What’s Really Causing Your Hip Pain?
(And Why It’s Probably NOT Just ‘Getting Older’)
Let’s be honest.
We all do it.
The moment something starts to ache—your back, your knees, your hips—you mutter five familiar words under your breath:
“Well… I am getting older.”
And just like that, you sweep the pain under the rug. You ignore it, push through it, and tell yourself it’s “normal.”
But here’s a truth bomb that’s going to rattle your excuses:
Hip pain is common. But it’s NOT normal.
And aging isn’t always the culprit.
In fact, most hip pain has very little to do with how many birthdays you’ve had…
…and everything to do with things that have been overlooked, ignored, or misdiagnosed for years.
So if you’re looking for hip pain relief—or just trying to figure out why your hip has been nagging you for the past six months—read this entire post. It might just be the roadmap to getting your life (and your freedom of movement) back.
Let’s dive into the real reasons behind hip pain—the ones that rarely make it into the standard “aging” conversation.
First, Let’s Clear Something Up: What Exactly Is Hip Pain?
Most people say they have hip pain when what they really mean is pain anywhere from the lower back to the upper thigh.
That’s like saying you have “car trouble” when the check engine light comes on. It’s vague. Unhelpful. And easy to misinterpret.
True hip pain typically shows up:
Deep in the groin
Around the outer hip (the “hip bone” area)
Down the front of the thigh
In the glute or buttocks
The pain might be sharp, dull, constant, or come and go like a bad ex.
But here’s the kicker…
Your hip joint isn’t just one joint. It’s a complex structure of muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and bone—all working together to help you walk, sit, stand, twist, and live your life.
Which means:
If one part of the system breaks down, the whole thing suffers.
And that’s where things start to go sideways.
The “It’s Just Aging” Myth (And Why It’s Lazy Diagnosis)
Look—we’re not here to bash your doctor.
But let’s call it like it is…
Too many people walk into a doctor’s office with hip pain, only to walk out with a generic diagnosis that sounds like this:
🗣️ “It’s arthritis.”
🗣️ “It’s just wear and tear.”
🗣️ “It’s what happens at your age.”
🗣️ “Here’s some ibuprofen. Maybe rest. We’ll see how it goes.”
Sound familiar?
The problem is: this mindset keeps people in pain.
Because it shuts the door on real solutions and ignores the real causes.
Let’s talk about what might actually be causing your hip pain—and how to spot the signs before it becomes a major issue.
Common but Overlooked Causes of Hip Pain (That Have Nothing to Do with Age)
1. Muscle Imbalances From Sitting Too Much
Let’s get brutally honest…
Most people sit way more than they were designed to.
Between driving, working, watching TV, and scrolling your phone—you could be clocking 8 to 12 hours a day on your butt.
The result?
Your hip flexors get tight. Your glutes shut off. Your pelvis shifts out of alignment.
And boom—your hip joint is now under constant, unnatural stress.
Even if you work out, your hips might be paying the price for everything you’re not doing the rest of the day.
⚠️ Signs It’s Not Just Aging:
Pain after sitting too long
Hips feel “stuck” or hard to rotate
One side of your hip is tighter or weaker than the other
2. Referred Pain from the Lower Back (a Sneaky One)
This is one of the most underestimated causes of hip pain—and it's often misdiagnosed.
The nerves that serve your hip also pass through your lumbar spine (lower back). If a disc is herniated, or a nerve is compressed, the pain may not show up in your back at all.
Instead, it radiates into your hip, thigh, or groin.
You’ll chase hip pain treatments for months…
…but the real problem is hiding in your spine.
⚠️ Signs It’s Not Just Aging:
Pain that radiates down the leg
Numbness or tingling in the hip or thigh
Pain that worsens when bending or twisting
3. Pelvic Instability or Tilt
If your hips are a seesaw, your pelvis is the foundation. And that foundation can tilt, twist, or become unstable from all sorts of things:
Old injuries
Uneven leg lengths
Weak core muscles
Pregnancy or childbirth
When your pelvis isn’t level, your hips are constantly compensating.
That compensation = strain = inflammation = pain.
⚠️ Signs It’s Not Just Aging:
One hip sits higher than the other
Hips feel “crooked” when standing or walking
Chronic tightness on just one side
4. Gluteal Tendinopathy (aka ‘Dead Butt Syndrome’)
Yes, it’s a real thing. And no, you don’t have to be inactive to get it.
Gluteal tendinopathy is inflammation of the tendons that connect your glute muscles to the hip bone. It happens when those muscles are underused, overused, or not working correctly.
And guess what?
It often mimics hip arthritis—leading people to believe their joint is the problem when it’s really the tissue around it.
⚠️ Signs It’s Not Just Aging:
Pain on the outside of your hip
Pain when lying on the affected side
Soreness after walking or climbing stairs
5. Bursitis That’s Not Being Addressed
There are fluid-filled sacs around your hip joints called bursae. When they get inflamed (from injury, imbalance, or repetitive motion), you feel it as a deep ache or sharp pain.
But here’s the thing…
Most people never address the why behind their bursitis. They just ice it and wait.
And when the pain comes back? They assume it’s arthritis or “just aging.”
Wrong.
Unresolved bursitis usually means there’s a biomechanical problem—something in your posture, movement, or muscle coordination that’s causing irritation.
⚠️ Signs It’s Not Just Aging:
Hip pain when pressing on the outer side
Pain at night or while lying on one side
Hip gets sore after specific activities like squatting or walking
6. Old Injuries That Never Fully Healed
Remember that slip on the ice five years ago?
The car accident in your twenties?
The twisted ankle that made you limp for a week?
Your body remembers. And compensates.
Injuries—especially those involving your lower back, knees, or pelvis—can throw off your body’s alignment. That misalignment often starts a chain reaction that leads to hip pain months or years later.
⚠️ Signs It’s Not Just Aging:
Hip pain came on slowly but never left
Pain started after another body part healed
Chronic tightness in your lower back or opposite leg
7. Nerve Entrapments (Like Piriformis Syndrome)
Here’s another sneaky one…
The piriformis muscle runs deep in your glute and can compress the sciatic nerve if it's tight or inflamed.
This creates a nasty combo of hip, buttock, and leg pain that’s often confused with disc issues or joint degeneration.
But it’s really just a small, angry muscle causing big problems.
⚠️ Signs It’s Not Just Aging:
Deep buttock pain
Hip feels “on fire” after sitting
Pain travels down the back of the thigh
Bottom Line: Pain Is a Signal, Not a Sentence
Let’s say it louder for the people in the back:
Pain is your body’s way of waving a red flag.
It’s not weakness.
It’s not punishment.
And it’s definitely not “just aging.”
When your hip hurts, there’s a reason. And chances are, that reason has nothing to do with how many candles were on your last birthday cake.
Your job is to listen to your body, ask better questions, and find someone who can help you uncover the root cause—not just mask the symptoms.
So… What Should You Do Now?
If your hip pain has been getting in the way of how you walk, sleep, or move—don’t ignore it.
And don’t settle for the “you’re just getting older” diagnosis.
At Active Spine and Joint Institute, we specialize in getting to the bottom of stubborn hip pain without drugs or surgery. But more importantly—we listen. We look at the whole picture.
Because once you know what’s really going on, hip pain relief becomes a lot more achievable.
Want to Get Answers, Not Excuses?
Call us today at 609-886-8585 to schedule a thorough evaluation at one of our South Jersey locations.
Let’s find out what’s really behind your pain—so you can get back to living the way you want.
