Hip Pain Treatment in Happy Valley, OR

Hip pain is one of the more confusing injury presentations to navigate on your own — the area is complex, the causes vary widely, and the pain doesn't always come from where you think. A deep pinch at the front of the hip during squatting points somewhere different than aching on the outside of the hip when you walk, which points somewhere different than pain in the glutes and down the back of the leg.

Getting the right answer means understanding which of those patterns you have — and whether the problem is actually in the hip at all. The low back refers pain to the hip region more often than most people realize, and treating the wrong source is a reliable way to spin your wheels.

What the Research Says

• For intra-articular hip conditions, restoring hip mobility reduces joint inflammation and improves function — joints need movement to stay healthy, not rest

• For extra-articular conditions — tendinopathy, bursitis, muscle-related pain — progressive loading and strengthening consistently outperforms passive treatment for long-term outcomes

• Strength-based rehabilitation reduces reinjury risk and builds the capacity to stay active, not just manage symptoms in the short term

What Causes Hip Pain?

Hip pain generally falls into two categories — problems inside the joint (intra-articular) or problems in the muscles, tendons, and bursae around it (extra-articular). The distinction matters because the treatment approach differs.

• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) — a pinching sensation deep in the joint, usually at end range of flexion or rotation; common in active adults and athletes who squat or load through a full range

• Hip labral tear — often overlaps with FAI; creates catching, clicking, or deep groin pain; responds well to conservative care in most cases

• Gluteal tendinopathy / greater trochanteric bursitis — aching on the outside of the hip, worse with stairs, crossing legs, or lying on that side; driven by compression and load on the lateral hip tendons

• Hip flexor strain or tendinopathy — anterior hip pain, common in runners and athletes with high hip flexion demands

• Hip osteoarthritis — gradual stiffness and aching that worsens with activity; more manageable with exercise than most people expect

• Referred pain from the lumbar spine — the L1–L3 nerve roots commonly refer into the hip, groin, and anterior thigh; this is why every hip assessment at Timber and Iron includes a screen of the low back

• Post-surgical hip rehab — return to sport or full function after labral repair, FAI correction, or hip replacement requires progressive loading well beyond what most post-op protocols provide

If you're unsure whether your pain is coming from the hip or the low back, you're not alone — it's one of the most common diagnostic questions in PT. Our post on Work-Related Back Pain: How to Set Up a Pain-Free Workspace covers how poor sitting mechanics can drive both low back and hip pain simultaneously — and what to do about it.

Timber and Iron's Approach to Hip Pain

Ryan's assessment maps out the full movement picture — hip mobility, loading patterns, single-leg stability, and lumbar involvement — before any treatment begins. Treatment varies significantly based on whether the pain is intra-articular or extra-articular, and whether compression or tension is the primary driver.

The goal in the short term is to calm the irritable tissue. The goal in the long term is to build the hip's capacity — the strength, stability, and endurance — so the same activities don't keep triggering the same pain.

One thing that comes up constantly with hip pain is confusion about stretching versus actual mobility work. For most hip conditions, passive stretching alone doesn't move the needle the way people expect. Our post on Stretching vs. Mobility: What the Research Really Says breaks down why — and what actually restores range of motion.

Treatment options we use for hip pain:

• Hip traction techniques — decompress the joint and restore range of motion for intra-articular presentations

• Myofascial Decompression (Cupping) — posterior hip, glutes, and lateral chain decompression

• IASTM (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization) — targeted work on the glute tendons, IT band, and hip flexors

• Soft Tissue Mobilization — hands-on release of the TFL, piriformis, psoas, and adductors

• Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR) — rebuild glute and hip strength at low loads; especially useful when the hip is too irritable for heavy loading

• Strengthening and Conditioning — progressive glute, hip, and core loading built around your goals and the specific tissue involved