What causes hip pain when sitting or lying down and what can you do about it?

When an injury or condition is affecting your hips, you can expect to feel pain when using your hips. However, you might be surprised to feel pain in your hips when sitting or lying down.

Learn more about what causes hip pain when sitting and lying down and what kinds of treatment options are available.

Causes of hip pain when sitting or lying down

• Poor sleep posture — Poor sleep posture puts additional pressure on your hip at night that can cause pain and stiffness when you wake up. Sleeping on your front puts strain on your spine and hips that causes this kind of pressure. Sleeping on your side can also cause misalignment between your knees and hips.
• Tendinitis — The overuse of your hips can cause inflammation in their tendons known as tendinitis. Tendinitis symptoms are usually more noticeable when walking, but the inflammation can still be painful while sitting or lying down.
• Bursitis — Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursae. These are tiny sacs of fluid that cushion the tendons and muscles from the bones in your hips. Frequent overexertion of the hips can cause inflammation in the bursae that can be painful while sitting or lying down.
• Arthritis — The pain that arthritis causes in the cartilage of your joints is usually more noticeable when moving around. However, arthritis can still cause pain when you’re sitting or lying down, especially if you’re sitting or lying with poor posture. 

Treatments for hip pain when sitting or lying down

• Improve your sitting and sleeping posture — The way that you sit or lie down can increase pressure on your hips, which causes pain on its own or exacerbates the symptoms of existing conditions. When sitting, make sure your spine has sufficient support and that your hips and knees are level with each other.

  When lying down, try to avoid sleeping on your front. Lie on your back or, if you like to sleep on your side, place a pillow between your knees to help improve hip and knee alignment.

• Change your mattress — A mattress that is too hard can put pressure on the tendons and bursae that contributes to your pain. Try switching to a softer mattress or using a foam top to help reduce pressure off the sore spots in your hips.
• Visit a physical therapist — Physical therapists specialize in many treatments that help reduce and prevent hip pain. These treatments focus on strengthening and empowering your own body to recover from and prevent pain. They do not rely on medications or surgical methods that come with side effects and high risks. 

Visit Peak Performance Sports and Physical Therapy today for hip pain treatment

Our team at Peak Performance Sports and Physical Therapy can examine your hips to come up with a treatment to help prevent hip pain when sitting or lying down. Contact us today to learn more about hip pain treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.