What is Hip Arthritis? Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Hip pain can make ordinary movements such as walking, climbing stairs, getting out of a chair, or putting on shoes increasingly difficult. One possible cause is hip arthritis, a condition in which inflammation or degeneration affects the hip joint and gradually interferes with smooth, comfortable movement.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis affecting the hip, although rheumatoid arthritis, previous injuries, and other conditions can also damage the joint. Symptoms and progression vary considerably between individuals, so persistent hip pain should not automatically be assumed to be arthritis.

At SGVP Holistic Hospital, we assess hip pain based on its location, duration, effect on movement, clinical examination, and imaging where required. Identifying the underlying cause helps determine whether treatment should focus on exercise and symptom control or whether more significant joint damage requires surgical evaluation.

What is Hip Arthritis?

Hip arthritis refers to conditions that cause inflammation, degeneration, or damage within the hip joint. The resulting changes can produce pain, stiffness, reduced movement, and difficulty performing everyday activities.

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. The rounded head of the femur, or thigh bone, fits into a socket in the pelvis called the acetabulum. Healthy cartilage covers these surfaces and allows them to move against each other with minimal friction.

In hip osteoarthritis, this cartilage gradually becomes damaged. As the condition progresses, the joint space may narrow and changes can develop in the surrounding bone. These changes do not always match symptom severity. 

Some people have noticeable changes on an X-ray but relatively manageable symptoms, while others experience significant pain and functional limitation.

Types of Hip Arthritis

The most common types of hip arthritis are osteoarthritis and inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. 

Some well-known types of hip arthritis include:

• Osteoarthritis: The most common form. It involves progressive changes to cartilage and bone within the joint.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune inflammatory condition that can affect the lining of several joints, including the hip.
• Post-traumatic arthritis: Arthritis may develop after a previous hip fracture, dislocation, or significant joint injury.
• Other inflammatory arthritis: Conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis may involve the hip in some patients.

Septic Arthritis of the Hip

Septic arthritis of the hip is different from degenerative arthritis. It occurs when an infection develops inside the joint and requires urgent medical assessment.

Symptoms may include rapidly developing severe pain, marked restriction of movement, and sometimes fever or general illness. Joint fluid testing, blood tests, imaging, antibiotics, and surgical drainage may be required depending on the infection.

A suddenly painful hip accompanied by fever or inability to bear weight should therefore not be treated as routine arthritis pain.

What Causes Hip Arthritis?

The causes of hip arthritis depend on the type of disease. Osteoarthritis may develop gradually as changes accumulate within the joint over many years.

Factors associated with hip osteoarthritis include:

• Increasing age
• Previous hip injury
• Excess body weight
• Structural abnormalities of the hip
• Developmental hip disorders
• Family or genetic susceptibility
• Repeated stress or injury involving the joint
• Certain underlying bone or joint conditions

Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis cause joint damage through a different process involving persistent inflammation.

Symptoms of Hip Arthritis and Pain Location

The most common hip arthritis symptoms are pain and stiffness accompanied by a gradual reduction in comfortable movement. Symptoms can initially be intermittent and become more noticeable during weight-bearing activities.

Patients may notice:

• Pain while walking or standing for long periods
• Stiffness after rest
• Reduced ability to rotate or bend the hip
• Difficulty climbing stairs
• Trouble getting into or out of a vehicle
• Difficulty putting on shoes or socks
• Reduced walking distance
• Limping when symptoms become more pronounced

Symptoms of osteoarthritis may fluctuate. Having arthritis does not necessarily mean that pain will worsen continuously at a predictable rate.

Hip Arthritis Pain Location

Pain commonly develops in the groin. It may also spread into the front or side of the thigh, buttock, outer hip, or towards the knee.

Pain arising from the lower back may also be felt around the buttock or hip region. Therefore, when someone has symptoms suggestive of arthritis in the hip and lower back, examination may be needed to establish which structure is actually producing the pain.

What Are the Early Signs of Hip Arthritis?

Early hip arthritis may cause mild stiffness or discomfort before significant limitation develops. Symptoms can initially appear only after prolonged activity.

Possible early signs include:

• Groin discomfort after walking
• Stiffness after sitting for a long time
• Reduced hip flexibility
• Mild difficulty getting up from a low chair
• Trouble putting on footwear
• Pain after longer periods of standing or exercise
• Gradual reduction in walking tolerance

These signs are not specific to arthritis. Tendon problems, bursitis, referred pain from the spine, injuries, and other hip conditions can produce overlapping symptoms.

How is Hip Arthritis Diagnosed?

Doctors use a physical exam, movement tests, and an X-ray to diagnose hip arthritis.  There is no single home test that can definitively prove you have arthritis, but doctors and physical therapists look for specific signs. 

Physical and Movement Tests

• Internal Rotation Test: Sitting or lying down with your hip and knee bent at 90 degrees, your leg is moved inward. Pain or limited movement during this internal rotation is a common sign of hip joint issues. 
• FABER (Figure-4) Test: Lying on your back, you place your ankle over your opposite knee and let the knee drop toward the floor. Stiffness or pain that limits the knee from dropping significantly can indicate joint restriction. 
• Scour (Quadrant) Test: A doctor gently compresses and moves the hip in a circular pattern to see if it reproduces your deep joint or groin pain.

