Most hip pain improves with a combination of rest, targeted movement, and simple changes to how you sit and sleep. The right approach depends on what’s causing your pain, but several effective strategies work across nearly all common hip conditions. Here’s what you can start doing today, and what to consider if home remedies aren’t enough.
Figure Out What’s Driving Your Pain
Before jumping into solutions, it helps to narrow down the source. The three most common culprits behind hip pain each feel distinctly different.
Bursitis (greater trochanteric pain syndrome) causes pain on the outside of your hip. It gets worse with walking, sitting for long stretches, and lying on the affected side at night. It’s often an overuse issue from repetitive movements or sudden increases in activity.
Osteoarthritis develops gradually. You’ll notice a deep, achy stiffness that worsens after sitting or walking for extended periods. Rotating your hip or bringing your knee toward your chest may reproduce the pain. This is the wear-and-tear condition most common after age 50, though it can appear earlier.
Labral tears tend to cause pain in the front of the hip, often with a clicking, catching, or popping sensation. They’re common in people who play sports involving twisting or pivoting, like soccer, basketball, hockey, dance, or gymnastics. A traumatic injury or repetitive motion is usually involved.
Use Ice and Heat Strategically
Cold therapy is your first move after a new injury or a flare-up. Apply an ice pack (wrapped in a cloth) for no more than 20 minutes at a time, four to eight times a day, for the first two days. Cold constricts blood vessels and limits swelling.
After that initial two-day window, switch to heat. A warm towel, heating pad, or warm bath relaxes tight muscles and increases blood flow to stiff joints. Don’t use heat on an area that’s still swollen, red, or hot to the touch, as it can make inflammation worse.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen and naproxen reduce both pain and swelling, making them particularly useful for bursitis and arthritis flare-ups. Over-the-counter naproxen should not be taken for longer than 10 days without medical guidance. Acetaminophen can help with pain but doesn’t address inflammation, so it’s better suited for mild, general achiness.
If you’d rather avoid pills, topical capsaicin cream applied in a thin layer three to five times daily can provide localized relief. It works by gradually reducing pain signals from the area. Expect a burning sensation the first few applications that fades with consistent use.
Exercises That Build Hip Stability
Movement is one of the most effective long-term treatments for hip pain. The goal is to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint so they absorb more load and take pressure off damaged or inflamed structures. The Arthritis Foundation recommends a mix of stretching, strengthening, and functional movement.
For flexibility, start with a knee-to-chest stretch (lying on your back, pulling one knee gently toward your chest) and a seated butterfly stretch (sitting with the soles of your feet together, letting your knees fall outward). Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds without bouncing.
For strength, these four exercises target the muscles that stabilize your hip:
- Bridges: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top. Progress to extending one leg at the top once this feels easy.
- Clamshells: Lie on your side with knees bent and stacked. Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee open like a clamshell. This isolates the deep hip rotator muscles that often weaken first.
- Side leg raises: Lie on your side with your bottom knee slightly bent for balance. Lift your top leg straight up, keeping your toes pointed forward. This strengthens the outer hip muscles that control your pelvis when you walk.
- Side-steps with a resistance band: Place a loop band around your ankles or just above your knees. Step sideways in a slight squat, keeping tension on the band throughout.
For functional strength, sit-to-stands (repeatedly standing up from a chair without using your hands) and step-ups onto a low platform build the kind of power you use in daily life. The last few repetitions in any set should feel difficult but not impossible. Start with two sets of 8 to 12 repetitions and increase as your strength improves. If any exercise increases your pain, reduce the range of motion or skip it for now.
Adjust How You Sit
Prolonged sitting is one of the most common aggravators of hip pain, especially if your chair is too low or too soft. When you sit with your hips below your knees, the hip flexors stay shortened and compressed, which can worsen both bursitis and arthritis symptoms over time.
Set your chair height so your knees are at a 90-degree angle with your feet flat on the floor. Your hips should be level with or slightly higher than your knees. If your chair won’t adjust high enough, a firm seat cushion helps. Stand up and move for a few minutes every 30 to 45 minutes to prevent stiffness from setting in.
Sleep Positions That Reduce Pressure
Nighttime hip pain is especially common with bursitis, since lying on the affected side puts direct pressure on the inflamed area. Two positions help keep your hips aligned and reduce stress on the joint overnight.
If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees. This tilts your pelvis slightly and takes tension off the hip flexors. If you’re a side sleeper, place a firm pillow between your knees to keep your hips stacked and prevent your top leg from pulling the joint out of alignment. Avoid sleeping on the painful side if possible.
When Home Strategies Aren’t Enough
If weeks of consistent exercise, icing, and lifestyle adjustments haven’t improved your pain, several medical treatments can help.
Corticosteroid injections deliver a powerful anti-inflammatory directly into the joint. Some people get months of relief, though results vary widely. Hyaluronic acid injections work differently: they supplement the joint’s natural lubricant, improving function and providing pain relief that can last months or longer. The tradeoff is that they take longer to kick in than corticosteroids.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections use concentrated growth factors from your own blood to promote tissue repair. Most people notice improved function within two to six weeks. Physical therapy, often combined with any of these injections, remains one of the most effective treatments for nearly every cause of hip pain.
Signs You Need Immediate Attention
Most hip pain is manageable at home, but certain symptoms signal something more serious. Get medical attention right away if you cannot bear weight on your leg, cannot move your leg at all, heard or felt a pop at the time of injury, or see visible deformity around the hip. Sudden swelling, signs of infection (fever, chills, redness, or warmth around the hip), numbness in your leg or foot, or severe pain that keeps getting worse also warrant urgent evaluation.