Hip Pain Treatment Salt Lake City | Physical Therapy for Hip Pain

Dr. Emily Warren, DPT treats hip pain one-on-one at Mindful Movement Physical Therapies in Holladay and Salt Lake City. No referral needed in Utah. Most patients see significant improvement in 4–8 visits.

📞 Call: (385) 332-4939
📅 Book Your Evaluation Online →

Quick Answer

Hip pain is one of the most common — and most treatable — musculoskeletal complaints we see in physical therapy. Whether it’s sharp pain in the front of your hip, aching in the groin, tightness in the outer hip that won’t quit, or pain that wakes you up at night, physical therapy can identify the exact cause and create a targeted plan to fix it. Most hip pain patients don’t need surgery or long-term medications — they need an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment. That’s what we do at Mindful Movement Physical Therapies in Salt Lake City.

Why Hip Pain Is So Often Mismanaged

Hip pain is notoriously misdiagnosed — partly because the hip is a complex joint that sits at the crossroads of the spine, pelvis, and lower extremity, and partly because “hip pain” can mean very different things depending on where exactly it hurts.

Pain in the front of the hip and groin feels completely different from pain on the outside of the hip (the lateral hip or “IT band area”), which is different again from deep buttock pain, or posterior hip pain that radiates into the thigh. Each location points to different structures — and requires different treatment.

Common mismanagement scenarios:

• Told it’s “just arthritis” and to live with it — often not the full story, and rarely the only option
• Treated for IT band syndrome when the real issue is hip impingement or labral pathology
• Given core strengthening exercises when the actual problem is hip external rotator weakness or hip flexor dysfunction
• Recommended surgery before conservative treatment has been given a genuine chance

A thorough physical therapy evaluation — one that assesses hip mobility, strength, neuromuscular control, and movement patterns — clarifies exactly what’s happening and what needs to change. That’s where we start at MMPT.

Common Causes of Hip Pain We Treat

Hip Osteoarthritis

Hip OA is the gradual breakdown of the cartilage that cushions the ball-and-socket joint. It typically causes a deep, aching pain in the groin or front of the hip that’s worse with prolonged standing, walking, and stairs. Morning stiffness that eases after 20–30 minutes is a hallmark sign.

Physical therapy for hip OA focuses on improving joint mobility (manual therapy is highly effective here), strengthening the muscles around the hip to offload the joint, and changing movement patterns that accelerate wear. Research consistently shows that PT for hip OA reduces pain and improves function — often as effectively as surgery for mild-to-moderate cases.

Hip Labral Tears

The labrum is a ring of cartilage that deepens the hip socket and provides stability. Labral tears are common in active adults — especially runners, cyclists, dancers, and anyone who has experienced a hip impingement issue. They typically cause sharp, catching pain deep in the front of the hip or groin, sometimes with a clicking or locking sensation.

Not all labral tears need surgery. Physical therapy addresses the underlying mechanics that caused the tear — usually hip impingement (FAI), muscle imbalances, or movement faults — and can significantly reduce symptoms and restore function. Many patients with confirmed labral tears on MRI do excellently with PT alone.

Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)

FAI occurs when extra bone forms on the femoral head (cam impingement), the acetabular rim (pincer impingement), or both — causing the bones to pinch against each other during hip flexion and rotation. It’s a common cause of hip pain in young, active adults and athletes.

Physical therapy for FAI focuses on modifying activities that provoke impingement, improving hip mobility in pain-free ranges, strengthening the hip and core to improve joint control, and retraining movement patterns. Surgery is sometimes needed for structural FAI, but conservative management with PT should always be the first step.

Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (Lateral Hip Pain)

Previously called “trochanteric bursitis,” we now understand that most lateral hip pain is actually a tendinopathy of the gluteus medius and minimus tendons — not bursa inflammation. It causes pain on the outside of the hip that’s worse with standing on one leg, crossing the legs, lying on the affected side, and climbing stairs.

The evidence-based treatment is specific tendon loading — progressive strengthening of the gluteal tendons, carefully graded to load the tendon without provoking compression. Stretching the hip into adduction (crossing the leg) actually makes this condition worse. Many patients have been treating this incorrectly for years before getting the right diagnosis and approach.

