Is my hip pain coming from my hip or my back?

That is the question the examination exists to answer, and it is not always obvious from the outside. Groin pain with rotation points more toward the joint. Buttock pain that travels down the leg points more toward the lumbar spine or a nerve. Plenty of patients have some of both, and the testing sorts out which one is driving the symptoms today.

Does hip arthritis always end in a hip replacement?

No. Many people with hip arthritis stay comfortable and active for years with the right mix of strength, mobility, and load management. Replacement enters the conversation when pain and loss of function are seriously affecting daily life despite good conservative care. That is a threshold, not an inevitability.

Do I need an MRI for hip pain?

Not usually. An X-ray answers the arthritis question well, and we have digital X-ray here. MRI becomes worthwhile when I suspect a labral tear, a significant tendon injury, or a stress fracture, meaning when the answer would actually change what we do next.

Hip Pain Brooklyn, NY

Q: Why does my hip hurt when I lie on it at night?

Night pain on the outside of the hip is a fairly recognizable pattern, and it usually points toward the lateral structures rather than the joint itself. Direct compression from the mattress plus an already irritated tendon is a common combination. It is one of the more treatable presentations once it is correctly identified.

Q: Should I keep walking or rest the hip?

For most mechanical hip pain, staying active within a tolerable range beats resting completely. What usually needs adjusting is distance, hills, stairs, and how much you do in one go rather than whether you move at all. If weight bearing is genuinely painful after an injury, that is a different situation and needs evaluating first.

Joint & Soft Tissue Care
Hip vs Back Evaluation
SoftWave Joint Recovery

Hip Pain Chiropractor in Brooklyn, NY

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Donovan, D.C., University of Bridgeport. Last updated September 2026.

Woman with severe hip pain holding her leg, evaluated by Dr. Brian Donovan at Nuro Chiropractic in Brooklyn

Hip pain is a tricky condition as the location of pain can be a cause of various conditions. I am Dr. Brian Donovan, and at Nuro Chiropractic, I spend the first few minutes of your first visit figuring out the structures involved and their root cause.

Groin, outside of the hip, and back of the hip are three different locations with three different treatment plans. Patients use hip pain for any of those 3 pains.

Tell Me Where the Pain Is, I’ll Examine The Area

Deep Ache or Pinching in the Groin

Getting out of a car, trying to put on your shoes, squatting, and rotating hip often increases the pain. I’m getting an overview that the pattern might point to the hip joint, probably a case of osteoarthritis.

Pain on the Outer Hip

Lying at night, climbing stairs, walking, or standing on the leg increases the pain levels, and it might be considered greater trochanteric pain syndrome. It includes the lateral hip and the gluteal tendons.

Pain in the Buttock or Back of the Hip

There is a misconception that the leg pain from the low back is also just hip pain. We usually examine the lumbar spine, the sacroiliac region, and whether there’s any nerve involvement.

Hip Pain Evaluation at Our Brooklyn Office

1 Hip range of motion, strength, gait, and movement patterns are checked thoroughly.
2 Run specific orthopedic tests that separate joint, muscular, tendon, and referred pain from each other.
3 If there is numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain traveling farther down the leg, a neurological examination will be conducted. This is to rule out other issues and find out if the pain is coming from the spine or a peripheral nerve.
4 Hip complaints seldom stay on the inner hip. Lumbar spine, pelvis, and knee must be checked to rule out other conditions.

If there is suspected severe hip osteoarthritis, we will look for joint space and bony changes to confirm by conducting a digital X-ray, which is available in our office. On the other hand, a referral for MRI imaging will be given if there is a possible labral injury, severe tendon injury, or stress fracture.

Treatment Options I Consider

Mobility work, stretching, soft-tissue treatment, manual and chiropractic techniques when needed, and continuous strengthening of the hip and pelvis muscles do well for mechanical hip pain.
SoftWave therapy may work well for some chronic tendon problems around the hip. It is added to the treatment if there is enough clinical evidence and if it is aligned with the diagnosis.
Exercise, manual care, and other conservative therapies work great for hip osteoarthritis. We want to focus on mobility, strength, pain, and function.

Being Realistic About Arthritis

We need to be realistic that conservative treatment has limitations. We cannot regrow a severely arthritic hip joint. The more severe your case is, the more realistic about what kind of treatment you really need, or how conservative treatment can only help you in your current situation.

When Hip Pain Needs Medical Evaluation

Proper medical evaluation is needed if you have a fracture due to a significant trauma, severe pain, fever, or systemic illness accompanied by a hot or swollen joint and other worsening symptoms.

An orthopedic hip specialist is needed if the patient already has advanced-stage hip arthritis. This is where significant loss of motion, constant pain, having a hard time walking, and no response to conservative treatment is experienced.

“Referring someone does not mean conservative care failed. It means we are choosing the level of care that matches the severity of the condition.”

Dr. Brian Donovan, D.C.

Hip Pain FAQs

Is my hip or back causing my hip pain?

The answer is yet to be discovered. We need to perform an examination before coming up with a decision. If the pain travels down to the joint, it might be from groin pain, while if the pain travels toward the lumbar spine or a nerve, it can be from buttock pain.

Is a hip replacement always needed for hip arthritis?

Not necessarily. With the right combination of strength, mobility, and load management, people with hip arthritis live comfortably and actively for the rest of their lives. It is only done when there is already significant pain and loss of function that affects the quality of life.

Why does my hip hurt when I lie on it at night?

Outer hip night pain is an easy-to-recognize pattern; it usually concerns the lateral structures rather than the joint itself. A common combination of an existing irritated tendon plus direct compression from the mattress is the culprit. Once correctly identified, it is a treatable condition.

Should I keep walking or rest the hip?

Staying active is the most appropriate approach when it comes to mechanical hip pain. You must give ample rest, though, and the activity must be in a tolerable range. Adjust how much you do the activities and not by completely eliminating them from your things to do.

Is MRI needed for hip pain?

Not usually. Usually X-rays are already sufficient, and we have an X-ray available in our office. However, for a labral tear, severe tendon injury, or a stress fracture, a referral to an MRI is given.

Treatment is Not Always on The Spot Where You Point

We need to know first where the actual location of the pain is. Determine its severity, then decide what treatment suits the condition. We need to bring you back to your normal condition by identifying what’s limiting you.

Nuro Chiropractic, 9408 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209. Serving Bay Ridge, Staten Island, Bensonhurst, Park Slope, Prospect Park, Borough Park, Manhattan, Dyker Heights, Williamsburg, and the greater Brooklyn area.

Request an Appointment (718) 745-2229