Patient Guide · General
Conditions Treated — Hip Pain
Hip Pain Treatment in Auburn & Montgomery, AL
Hip pain can quietly reshape how you move — changing your walk, limiting how far you can go, and making simple things like getting out of a car feel difficult. At Medical Center Plus, we identify exactly which structure in the hip is generating your pain and treat it with advanced, non-surgical therapies that restore mobility without opioids or unnecessary surgery.
Call Auburn: (334) 501-8867
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Montgomery: (334) 933-4840
What to look for
Common Symptoms of Hip Pain
Hip pain can present in different locations and patterns depending on the structure involved. These are the symptoms our Auburn and Montgomery patients most commonly describe.
Groin Pain
Deep aching or sharp pain felt in the front of the hip or groin, often the clearest sign that the pain is coming from inside the hip joint itself.
Pain on the Outer Hip
Sharp or burning pain over the outside point of the hip, often worse when lying on that side or after prolonged walking or standing.
Stiffness & Limited Range of Motion
Difficulty putting on shoes and socks, getting in and out of a car, or rotating the leg — movements that require full hip flexibility.
A Limp or Altered Gait
An unconscious change in walking pattern to avoid loading the painful hip, often noticed by family before the patient notices it themselves.
Clicking or Catching
A clicking, popping, or catching sensation deep in the hip during certain movements, sometimes accompanied by a brief locking feeling.
Pain That Disrupts Sleep
Difficulty finding a comfortable position at night, especially when lying directly on the affected hip.
Why it happens
Common Causes of Hip Pain
Hip pain has several possible sources depending on where exactly it's felt. Identifying the specific structure — joint, tendon, or bursa — determines which treatment will work.
Hip Osteoarthritis
Gradual breakdown of the cartilage cushioning the hip joint, the most common cause of deep groin pain and stiffness that worsens with age and activity.
Learn about arthritis treatment →
Trochanteric Bursitis
Inflammation of the fluid-filled sac cushioning the bony point on the outside of the hip, producing sharp pain when lying on that side or climbing stairs.
Hip Labral Tear
Damage to the ring of cartilage lining the hip socket, often causing groin pain, clicking, and a sensation of instability with pivoting movements.
Hip Flexor Strain
Overstretched or torn muscle fibers at the front of the hip, commonly from sprinting, kicking, or sudden changes in direction during activity.
Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
Extra bone growth along the hip joint causes abnormal contact between the ball and socket during movement, leading to pain, stiffness, and eventual cartilage damage.
Referred Pain from the Lower Back
Nerve irritation or degeneration in the lumbar spine can refer pain into the hip and buttock, mimicking a true hip problem when the source is actually the spine.
Learn about sciatica treatment →
โญ Featured Treatment for Hip Pain
PulseWave Therapy
PulseWave therapy delivers focused acoustic pressure waves into inflamed hip tendons and bursae — stimulating blood flow, breaking down scar tissue, and accelerating the body's own repair process. It's especially effective for trochanteric bursitis and chronic tendon irritation that hasn't responded to rest alone. Available at both our Auburn and Montgomery clinics.
How we help
How We Treat Hip Pain
We combine multiple non-surgical therapies into a coordinated plan built around exactly which structure in your hip is generating pain — not a generic protocol.
PulseWave Therapy
Acoustic pressure waves stimulate blood flow and break down scar tissue in chronically inflamed hip tendons and bursae to accelerate healing.
Learn more
Biologics — Plasma & PRP
Platelet-rich plasma injections deliver concentrated growth factors directly to damaged hip cartilage, labrum, or tendons to reduce inflammation and support repair.
Learn more
Physical Medicine
Hands-on joint mobilization and soft tissue work to restore hip range of motion, correct gait compensation, and rebuild strength in supporting muscles.
Learn more
Orthopedic Unloader Device
A specialized bracing device that redistributes load away from an arthritic hip joint, reducing pain during daily activity while tissue heals.
Learn more
Trigger Point Injections
Targeted injections release tight, compensating muscles around the hip and lower back that develop from favoring a painful hip.
Learn more
Electrical Stimulation
Controlled electrical currents reduce inflammation and muscle guarding around the hip, easing both acute flare-ups and chronic stiffness.
Learn more
Patient education
Understanding Your Hip Pain
How Is Hip Pain Diagnosed?
