HIP PAIN & MOBILITY
Comprehensive Physiotherapy for Hip & Groin Pain, Stiffness or Reduced Movement
- St Albans -
Whether your hip hurts when you bend, twist or walk — or if it feels stiff, catches, or doesn’t move like it used to — it doesn’t always mean you need surgery. Often a careful assessment and tailored rehab can reduce pain, restore mobility and help you move confidently again.
At Redrock Physio, we assess the whole system — hip, pelvis, spine, muscles and load-sharing — to find and treat the root cause, not just manage symptoms.
Why Hips Become Painful or Stiff
Hip pain or mobility issues can come from many sources — often overlapping:
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Joint structural changes such as early degeneration or cartilage wear (Osteoarthritis of the Hip / OA). providephysiotherapy.org.uk+2ScienceDirect+2
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Hip impingement / Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) — a mismatch in bone/joint shape causing abnormal contact, cartilage/labrum stress or labral irritation. Physiopedia+2OrthoInfo+2
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Tendon or soft-tissue overload — including gluteal tendons or bursae (e.g. outer hip or “lateral hip” pain). Patient.info+1
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Muscle weakness or control deficits — when hip stabilisers and glutes are weak, other parts compensate under load, causing overload and pain.
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Mobility loss or stiffness — from lifestyle, posture, prolonged sitting or previous injury, affecting hip, pelvis or thoracic spine and causing compensatory stress.
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Load-sharing or movement-pattern issues — when hip, spine and pelvis don’t distribute load evenly, leading to stress on tendons, joint surfaces or soft tissue.
Because the hip is a “ball-and-socket” connected to spine and pelvis, hip-pain problems often blend — which is why a full, holistic assessment matters.
How Physiotherapy Helps
Treatment depends on the pattern, but often includes:
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Hands-on release for tight or guarded muscles
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Gluteal and hip strengthening
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Reformer Pilates for controlled load
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Rib and thoracic mobility
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SIJ off-loading and stability work
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Gait and running mechanics
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Shockwave therapy for GTPS (excellent evidence)
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Pacing and load management
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Personalised video exercise plan
Our goal is to help you move, sit, walk and exercise without the constant “deep ache” or sharp catching pain.
Redrock’s Approach: Clear Pattern-Based Assessment
Our first job is to work out where the pain is truly coming from. Your assessment includes:
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Hip and pelvis movement testing
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Glute strength and control
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SIJ compression / distraction patterns
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Rib and thoracic mobility
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Lumbar contribution (spine vs hip referral)
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Running or walking mechanics
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Tenderness over the gluteal tendons (GTPS signs)
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Piriformis / deep rotator testing
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Functional tasks: sit-to-stand, stairs, load transfer
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Postpartum-specific considerations if relevant
You’ll leave with a calm, clear explanation that makes sense.
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Common Symptoms
You might notice:
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Pain or ache in the groin, front-of-hip, outer hip, buttock or thigh
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Stiffness or reduced hip movement after sitting, resting or first thing in the morning
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Difficulty bending, squatting, deep-flexion movements, twisting or climbing stairs
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“Catching”, clicking or a blocked feeling inside the hip on movement
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Discomfort lying on one side, or stiffness after long periods sitting/standing
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Flare-ups after walking, running, lifting or heavy activity
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Gradual worsening, or increasing stiffness/pain over weeks or months
These patterns can arise from joint, tendon or movement issues — or a mixture.
Hip Pain Patterns We Treat
You don’t need to diagnose anything yourself — we work that out for you. But these common hip related problems can help your symptoms make more sense.
How Physiotherapy Can Help — And Its Limitations
✅ What physiotherapy can do:
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Improve joint mobility and reduce stiffness. Manual therapy, stretching, mobility drills and controlled movement can restore smoother hip motion. Research shows physiotherapist-led rehab improves symptoms and function in hip OA. clinexprheumatol.org+1
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Strengthen hip stabilisers, glutes, core and surrounding muscles to support load and reduce stress on tendons or joint surfaces. PMC+1
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Retrain movement and load-sharing patterns — improving how hips, pelvis and spine distribute stress during everyday activities, sport or load-bearing.
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Provide tailored exercise plans, lifestyle advice, pacing, functional movement training (walking, stairs, lifting), and activity modification.
⚠ What physiotherapy can’t reliably do:
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Rebuild cartilage or reverse structural bone/joint shape changes (e.g. bone deformities, severe OA)
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Guarantee elimination of pain in all cases — structural conditions may remain symptomatic under high load
But many people (especially in early or moderate stages) can improve pain, function and quality of movement, often avoiding or delaying more invasive interventions. NHS Lanarkshire+1
The Redrock Approach
We take a comprehensive, movement-based and realistic approach to hip pain:
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Full assessment: hip, pelvis, spine, movement, strength and load-sharing
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Manual therapy & soft-tissue work for stiffness or guarding
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Mobility drills to restore smooth hip motion
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Strengthening for glutes, hips, core and stabilisers
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Functional training: walking, stairs, lifting, sport-specific rehab
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Load-management and lifestyle advice (posture, workload, activity)
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Pilates & Reformer work when appropriate — control-based, progressive rehab
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Personalised home-exercise plan (video-based) to support long-term recovery
Our goal is simple: help you move with less pain, more confidence and in a way that fits your life.
Related Pages
You may find these pages helpful:
Is hip pain always a sign of arthritis or something serious?
No — many hip problems are muscular, tendon-related or due to mobility / control issues. Even early arthritis or impingement can often be managed effectively with physiotherapy. British Journal of Sports Medicine+1
Can I keep exercising or playing sport?
Often yes — with guided rehab, gradual load progression, good technique and realistic pacing, many people return to activity or sport. Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital+1
Will physio fix bone shape problems or cartilage damage?
Not structurally — physio won’t “reshape bone” or regrow cartilage. But it can reduce pain, improve mobility and function, and often delay or reduce the need for surgery or injections. NHS Lanarkshire+1
Book a Hip Pain & Mobility Assessment in St Albans
If hip stiffness, ache or pain are limiting your everyday life, sport or movement — we can help you find out why and build a clear, realistic plan to bring mobility, strength and confidence back.
Address
Catherine House, Ground Floor
Adelaide Street
St Albans
AL3 5BA
Telephone
01727 309 915
