According to research, hip pain is a relatively common type of pain to experience. It affects more older adults than younger people and is often chronic. About 30% to 40% of older adults experience chronic hip pain. If you’re an older adult who is feeling discomfort in their hips, you’re probably all too familiar with how much it can affect your daily life — especially during seemingly simple movements, like sitting down and standing up. Not sure what is causing your hip pain when you sit? Find out some possible explanations and the best kinds of treatment for them.
What are some general causes of hip pain while sitting?
There are several reasons why a person might experience hip pain when they sit down. Not sure what could potentially cause this? Check out some of the general causes.
- Poor posture — One potential cause is poor posture. Poor posture is when you sit with your back or neck hunched over. It's important to remember to sit up straight to try to avoid hip pain when you sit down.
- Poor sitting position — Another general cause of hip pain while sitting is a poor sitting position. Certain positions like crossing your legs can place strain on your hips. This could contribute to your hip pain when sitting down.
- Unstable surface — Another potential cause of hip pain while sitting is an unstable sitting surface. An example of this is sitting on a broken chair. It causes your weight to be unevenly distributed and may place extra strain on your hips.
What are some conditions that cause hip pain while sitting?
We've already listed and discussed some general causes of hip pain when sitting down, but did you know there are some more specific conditions that can cause this pain? Let’s take a look.
- Tendinitis — Tendinitis is a condition in which the tendons become inflamed and painful. It can occur anywhere there are tendons, including the hips. The tendon is the piece of tissue that connects the muscle in the body to parts of the bone. When the tendon in the hip becomes inflamed, it may become painful to sit down. This is most likely caused by the movement of the irritated tendon when you sit.
- Arthritis — Arthritis is another type of inflammatory condition. This condition involves the inflammation of the joints. It’s possible that you’re dealing with inflamed hip joints. Hip arthritis could make sitting down feel painful, especially if you don’t move or exercise frequently.
- Bursitis — Bursitis, like tendinitis and arthritis, also involves inflammation. This type of inflammatory condition involves the bursae, which are little fluid-filled sacs located on the outside of each joint. They too can affect the hips and make sitting feel uncomfortable.
- Pinched nerve — A pinched nerve, also called a compressed nerve, can occur when something presses up against the nerve. The compression can be caused by a bone spur, a piece of cartilage, a tendon and even muscle. When a nerve becomes compressed, it can cause radiating pain, numbness and tingling. These symptoms could be exacerbated by sitting movements in some cases.
- Sciatica — Sciatica is a type of nerve pain. It’s specific to the sciatic nerve located in the lower back, buttocks and legs. When this nerve becomes compressed, it may also cause pain in the hips when sitting.
What can be used to treat hip pain that occurs while sitting?
There are several methods for treating hip pain that occurs while sitting. Some of these can be performed by health care professionals while others may be performed by you at home:
- Physical therapy — Physical therapy is a great option for treating hip pain that occurs when sitting. It is noninvasive, and the effects are long term, involve minimal discomfort, and can produce significant results. Physical therapists are highly educated specialists in relieving and preventing pain for all sorts of patients.
- Hot or cold therapy — If you’re looking for an at-home treatment method, you could try using heated packs or ice packs on your hip. These can stimulate blood flow and reduce inflammation and pain in the area, even if temporarily.
- Anti-inflammatory medication — Anti-inflammatory medication is another at-home treatment method that can help temporarily. It can relieve pain for a few hours at a time so that you can sit more comfortably and without pain.
Ready to take the next step toward finding relief? Alliance PTP can be the one to guide you
Ready to try in-person physical therapy for your injury or condition? You’ll find plenty of options to choose from among the Alliance Physical Therapy Partners practices nationwide.
Our team can quickly put you in touch with one of our partner clinics near you, and their friendly and knowledgeable local staff can help you find care for your hip pain when sitting.
Don’t have the time to see a physical therapist in person? Not a problem. Alliance PTP and its partners can also see you virtually in nearly every state.
Still have questions about what we and our partners can do for you? We’re ready to answer them and help you find the physical therapy you need.
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