A pinch in the groin at the bottom of a squat, an ache that finds you every time you lie on that side — hip pain has distinct patterns, and each one has a plan.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Carson Bailey, PT, DPT · August 2026
Hip pain in active adults most often comes from femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), labral irritation, gluteal tendinopathy, or early arthritis — each with its own signature. Physiotherapist-led exercise programs are an evidence-supported first-line treatment for hip impingement and tendinopathy, often making surgery unnecessary. RISE Physical Therapy treats hip pain one-on-one in 45-minute sessions in Boise and Nampa, Idaho, with no referral required.
"Hip pain" covers several different problems that get treated very differently. Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI) is a motion problem — extra bone contact between the ball and socket that pinches the joint's cartilage rim (the labrum) in deep flexion. Gluteal tendinopathy is a load problem of the tendons on the outside of the hip. Early osteoarthritis is a capacity problem of the joint surfaces. And a meaningful share of "hip" pain is actually referred from the lumbar spine.
Location is the first clue: impingement and joint problems tend to live in the groin — many patients make a "C" with their hand around the front of the hip when describing it — while gluteal tendinopathy aches over the bony point on the side, and back-referred pain favors the buttock. The exam then confirms with specific joint, tendon, and spine tests, because the label determines the plan.
Hips rarely improve by ignoring them — the usual course is a slowly shrinking list of comfortable positions. Book an evaluation if you notice:
Hip pain after a fall in an older adult, pain with inability to bear weight, fever, or night pain that doesn't change with position warrants medical evaluation first.
The evidence says it's a legitimate first choice. The UK FASHIoN randomized trial formalized "Personalised Hip Therapy" — a physiotherapist-led program of assessment, education, and individualized, progressive hip strengthening delivered over 12–26 weeks — as the non-operative standard for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.[1] A systematic review and meta-analysis of five randomized trials supports physiotherapy as an initial treatment for FAI,[2] and a multilevel meta-analysis comparing conservative care with hip arthroscopy found meaningful improvement in both pathways.[3]
The honest read: arthroscopy produced somewhat larger average improvements in some trials, and surgery remains right for hips that fail quality rehab — but a structured strengthening program resolves symptoms for a large share of patients at far lower cost and risk, and rehab first never burns the surgical option. For gluteal tendinopathy and early hip OA, progressive loading is even more clearly the front-line treatment.
Hip care at RISE starts by naming the actual problem — impingement, tendon, joint, or spine — then building the specific progressive program that presentation needs. Every session is 45 minutes one-on-one with the same Doctor of Physical Therapy.
Joint, tendon, and spine testing identifies which hip problem you actually have — the step that can't be skipped.
Position changes, manual therapy, and early-dose loading settle symptoms while keeping you active.
Progressive hip and trunk strengthening returns squats, hikes, and sleep — measured against baseline, not memory.
One-on-one hip care from a Doctor of Physical Therapy — no referral needed in Idaho.
Carson is a co-founder of RISE Physical Therapy and treats orthopedic, sports, and hip conditions with a hands-on, movement-first approach. He earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Pacific University in Oregon. Meet the full team →