Hip Flexor Strain and Iliopsoas Dysfunction

The hip flexors — particularly the iliopsoas — are chronically overworked in people who sit for long periods or engage in activities that require repeated hip flexion (cycling, running, rowing). Iliopsoas tendinopathy or strain causes pain at the front of the hip, groin, or sometimes the inner thigh, often with a “snapping” sensation as the tendon crosses the hip joint.

Treatment involves activity modification, specific eccentric strengthening, and correcting the movement patterns (often related to lumbar spine mechanics) that overload the iliopsoas.

Piriformis Syndrome / Deep Gluteal Syndrome

Pain deep in the buttock that may radiate down the back of the thigh is often attributed to the piriformis muscle and its relationship to the sciatic nerve. Deep gluteal syndrome is the broader term for a group of conditions where structures in the deep gluteal space irritate the sciatic nerve.

This is frequently confused with lumbar disc herniation or sciatica from a spinal source — and the treatment is different. A careful examination to distinguish between spinal and hip-based nerve irritation is essential before starting treatment.

Hip Pain After Total Hip Replacement

Post-surgical rehabilitation after total hip replacement (THR) is critical for full recovery. Physical therapy addresses the specific precautions of your implant approach, rebuilds hip strength and neuromuscular control, restores normal gait, and gets you back to the activities you want to do — safely and at the right pace.

What a Physical Therapy Evaluation for Hip Pain Looks Like

At MMPT, your first appointment is a 60–90 minute one-on-one evaluation with Dr. Emily Warren. We don’t rush. Here’s what to expect:

History and Symptom Profile

We’ll ask detailed questions about where the pain is, what makes it better and worse, how long it’s been going on, what activities you can and can’t do, and what you’ve already tried. This isn’t perfunctory — these answers guide the entire examination. A clicking hip that’s worse with squats and hip flexion is a very different clinical picture than a night-aching hip that’s worse after walking.

Mobility and Range of Motion Assessment

We’ll assess hip flexion, extension, internal and external rotation, abduction, and adduction — in multiple positions. We’re looking for which movements are restricted, which reproduce your pain, and how the hip moves compared to the other side.

Hip Strength Testing

Weakness in specific muscle groups — particularly the hip abductors, external rotators, and extensors — is a key driver of most hip pathologies. We test these precisely, because “do some hip strengthening” is not a treatment plan.

Special Tests and Provocation Testing

Clinical tests like FADIR (flexion-adduction-internal rotation), FABER, Thomas test, Trendelenburg, and passive range of motion provocation help differentiate between intra-articular (labral, OA, FAI) and extra-articular (tendon, bursa, muscle) causes of hip pain. When these findings are combined with your history, we can usually identify the primary driver of your pain within the evaluation.

Movement Analysis

We watch you walk, squat, and do single-leg activities. The way you move reveals a lot — hip drop during walking (indicating gluteus medius weakness), contralateral pelvic drop in a single-leg squat, or forward trunk lean that overloads the hip flexors. Addressing movement faults is often the most important part of long-term recovery.

Physical Therapy Treatments for Hip Pain

Manual Therapy

Hands-on joint mobilization and manipulation of the hip is one of the most effective ways to quickly improve hip mobility and reduce pain — particularly for hip OA and post-surgical stiffness. Dr. Warren uses specific joint mobilization techniques to restore gliding and rolling mechanics of the femoral head in the acetabulum. Patients often experience meaningful improvement in mobility in a single session.

Therapeutic Exercise

Progressive strengthening is the cornerstone of hip rehabilitation. The specific exercises depend entirely on the diagnosis — lateral hip tendinopathy requires progressive tendon loading with isometrics and isotonics; hip OA benefits from closed-chain strengthening and gait training; FAI management focuses on motor control and movement retraining.

What we don’t do: give you a sheet of 10 generic hip exercises and send you home. Every program at MMPT is individualized and progressed based on how you respond.

Dry Needling

Dry needling targets myofascial trigger points — hyperirritable spots in muscle tissue that contribute to local and referred pain. For hip conditions, dry needling of the gluteus medius, piriformis, hip flexors, and TFL can quickly decrease pain and improve range of motion, allowing patients to engage more effectively with strengthening exercises.

Activity Modification and Load Management

For tendinopathies especially, knowing what to avoid (and for how long) is as important as knowing what to do. Compressive loading on the lateral hip tendons (like sitting cross-legged, stretching into hip adduction, or running with too much hip drop) needs to be temporarily reduced while the tendon heals. We give you specific, practical guidance on this — not just “rest.”

