For most people with hip arthritis, an oral anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or naproxen offers the strongest over-the-counter pain relief. But the best approach depends on how severe your symptoms are, how long you’ve been dealing with them, and what your body tolerates. Here’s a practical breakdown of the options, from drugstore remedies to injections, including what the evidence actually supports for the hip specifically.
Why the Hip Is Different From Other Joints
The hip is one of the deepest joints in your body, surrounded by thick layers of muscle and tissue. That matters because some treatments that work well for knees or hands don’t translate to hips. Topical creams and gels containing anti-inflammatory ingredients, for instance, have solid evidence for knee and hand arthritis, but current clinical guidelines don’t recommend them for hip arthritis. The drug simply has trouble penetrating deep enough to reach the hip joint in meaningful concentrations. If you’ve been rubbing gel on your hip with underwhelming results, that’s likely why.
Anti-Inflammatory Medications (NSAIDs)
Oral NSAIDs are the most effective widely available option for hip arthritis pain. Ibuprofen (up to 2,400 mg per day in divided doses) and naproxen (up to 1,000 mg per day) are the two most common choices. They reduce both pain and the inflammation driving it, which gives them an edge over plain pain relievers.
The catch is long-term safety. Most clinical trials on NSAIDs for arthritis run less than three months, and researchers openly note that harmful effects likely become more frequent and severe with longer use. The main risks are stomach bleeding and cardiovascular problems. If you’re over 65, have a history of stomach ulcers, or take blood thinners, these risks are higher. Many people manage by using the lowest effective dose and taking NSAIDs only during flare-ups rather than daily.
Why Acetaminophen Falls Short
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is often suggested as a gentler alternative, but the evidence for hip and knee arthritis is surprisingly weak. A Cochrane review of seven trials involving over 2,300 patients found that acetaminophen reduced pain by only about 3 points on a 100-point scale compared to placebo. That’s a 3% improvement, well below the 9% threshold researchers consider clinically meaningful. In practical terms, most people with hip arthritis won’t notice a difference from acetaminophen alone. It’s easier on the stomach than NSAIDs, but for many people it simply doesn’t do enough.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin
These are among the most popular joint supplements on the market, but the hip-specific evidence is discouraging. A two-year randomized trial gave patients with hip arthritis glucosamine sulfate at 750 mg twice daily or a placebo. There were no meaningful differences in pain, physical function, or joint deterioration on imaging over the full 24 months. This is notable because glucosamine sulfate is considered the “better” form of the supplement. An earlier landmark trial on knee arthritis used a different form (glucosamine hydrochloride) and also showed little benefit, and critics argued the wrong form was used. The hip trial used the preferred form and still found nothing.
Some people report feeling better on these supplements, and they’re generally safe. But if you’ve been taking them for a few months without noticeable improvement, the research suggests you’re unlikely to see a change by continuing.
Turmeric and Curcumin
Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has more promising data than many supplements. A meta-analysis of randomized trials found that about 1,000 mg per day of curcumin taken for 8 to 12 weeks reduced arthritis pain and inflammation at levels comparable to ibuprofen. When taken alongside a standard pain reliever, a lower dose of around 500 mg per day appeared sufficient.
There’s an important caveat: your body absorbs curcumin poorly on its own. The formulations that performed well in trials typically included piperine, a black pepper extract that dramatically increases absorption. One effective dosing regimen used in research was 500 mg of curcumin three times daily paired with 5 mg of piperine at each dose. If you’re buying a curcumin supplement, look for one that includes piperine (sometimes labeled as BioPerine) or uses another enhanced-absorption formula. Plain turmeric capsules without an absorption enhancer are unlikely to deliver enough curcumin to your joints.
Corticosteroid Injections
When oral treatments aren’t cutting it, corticosteroid injections directly into the hip joint are a common next step. A review of the evidence found that these injections provide meaningful pain relief lasting up to 12 weeks. They’re done under imaging guidance (usually ultrasound) because the hip is too deep for a blind injection.
The standard limit is three to four injections per joint per year. This isn’t an arbitrary number. Repeated steroid injections may affect cartilage health over time, though the data on this for hip joints specifically is still unclear. For many people, injections work best as a bridge: they buy time during a bad flare or help you stay active enough to do the physical therapy and exercise that provide longer-term benefits.
Hyaluronic Acid Injections
Hyaluronic acid injections (sometimes called viscosupplementation) aim to restore some of the natural lubricating fluid in the joint. While widely used and well-supported for knee arthritis, the evidence for hips is thinner. Most clinical guidelines don’t formally recommend them for hip arthritis due to limited data.
That said, a clinical follow-up study of 40 patients who received a single hyaluronic acid injection in the hip found a 25% reduction in pain scores and about a 12% improvement in physical function at six months, with no adverse events reported. These are modest but real improvements. If you’ve tried NSAIDs and corticosteroid injections without adequate relief, hyaluronic acid is a reasonable option to discuss, though insurance coverage varies and you may pay out of pocket.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
PRP injections use a concentrated sample of your own blood platelets, injected into the joint to promote healing. The idea is appealing, but the hip-specific evidence is mixed at best. Several meta-analyses have compared PRP to other injections for hip arthritis, and the results are inconsistent. One analysis of 11 randomized trials involving over 1,300 patients concluded that PRP did not demonstrate superior pain relief or functional improvement over placebo saline injections in the first six months. Another systematic review found no statistically significant difference between PRP and control groups for hip arthritis pain scores.
PRP is generally safe, with only mild side effects. But given the weak evidence for hips specifically, combined with costs that typically range from several hundred to over a thousand dollars per injection (rarely covered by insurance), it’s hard to recommend as a go-to option. The long-term effects also remain unstudied.
Exercise and Physical Therapy
No pill or injection works as well in isolation as it does combined with movement. Strengthening the muscles around the hip, particularly the glutes and hip flexors, reduces the load on the joint itself and can significantly decrease pain. Water-based exercise is especially useful for hip arthritis because buoyancy takes pressure off the joint while still allowing you to build strength.
A physical therapist who specializes in hip problems can design a program around your current pain level. Many people find that a few weeks of guided therapy teaches them enough to continue independently. The key is consistency: the benefits of exercise for arthritis build over weeks and persist only as long as you keep at it.
Putting It All Together
For mild to moderate hip arthritis, a reasonable starting point is an oral NSAID taken at the lowest effective dose during flare-ups, combined with regular hip-strengthening exercise. Adding a curcumin supplement with piperine may provide additional anti-inflammatory benefit with few downsides. Skip the glucosamine unless you’ve already noticed a personal benefit, and don’t expect much from acetaminophen alone.
If oral options aren’t enough, corticosteroid injections offer reliable short-term relief up to a few times per year. Hyaluronic acid injections are a secondary option with more modest evidence. PRP remains unproven for hips specifically. And if none of these approaches adequately control your pain and you’re losing the ability to do daily activities, that’s typically when surgical options like hip replacement enter the conversation.