform lists both among the positions that load the outer hip.	Feet flat, with your weight even on both feet.
Side-lying leg lifts while the outside of the hip hurts	The move page warns the position can aggravate outer hip pain.	The lying hip press and staggered bridges, as in the LEAP trial.Try: Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press)
Clamshells lying on the sore side	The move page says pad the bottom hip, or start from the other side, if it's sore to lie on.	Start on the other side, or use the lying hip press for now.Try: Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press)
Pulling your knee across your body to stretch	The move page says skip it with outer hip pain, because it presses the tendons against the bone.	Gentle hip movement within comfort.Try: Supine heel slide
A sudden jump in walking distance or pace	NHS inform lists it among the things that bring outer hip pain on.	Shorter walks, more often, building up gradually.Try: Treadmill walking
Low chairs and sofas	NHS inform and the NHS say to avoid low seating with a sore hip.	A higher, firm chair, or a cushion to raise the seat.Try: Sit to stand from a chair
Deep end-of-range stretches with very flexible joints	The NHS says don't overextend your joints just because you can.	Strength and control in the middle of your range.Try: Staggered-stance bridge (offset bridge)
Waiting for an injection or HRT to fix outer hip pain	Education plus exercise did better than an injection in a trial, and hormone therapy didn't clearly help.	The staged plan on this page.Try: Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press)
Wide-legged poses with pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy	The move page says skip it, or keep the stance narrow, with pelvic girdle pain.	Even stances, with your knees no wider than your hips.Try: Sit to stand from a chair
Heavy shopping on one side	The NHS says don't carry anything heavy while your hip is sore.	Split the load, or use a trolley or a rucksack.Try: Suitcase carry

Routines to follow

Pilates for hip pain: a 20-minute class that spares the hip

A 20-minute Pilates class for hip pain: bridges, outer-hip holds, standing leg work and balance, without deep bends, crossed legs or lying on the sore side.

20 minBeginner14 movesA band, A wall

Glute workout at home

A 25-minute glute workout with bodyweight and a mini band: bridges, clamshells, band walks, kickbacks and lunges.

25 minBeginner9 movesA wall, A band

Hip mobility routine

A 15-minute hip opener: 90/90 switches, windshield wipers, CARs, Cossack squats, frog and pigeon.

15 minIntermediate8 movesA wall

Hypermobility exercises: a strength and control routine

A 25-minute low-load routine for hypermobile joints: hip, trunk and shoulder control plus balance, done slowly in the middle of your range.

25 minBeginner15 movesA bench or box, A wall

Strength and balance workout

Strength and balance in one session: squats, Romanian deadlifts, push-ups, rows, step-ups, back extensions, carries and single-leg balance.

45 minBeginner14 movesA wall, A dumbbell

Pregnancy strength workout (no lying on your back)

A 30-minute strength workout for any trimester with dumbbells and a band: squats, rows, hinges, presses and side-lying hip work, none on your back.

30 minBeginner14 movesA dumbbell, A bench or box

Postnatal strength workout (from about 6 weeks)

A 25-minute strength workout from about 6 weeks after birth: sit-to-stands, deadlift practice, push-ups, rows, bridges and tummy work, with the knack.

25 minBeginner14 movesA bench or box, A kettlebell

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

What causes hip pain in women?

From about 40, most often the tendons on the outside of the hip, which affected one hip in 15% of women aged 50 to 79 in a US study; later, the hip joint itself (arthritis); and in younger women, a shallow socket or very flexible joints. Pregnancy, bone loss after the menopause and the lower back can all be felt in the hip too.

Why do my hips hurt at night?

Usually because lying on a sore outer hip squeezes the tendons. Lie on the other side with a pillow between your knees and another behind your back, or on your back with a pillow under your knees; the NHS also suggests extra cushions around a sore joint in bed. Hip arthritis can ache at night too, and bone pain that is constant or worse at night, especially with a lump, weight loss, a fever or a past history of cancer, needs a GP.

Is hip pain a sign of the menopause?

Outer hip tendon pain is commonest in women aged 40 to 60, and NHS inform says hormone changes may play a part; the NHS also lists joint pains among menopause symptoms. But hormone therapy didn't clearly ease outer hip pain in a trial of 132 postmenopausal women, while education and exercise did help in a larger trial.

Why do my hips hurt before or during my period?

Period cramps can spread to the back and thighs. Pain deep in the pelvis that comes with periods, with pain during sex or heavy periods, can be endometriosis, which needs a GP. Hip joint or outer hip pain that doesn't follow your cycle is more likely to be the hip itself.

Hip pain in women over 50 or 60: what is it likely to be?

Outer hip tendon pain and hip arthritis are the commonest. After a fall, not being able to stand or put weight on the leg is a 999 call for a broken hip: in England in 2024, 69% of people who broke a hip were women, and the average age was 82.

Why do my hips hurt in my 20s or 30s?

In young women, a shallow hip socket (dysplasia) that was missed in childhood and very flexible joints are the causes most linked with being a woman, and at one hip clinic most adults with dysplasia had very flexible joints. A labral tear or impingement can also cause groin pain with clicking or catching. Strengthening, not more stretching, is the main treatment for very flexible joints, and our hip dysplasia guide covers the rest.

Is hip pain in pregnancy normal?

Pelvic girdle pain affects up to 1 in 5 pregnant women; it isn't harmful to your baby, and a physiotherapist can help. Sudden, severe hip or groin pain, or not being able to put weight on a leg, especially late in pregnancy, needs help the same day.

Is it my hip or my back?

Groin pain, stiffness and a limp point to the hip joint, and pain over the bony point on the outside of the hip points to the tendons. Back stiffness, pins and needles or pain down the leg point to the back, which can be felt only in the buttock and over the outer hip. Our lower back and hip pain guide goes through the clues.

What helps outer hip pain?

In a trial, education about avoiding positions that squeeze the tendons, plus exercise that built up gradually, did better than a steroid injection or waiting: 51 of 66 people rated it a success at 8 weeks. Expect it to take 8 to 12 weeks, sometimes longer.

Are clamshells and side-lying leg lifts good for hip pain?

Not at first while the outside of the hip hurts: the side-lying leg raise page warns the position can aggravate it, and the clamshell page says to pad the bottom hip or start from the other side. The lying hip press and staggered bridges load the same muscles without lying on the hip, as in the LEAP trial, and side-lying work can come back later.

Could a lump at the top of my thigh be a hernia?

A small, grape-sized lump in the groin crease, mainly in women over 50, can be a femoral hernia, which needs treating in hospital, so see a GP. Call 999 if it comes with very bad tummy pain, vomiting or being unable to poo or fart.

When is hip pain serious?

Call 999 or go to A&E for severe hip pain, or not being able to stand or put weight on the leg, after a fall. Get an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 for a hot, swollen hip, or hip pain with a high temperature or feeling unwell, and see a GP if it isn't better after 2 weeks or stops your usual activities.

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.