Where your hip pain is felt — front, side, or back — is one of the most important diagnostic clues, and it's often confused with pain referred from the lower back. Our evaluation includes:
- Physical examination — assessing gait, hip range of motion, and specific pain provocation tests for each structure
- Orthopedic testing — targeted maneuvers to distinguish joint, labral, tendon, or bursa involvement
- Spinal screening — ruling out lower back or sciatic nerve involvement that can mimic true hip pain
- Imaging review — correlating X-ray or MRI findings with your clinical symptoms to confirm the diagnosis
Most patients leave their first visit with a clear diagnosis and a treatment plan — not a generic recommendation to "take it easy."
Can Hip Pain Be Prevented?
Not every hip condition is avoidable, but the most common triggers are modifiable. These habits make a measurable difference:
- Strengthen the hip abductors and core — weak stabilizing muscles are a common factor in bursitis and labral strain
- Maintain a healthy weight — every extra pound adds significant compressive force to this major weight-bearing joint
- Warm up before activity — cold hip flexors and glutes are more prone to strain during sudden movements
- Avoid sleeping directly on a painful hip — a pillow between the knees reduces pressure on the outer hip at night
- Address gait changes early — a developing limp often signals a problem worth evaluating before it worsens
- Stretch regularly — tight hip flexors from prolonged sitting are a common contributor to hip pain
When to Seek Care Immediately
Seek urgent evaluation if you experience sudden, severe hip pain following a fall, inability to bear any weight on the affected leg, a visibly deformed or shortened leg, or hip pain with fever and chills. These may indicate a hip fracture or joint infection requiring emergency care.
Common questions
Hip Pain FAQs
Yes — the large majority of hip pain, including bursitis, tendinitis, mild to moderate arthritis, and labral irritation, responds well to non-surgical treatment. At Medical Center Plus, we treat hip pain exclusively with non-surgical methods: PulseWave therapy, PRP biologics, physical medicine, orthopedic unloader devices, trigger point injections, and electrical stimulation. We never prescribe opioids. Hip replacement surgery is typically only considered for advanced arthritis or joint damage that doesn't respond to an extended course of conservative care.
This is one of the most common diagnostic questions in hip pain. True hip joint pain is typically felt in the groin and worsens with hip rotation or squatting. Pain referred from the lower back or sciatic nerve tends to be felt more in the buttock or outer thigh, and often comes with back stiffness or symptoms that change with spinal position rather than hip movement. A hands-on exam that tests both the hip joint and the lumbar spine is the most reliable way to tell them apart.
Trochanteric bursitis produces sharp, localized pain on the outer point of the hip, often worse when lying on that side or pressing directly on the area. Hip arthritis causes deeper, more diffuse aching in the groin and front of the hip, along with stiffness that's worse in the morning and improves with gentle movement. The two can also occur together, which is why an accurate exam matters before starting treatment.
Not usually. Many hip conditions can be accurately diagnosed through a thorough physical exam that assesses range of motion, strength, and specific pain provocation tests. If you already have imaging, bring it along. If you don't, your provider will determine whether X-rays or an MRI are needed based on your clinical exam and symptom severity. We never order unnecessary tests.
It depends on the cause and severity. Physical medicine and trigger point injections often provide noticeable relief within 1–3 visits, particularly for bursitis. PulseWave therapy and electrical stimulation typically show cumulative improvement over a 4–6 week course. PRP biologics work over 6–12 weeks as the body's natural repair process activates. Hip arthritis often benefits from an ongoing maintenance plan rather than a one-time fix.
Yes. Our Auburn clinic (1685 East University Dr., Suite E) is open Monday–Thursday for hip pain evaluations and treatment. Our Montgomery clinic (4209 Carmichael Road) is open Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment. Both locations offer the full range of non-surgical hip treatments with the same physician team.
From the blog
Related Resources
Articles from Dr. Willis on joint health, non-surgical treatment options, and what to expect at our Auburn and Montgomery clinics.
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Treatment Options · General
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Patient Guide · Montgomery
Your Hip Pain Has an Answer — and It's Not Surgery
Our Auburn and Montgomery clinics offer same-week consultations. No opioids. No surgical referrals. Just an honest evaluation and a treatment plan built for the structure actually causing your pain.
No opioid prescriptions
Non-surgical approach
Two Alabama locations
