Why Your Hip Pain Might Actually Be Coming From Your Low Back
You've been stretching your hip. You've been foam rolling. Maybe you even got a massage. But the pain keeps coming back.
If that sounds familiar, there's a good chance the problem isn't actually in your hip at all. It may be coming from your low back.
If you have progressive weakness in the leg, numbness in the groin area, or loss of bowel or bladder control, seek urgent medical attention. These are red flags that require immediate evaluation.
How your low back can cause hip pain
Your low back and your hip are deeply connected. The nerves that exit your lumbar spine travel through the hip, glute, and down the leg. When a joint in your low back is restricted, a disc is irritated, or a nerve root is under pressure, the pain can show up in the hip even if your back does not hurt much at all.
This is called referred pain. It means the area that hurts is not always the area creating the problem. That is one reason hip pain can be so frustrating. You may keep treating the spot that hurts while the real driver is being missed.
We see this often in patients around Keller, Watauga, Fort Worth, and the Alliance area. They come in convinced they have a hip problem, but a closer exam shows the low back, pelvis, or surrounding movement patterns are playing a much bigger role.
Common signs your hip pain may be coming from your back
The pain moves or shifts
Some days it is in the hip. Other days it is in the glute, the groin, or down the thigh. Pain that migrates often has a spinal origin.
Hip stretching does not help for long
If you have been stretching your hip flexors or piriformis without lasting relief, the driver may be upstream in the lumbar spine.
Sitting makes it worse
Prolonged sitting loads the lumbar discs and can increase nerve irritation. If your hip pain flares after sitting, the low back is worth a closer look.
Hip imaging looks normal
If an X-ray or MRI of the hip did not show much, but you are still in pain, the source may not have been imaged yet.
Why this misunderstanding matters
If you keep treating the hip without addressing the low back, you may get temporary relief at best. That can look like a few better days after stretching, massage, rest, or even an injection, only for the pain to return once normal life picks back up.
This is one of the biggest reasons people feel stuck. They are working hard, but they are working on the wrong target. A thorough exam matters because it helps separate a true hip issue from a low-back-driven pattern.
What a thorough evaluation should include
If your hip pain has been lingering, a good evaluation should look beyond the hip itself. It should also assess:
- Lumbar spine range of motion and joint mobility
- Orthopedic and neurological testing for both the low back and hip
- Muscle strength and movement patterns in the hip, core, and pelvis
- Posture and how your body distributes load when standing and walking
- Daily habits like sitting, sleeping, lifting, and training that may be contributing
The good news
Once the real source is identified, most patients do much better. The plan often includes a combination of hands-on care, targeted exercises, movement changes, and simple habit adjustments that fit real life.
The goal is not just to calm the pain down. The goal is to figure out why it is happening in the first place so you can stop chasing symptoms and start making real progress.
Hip pain that will not quit?
If you're in Keller, Watauga, Fort Worth, or the Alliance area, we'll help you find the real source and build a plan that makes sense.
- New Patient Special: $49 consultation and exam
- Bonus: Ask about a free posture analysis
Firm Foundation Wellness Center — practical care for real life.