Hip pain

For an aching outer hip, a pinch in the groin or a deep buttock pain that will not settle. We find where the pain is coming from first, alongside your physician or orthopedist.

Book a visit

Read through

BothWesternClassical

Two lenses, one plan

Wood 木 is the phase it is most often read through. Here the Western lens leads, with the classical lens alongside.

The Western lensAnatomy, physiology, biomechanics

Joint, tendon or referral

The hip is a deep ball-and-socket joint wrapped in some of the strongest muscles in the body. Pain around it can come from the joint and its labrum, the tendons of the gluteal muscles, the hip flexors, or from the low back and sacroiliac joint.

Gluteal tendinopathy: The gluteus medius and minimus tendons attach at the greater trochanter on the outer hip. Overload and compression, such as lying on that side or crossing the legs, can make them painful, and this is often what is labeled bursitis.
The deep rotators: Under the gluteus maximus lie the piriformis and the small rotators. They steady the hip and sit next to the sciatic nerve, and they are among the muscles the needle reaches where no hand can.
Referred from the spine: Irritated lumbar segments and the sacroiliac joint can send pain to the buttock, the outer hip and the groin, so the back is always examined.

The classical lensChannels, patterns, the five phases

The Shaoyang pivot

The Gallbladder channel, Shaoyang, curves around the outer hip and runs down the side of the leg. Classically Shaoyang is the pivot, and an outer hip that will not turn freely is read as its qi failing to move.

Cold, damp and the hip: A hip that is heavier and stiffer in damp weather and better with warmth is read as cold-damp obstruction, often treated with moxibustion.
Deeper layers: Long-standing deep aching, especially with low back and knee weakness, points to the Liver and Kidney, which govern the sinews and the bones.

Patterns we often see

Shaoyang channel obstruction at the outer hip shào yáng jīng qì bù lì 少陽經氣不利
Cold and damp obstruction hán shī bì 寒濕痹
Liver and Kidney depletion gān shèn kuī xū 肝腎虧虛

Patterns are examples of how this is often read, never a diagnosis. Yours is read at your visit.

How we work: one plan

An evaluation that sorts joint from tendon from back, then dry needling and orthopedic acupuncture of the gluteal muscles, deep rotators and lumbar segments, Active Release Techniques for the hip flexors and outer thigh, and functional movement corrections for single-leg control, with distal Master Tung's points when the hip is too tender. Your physician or orthopedist handles imaging of the joint.

Where hip pain comes from

"My hip hurts" can mean four different places, and each points somewhere different:

The outer hip. Aching over the bony point at the side, worse lying on it, climbing stairs or standing on one leg. Usually the gluteal tendons, sometimes with an irritated bursa.
The groin. A deep pinch with squatting, sitting low or turning in. This is where the hip joint itself speaks, from arthritis, impingement or a labral tear, and it can call for imaging from your physician.
The front of the hip. Tight or strained hip flexors, common in runners, cyclists and long sitters.
The buttock. Often piriformis syndrome, the sacroiliac joint or the low back, sometimes with pain down the leg. See sciatica and back pain.

The hip in the chain

The outer hip muscles hold your pelvis level every time you stand on one leg, which is every step. When they tire, the knee drifts in and the low back takes up the slack. That makes the hip a frequent hidden driver of knee pain, and a stiff foot or back can return the favor.

How we work with it

The evaluation sorts joint from tendon from back, and tests single-leg balance, hip rotation and the low back. Then dry needling and orthopedic acupuncture of the gluteal muscles, the deep hip rotators and the lumbar segments that supply them, reaching layers no hand can, Active Release Techniques for the hip flexors and outer thigh, and functional movement work for hip control. Distal Master Tung's points help when the outer hip is too tender to lie on, and moxibustion when it aches in cold weather.

We track sleep on that side, stairs and single-leg standing, and retest them each visit.

Questions people ask

Can acupuncture help hip bursitis?

Much of what is called hip bursitis turns out to involve the gluteal tendons at the outer hip. Needling the gluteal muscles and adjusting how you stand, sit and sleep is a common approach, alongside your physician's care.

Why does my hip hurt at night when I lie on it?

Lying on the sore side compresses the gluteal tendons; lying on the other side with the top knee dropped stretches them across the bone. A pillow between the knees often helps, and it is one of the first things we change.

Could my hip pain be coming from my back?

Yes. The low back and the sacroiliac joint can refer pain into the buttock, the outer hip and the groin. We test the back as part of every hip evaluation.

When should I see a physician first?

After a fall, especially if you cannot bear weight, get medical care first. The same applies to a hot, swollen joint with fever, groin pain with a limp in a child or teenager, or night pain with unexplained weight loss.

This is general wellness information, not medical advice.

Ready when you are.

Book online in a couple of minutes, at either clinic.

Book a visit