Gait Training

How you walk directly affects your hip. Increased step width, altered cadence, trunk lean modification, and arm swing correction can meaningfully reduce hip joint loading — which matters both for pain relief and long-term joint health. We analyze your gait in detail and provide targeted cues and exercises to improve it.

Hip Pain and Hip Replacement: When to Consider Surgery

Physical therapy is the right first step for most hip conditions. Surgery becomes appropriate when:

• Hip OA has progressed to severe, bone-on-bone joint space narrowing with significant disability and failed conservative care
• FAI with structural cam or pincer morphology is causing ongoing symptoms and functional limitation despite good conservative management
• Labral tears are large, displaced, or associated with significant cartilage damage
• Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head is present

Even when surgery is ultimately needed, pre-surgical physical therapy (“prehab”) improves surgical outcomes and speeds recovery. And post-surgical PT is essential for any hip procedure.

We’ll be honest with you about where you are on this spectrum. If we think surgical evaluation is warranted, we’ll say so and refer appropriately. Our job is to get you the right outcome — not to keep you in PT indefinitely if that’s not serving you.

Common Questions About Hip Pain

How long does hip pain take to heal with physical therapy?

It depends on the diagnosis. Hip OA typically shows meaningful improvement in 6–8 sessions over 6–8 weeks. Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (lateral hip tendinopathy) often takes 8–12 weeks of consistent loading to fully resolve. Hip labral tears or FAI can take 12–16 weeks with good conservative management. Post-surgical rehab timelines are protocol-dependent. The honest answer: most people see clear progress within 4 visits, and know they’re on the right track.

Should I stretch my hip if it hurts?

It depends on what’s wrong. For hip OA, gentle mobility work is generally fine and often helpful. For lateral hip tendinopathy, aggressive hip stretching into adduction is often harmful and will slow your recovery. For FAI and labral issues, deep flexion positions may provoke symptoms. This is why getting an accurate diagnosis matters — the wrong exercise approach can delay or worsen your condition.

Can hip pain cause knee or back pain?

Yes — frequently. The hip is mechanically connected to both the lumbar spine and the knee. Hip weakness and restricted mobility are documented risk factors for low back pain, IT band syndrome, patellofemoral knee pain, and even plantar fasciitis. We often find hip dysfunction as a contributing factor in patients who present with knee or back complaints. Treating the hip can resolve problems elsewhere in the chain.

Is my hip pain related to my back?

Possibly. Lumbar nerve roots refer pain into the hip and thigh, and hip OA can refer pain into the groin and anterior thigh in patterns that look like lumbar radiculopathy. Differentiating between spinal and hip sources of pain requires a careful clinical exam. Sometimes it’s both — which makes accurate assessment even more important.

Do I need an MRI before starting physical therapy?

Not in most cases. A good clinical examination can identify the most likely diagnosis and guide treatment without imaging. If symptoms suggest a labral tear, AVN, or other structural issue that changes the management plan, we’ll recommend imaging — but most patients can start treatment and make meaningful progress without waiting for an MRI report.

Do I need a doctor’s referral for physical therapy in Utah?

No. Utah is a direct access state — you can see a physical therapist without a physician referral. You can call us today and book an evaluation directly. If you have imaging or notes from a prior provider, bring them — they’re helpful context, not a prerequisite.

Hip Pain Treatment in Salt Lake City

Hip pain limits everything — walking the dog, hiking the Wasatch, picking up your kids, getting a good night’s sleep. It doesn’t have to stay that way.

At Mindful Movement Physical Therapies, Dr. Emily Warren provides one-on-one physical therapy for hip pain in Holladay and Salt Lake City. Every session is with the doctor. No techs, no aides, no cookie-cutter programs.

No referral needed. No waitlist. Just a thorough evaluation and a plan that actually makes sense for what’s happening in your hip.

📞 Call: (385) 332-4939
📅 Book Your Hip Evaluation →

Most patients come in with questions and leave with a clear understanding of what’s wrong, what will fix it, and how long it should take. That clarity alone changes everything.

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Dr. Emily Warren, DPT is a McKenzie-certified physical therapist with over 14 years of clinical experience in Salt Lake City, specializing in spine and hip conditions. She treats patients one-on-one at Mindful Movement Physical Therapies in Holladay, Utah.

Ready to get started? Book your evaluation online with Dr. Emily Warren — Holladay, UT. No referral needed. Call or text (385) 332-4939.