Hip Pain When Walking or Climbing Stairs: What It Can Mean
Hip pain that shows up on the stairs or partway through a walk is a useful clue, because where it hurts and when it starts point to different sources. Here are the most common ones, what each usually feels like, and when hip pain needs medical care first.
The Short Answer
Pain on the outside of the hip that’s worse on stairs, when lying on that side, or getting up from a chair often points to hip bursitis. A deep ache in the groin or front of the thigh with morning stiffness suggests the hip joint itself. Pain deep in the buttock that flares on stairs or hills can come from the piriformis muscle, and pain that travels down the leg may start in the low back.
Where it hurts tells you more than how much it hurts, so start by noticing the spot and what sets it off.
Outside of the Hip: Hip Bursitis
Hip bursitis is irritation of a small cushioning sac over the bony point on the outside of the hip. The AAOS on hip bursitis describes pain at the point of the hip that often spreads down the outside of the thigh. It’s typically worse at night, when lying on that side, and when getting up from a chair, and it can flare with long walks, stair climbing or squatting.
It’s more common in women and in middle-aged and older adults. Overuse from running, stair climbing, cycling or long hours standing can bring it on, and so can a tight IT band, a leg-length difference, or spine problems that change the way you walk.
Groin or Front of the Thigh: The Hip Joint
When the hip joint itself is the problem, the pain usually sits deeper. The AAOS on hip osteoarthritis lists pain in the groin, or in the thigh spreading toward the buttock or knee, as the most common symptom. Stiffness tends to be worse in the morning or after sitting, and it can make walking or bending hard and even cause a limp. The AAOS also suggests limiting activities that aggravate it, such as climbing stairs.
Not all front-of-thigh pain comes from the joint, though. Tight hip flexors and irritated nerve roots in the upper low back can feel very similar, which is why the exam tests each one separately.
Deep in the Buttock: The Piriformis and SI Joint
Pain deep in the buttock that flares on stairs, hills or long walks often involves the piriformis, a small muscle that sits over the sciatic nerve. Cleveland Clinic on piriformis syndrome lists climbing stairs, walking or running without enough strength in that muscle among its most common causes, along with long periods of sitting. With piriformis syndrome, symptoms usually center in the butt, hip or upper leg.
The sacroiliac joint sits right next door and can cause very similar buttock pain, so both are worth checking.
What to Look for in a Provider
If hip pain keeps getting in the way, a few things are worth asking about before you book.
- An exam of the hip, pelvis and low back. All three can cause hip pain, so all three should be tested.
- Leg strength, reflex and sensation testing. This checks whether a nerve is involved.
- Imaging only when it adds something. X-rays should follow the exam findings, not replace them.
- A willingness to refer. Advanced hip arthritis or a suspected fracture needs an orthopedic specialist, and you should hear that plainly.
When the Pain Travels Down the Leg
Hip pain that keeps going down the back of the leg, past the knee or into the foot, often starts in the low back rather than the hip. That’s the classic pattern of sciatica from the low back, where a nerve root is irritated near the spine. MedlinePlus also advises getting checked when numbness or tingling in your legs gets worse as you walk.
A simple way to sort it out: pain you can point to on the outside of the hip, or deep in the groin, usually stays local. Pain that travels, burns, or comes with tingling usually involves a nerve.
What a Visit Looks Like at River of Life
Your first visit starts with a detailed history and a hands-on exam of your hip, pelvis and low back, including how you walk and how you handle a step, plus strength, reflex and sensation testing in both legs. Digital X-rays are taken in our office only when the findings call for them, and starting with a thorough exam is what keeps care pointed at the real source. If care is a good fit, it follows three steps: Prime, guided breathing; Facilitate, a gentle, specific adjustment; and Integrate, home exercises for hip strength and changes to how you sit and move. For runners, hikers and weekend athletes, this often overlaps with chiropractic care for athletes.
When Hip Pain Needs Medical Care First
Most hip pain on stairs builds gradually, but some needs a physician or the ER right away. MedlinePlus on numbness and tingling also advises emergency care when numbness comes with weakness or loss of bladder or bowel control.
Get medical care right away for:
- Sudden inability to stand or put weight on the leg
- Hip pain after a fall, especially in an older adult
- Fever, or a hip that is hot, swollen and very painful to move
- Numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or new trouble with bladder or bowel control
- Leg weakness that keeps getting worse
Stairs still a struggle?
We’re glad to answer questions before you book. See what to expect at your first visit.
Sources
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. For questions about your own health, talk with your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider.
From the team at River of Life Chiropractic, 4519 Mills Park Cir Ste 300, College Station, TX 77845.
About the Author
Dr. Levi Hansen, DC
Founder of River of Life Chiropractic in College Station, TX
Webster Certified (ICPA)B.S. Neuroscience, WSU
Raised in Kenai, Alaska, Dr. Hansen played football at Washington State, earned a B.S. in Neuroscience, then his Doctor of Chiropractic from Parker University. Every visit starts with a real exam, followed by his three-step Prime, Facilitate, Integrate process.
- Every visit starts with a physical exam
- Nervous system scans and digital X-rays
- Care for families, athletes and expecting moms
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