Could Your Lifestyle Be Causing Your Hip Pain

Hip pain has several medical causes, including arthritis, bursitis, or injury. However, your lifestyle could also contribute. For some, the joint isn’t moving enough, while others move it too much. Knowing the cause of your pain enables you to modify your behavior and potentially resolve the issue.

If the issue is advanced or related to an underlying medical condition, your doctor may recommend further intervention. A trained physical therapist can guide you through safe, targeted exercises to improve the condition and suggest lifestyle changes to help prevent further damage. In more severe cases, surgical treatment such as hip replacement may be necessary, followed by proper post-surgery care.

3D medical illustration showing highlighted inflammation in the hip joint area, representing hip pain and discomfort.

Hip Pain Caused by Poor Lifestyle Habits

Poor lifestyle habits rarely benefit your health, so it’s no wonder these choices affect your hips. Sedentary behavior and physical inactivity cause various muscle and joint problems. Even cigarette smoke contributes since the toxins and chemicals increase inflammation and increase discomfort. If your hip pain is mainly on one side, the following sections detail possible causes to consider.

Uneven weight-bearing during movement

Some conditions cause pain on only one side of the body. For instance, osteoarthritis reduces your range of motion and weakens muscles in the affected area. When moving, it’s common to put most or all your weight on the healthy side to reduce hip pain. Unfortunately, doing so causes excess stress, resulting in pain in the uninjured area, and making movement more difficult.

Poor sitting habits

Poor sitting habits frequently contribute to hip pain. When you sit too long, hip muscles tighten, putting pressure on the joints. Synovial fluid production also halts, preventing self-lubrication in the joint and causing stiffness and discomfort. Sitting in odd positions also puts excess weight or stress on your hips that proper posture could prevent.

Prolonged driving

Road trips, long commutes to work, or careers involving prolonged driving may also cause hip pain. There are several reasons for this, including inadequate seat support and poor posture. Driving also requires shifting your foot from pedal to pedal. Those repeated hip muscle flexes and joint movements often cause pain and stiffness.

Unbalanced sleeping positions

If your hip pain occurs at night or first thing in the morning, your sleeping habits are likely the cause. According to experts, sleeping on your side puts long-term pressure on the bottom hip joint while straining the top joint. Changing sleeping positions, using pillows to adjust your position, or upgrading your mattress may prevent such discomfort.

Long standing periods

Though it doesn’t sound like a repetitive activity, standing for long periods has a similar effect on the hips. It often leads to hip bursa inflammation and pain and may require lifestyle alterations to remedy. Poor posture when standing also causes the hips to tilt forward, tightening the hip flexors and increasing discomfort. 

Repetitive activities

Walking, riding a bike, running, climbing stairs, and other repetitive movements strain the hips more than you may realize. Every movement shifts the ball-and-socket joint connecting the femur and pelvis, and the muscles, tendons, and ligaments surrounding them. The constant strain causes hip pain and may even result in injury, bursitis, tendonitis, or other medical conditions.

Resources:

  1. Arthritis Foundation, April 20, 2023, Smoking Can Be Hazardous to Your Joint
    https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/more-about/smoking-can-be-hazardous-to-joints
  2. PubMed Central, March 24, 2014, Hip Pain and Mobility Deficits – Hip Osteoarthritis
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3963282/
  3. Vincent’s Medical Center, 5 Things That Might Be Making Your Hip Pain Worse
    https://stvincents.org/about-us/news-press/news-detail?articleId=60211&publicid=395
  4. Arthritis Foundation, Aug. 8, 2022, Hip Pain at Night
    https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/causes-and-treatments-for-nighttime-hip-pain
  5. Aurora Health Care, Hip bursitis symptoms & treatment
    https://www.aurorahealthcare.org/services/orthopedics/conditions/hip-bursitis
  6. Stanford University, Postural Awareness
    https://ehs.stanford.edu/subtopic/postural-awareness
  7. HSS, What to Know About Hip Pain When Walking
    https://www.hss.edu/health-library/move-better/hip-pain-when-walking
This article contains informational and educational materials and does not replace health or medical advice. For questions or concerns regarding your medical condition or health objectives, speak to a qualified physician or healthcare provider.