Hip Pain Care in Garner, NC
Hip pain can sit in the groin, on the outside of the hip, or deep in the buttock, and each spot points to different causes. A common one, an ache on the outside of the hip that wakes you when you lie on that side, usually isn't bursitis. I'm Dr. Adam Seay, D.C. I examine your hip, pelvis and low back, sort out what is driving your pain, and build a plan around what I find. Call 919-662-0520 or tap Schedule Appointment above.
Emergencies first
Get urgent care for hip pain after a fall or hard hit, especially if you are older or have weak bones, for groin pain so bad you can't put weight on the leg, or for fever with joint pain. See a medical doctor promptly for unexplained weight loss with hip or pelvic pain, night pain that no change of position eases (different from pain that only comes when you lie on that side), or weakness, numbness or other nerve symptoms in the leg that keep getting worse.
Your first hip visit
Your first visit includes:
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The story of your hip: where it hurts, what brings it on, and whether lying on that side, stairs, crossing your legs or standing up makes it worse
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Questions and checks that sort out the hip joint, the tendons on the outside of the hip, the sacroiliac joint and pain coming from your low back
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A check of how your hip moves, your hip strength in every direction, and how you walk
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A single-leg stand test, since a pelvis that drops on the other side points to weak gluteal muscles
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A look at your low back, pelvis and leg length, because the place that hurts isn't always where the problem starts
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A written plan tied to what I find, with a re-exam date so progress is measured, not guessed
Wear shorts or loose pants you can move in, and bring any X-ray or MRI reports you already have.
What causes hip pain?
Pain on the outside of the hip has long been called bursitis, but research has largely overturned that. In an MRI study of people with the classic pattern, most had a problem in the gluteus medius tendon, and an irritated bursa never showed up without it. The gluteal tendons on the side of the hip are now recognized as the main source of outer hip pain. It is most common in midlife, more common in women, and tends to hurt at night when lying on that side and with walking or stairs.
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These tendons get irritated when they are squeezed against the bony point of the hip, which happens when the thigh crosses toward the middle of the body. Crossing your legs, standing with your weight sunk into one hip, or sleeping curled on your side without a pillow between your knees can all do it. That's also why stretches that pull your leg across your body can make this kind of hip pain worse, not better.
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Groin pain often comes from the hip joint itself, such as a labral tear or impingement in younger, active adults and arthritis in older adults. Pain in the buttock can come from the hip, the deep muscles around the sciatic nerve, or your low back, so I check your back and pelvis, not just the hip. For most outer hip pain, the exam is enough to start care. When imaging is needed, an X-ray usually comes first, with MRI or ultrasound kept for when the diagnosis is unclear or the result would change the plan.
Why See Seay Wellness for Hip Pain
Exam before treatment
You see Dr. Seay at every visit, from the first exam to discharge. Nothing is treated until the exam shows where your pain is coming from.
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Care matched to the cause
Depending on your exam, your plan may include progressive strengthening for the hip and gluteal muscles, chiropractic care for the hip, pelvis and low back, and soft-tissue work such as Active Release Technique for tight hip flexors and rotators. Exercise carries the most weight. In a trial of 204 adults with gluteal tendon pain, an eight-week program of education and exercise beat a single steroid injection at eight weeks and still led on overall improvement a year later.
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Measured progress
Pain, sleep, how far your hip moves, your strength and the tasks that hurt, like stairs or lying on your side, are recorded at the start and again at re-exam, so you can see the change in numbers.
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Straight answers
If your exam points to a possible fracture, a tendon tear, an infection or anything else that needs imaging or a medical doctor, I'll tell you and refer you.
Questions About Hip Pain
Q: Do I need a referral?
A: No. You can book directly by calling 919-662-0520 or through Schedule Appointment at the top of this page.
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Q: I was told I have hip bursitis. Is that right?
A: Often it isn't the whole story. Research shows most outer hip pain comes from the gluteal tendons, and the bursa is usually a bystander. That matters because tendons get better with the right kind of loading, not with rest alone.
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Q: Should I get a steroid injection?
A: An injection can give real short-term relief, and it's a medical doctor's call. In the best trial so far, an education and exercise program did better at eight weeks and on overall improvement a year later. If you do get one, pairing it with a strengthening program is where the lasting change comes from.
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Q: How long does hip pain take to get better?
A: It depends on the cause and how irritable it is. For tendon pain on the outside of the hip, the first weeks focus on calming it with gentle strength work, strength builds over the next couple of months, and keeping up hip strengthening two to three times a week helps keep it from coming back. I recheck at re-exam, keep what is working, and change what isn't.