Imaging and Lab Tests

• X-rays: This is the gold standard imaging test. It shows loss of joint space, bone spurs, and cartilage wear.
• Blood Tests: These do not test for osteoarthritis, but doctors may order them to check for inflammatory or rheumatoid types of arthritis

Patients seeking arthritis treatment in Ahmedabad can undergo assessment at SGVP Holistic Hospital to determine the cause and severity of their symptoms before a treatment plan is selected.

Hip Arthritis Treatment Options

Hip arthritis treatment depends on the type of arthritis, severity of symptoms, degree of functional limitation, age, general health, and findings on clinical assessment. Many patients can initially be managed without surgery.

Non-Surgical Treatment

Management may include:

• Therapeutic exercise: Strengthening and mobility exercises can improve function and help maintain movement.
• Activity modification: Reducing activities that repeatedly aggravate symptoms may help while preserving regular movement.
• Weight management: For patients who are overweight, reducing excess body weight can decrease stress on weight-bearing joints.
• Pain relief: Medicines may be recommended according to symptoms and individual medical history.
• Physiotherapy: A structured programme can address muscle strength, movement, balance, and walking.
• Walking aids: A stick or other device may help selected patients reduce load and improve mobility.
• Joint injections: Corticosteroid injections may provide short-term symptom relief in selected patients.

Treatment should be reviewed according to whether pain, movement, and everyday function are improving.

When is Hip Replacement Considered?

Hip replacement may be considered when arthritis causes persistent pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility despite appropriate non-surgical treatment. The decision is based on how severely symptoms affect daily life, along with clinical examination and imaging findings.

During hip replacement surgery in Ahmedabad at SGVP Holistic Hospital, the damaged parts of the hip joint are replaced with artificial components to improve movement and reduce pain.

Surgery may be appropriate when hip pain makes walking, climbing stairs, sleeping, working, or performing routine activities increasingly difficult.

Hip Arthritis Exercises and Physical Activity

Regular movement forms an important part of managing osteoarthritis. Hip arthritis exercises are generally intended to maintain joint movement, improve the strength of supporting muscles, and preserve overall mobility.

An exercise programme may include:

• Hip range-of-motion exercises
• Strengthening of the hip and surrounding muscles
• General aerobic exercise
• Walking where comfortable
• Cycling or swimming where suitable

Some temporary discomfort can occur when a new exercise programme begins. However, severe or progressively worsening pain should not simply be pushed through.

Walking can be useful for people with hip arthritis when it is tolerated. The appropriate amount varies according to symptoms, mobility, and overall health. Someone experiencing significant pain or difficulty walking may benefit from physiotherapy before attempting unsupervised exercises for hip arthritis pain relief.

Can Hip Arthritis Be Prevented?

Not every case of hip arthritis can be prevented. Age, genetics, autoimmune disease, previous injury, and structural abnormalities may all influence risk.

However, certain measures can support joint health and potentially reduce modifiable risks:

• Maintain an appropriate body weight
• Stay physically active
• Build strength gradually
• Use appropriate technique during sport and exercise
• Seek treatment for significant hip injuries
• Manage inflammatory joint conditions appropriately
• Avoid repeatedly exercising through significant joint pain

Prevention should focus on maintaining overall musculoskeletal health rather than relying on supplements or unproven remedies.

When Should You See a Doctor for Hip Pain?

Medical assessment is advisable when hip pain persists, repeatedly returns, limits movement, or begins interfering with normal activities.

Consultation is particularly useful when:

• Walking becomes difficult
• Hip movement becomes progressively restricted
• Pain disrupts sleep
• Symptoms follow an injury
• Conservative measures are no longer helping
• Daily tasks become increasingly difficult

Sudden severe joint pain, inability to bear weight, fever, swelling, or significant illness alongside hip pain requires more urgent assessment. These features can indicate infection, fracture, or another condition that should not be managed as routine arthritis.

Hip Arthritis Care at SGVP Holistic Hospital, Ahmedabad

At SGVP Holistic Hospital, we assess hip arthritis according to the cause of pain, severity of joint damage, mobility, and the effect symptoms have on daily life.

Our Department of Orthopedics, Trauma & Joint Replacement manages conditions including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative joint disease, fractures, and other orthopaedic problems. Treatment may involve conservative management, physiotherapy, symptom control, or surgical assessment depending on individual clinical findings.

Patients with advanced hip arthritis may be evaluated by Dr. Yash Desai, Consultant Pelvic Acetabulum & Joint Replacement Orthopedic Surgeon, who specialises in Direct Anterior Approach (DAA) hip replacement and has expertise in hip replacement surgery. 

Total hip replacement in Ahmedabad at SGVP Holistic Hospital may be recommended for patients with advanced joint damage when conservative measures no longer provide sufficient relief. Treatment decisions are individualised and are not based on X-ray findings alone.

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