Hip Pain & Arthritis Physiotherapy in North York & Don Mills

What Is Hip Osteoarthritis?

Hip osteoarthritis is a common joint condition involving changes within the hip that develop over time.

These changes can affect cartilage, bone and other tissues within and around the joint.

Osteoarthritis is sometimes described as simply “wear and tear,” but this does not fully explain the condition.

Changes seen on an X-ray do not necessarily determine how much pain or disability a person will experience. Your symptoms and function can also be influenced by factors such as strength, physical activity, previous injuries, general health and your ability to tolerate everyday physical demands.

For this reason, rehabilitation focuses not only on what an X-ray shows, but on how your hip is affecting your movement, strength, mobility and quality of life.

What Does Hip Arthritis Feel Like?

Symptoms vary from person to person.

Common symptoms may include:

• Pain around the groin or front of the hip
• Pain around the side of the hip
• Pain extending toward the thigh or knee
• Hip stiffness
• Reduced hip movement
• Difficulty walking longer distances
• Difficulty climbing stairs
• Pain getting up from a chair
• Difficulty getting in and out of a car
• Difficulty putting on shoes or socks
• Reduced tolerance for exercise or recreational activities
• Stiffness after sitting or resting

Symptoms can fluctuate.

You may have periods when your hip feels relatively comfortable followed by temporary flare-ups associated with increased activity or changes in your normal routine.

What Can Contribute to Hip Osteoarthritis?

Several factors may influence the development of hip osteoarthritis.

These can include:

• Increasing age
• Previous hip injury
• Genetics
• Certain structural characteristics of the hip
• Previous joint conditions
• Changes in strength and physical conditioning
• Occupational or sporting demands
• Other individual health factors

Having osteoarthritis does not mean that worsening pain and loss of independence are inevitable.

Many people with hip osteoarthritis remain active and successfully manage their symptoms through exercise, education, appropriate rehabilitation and long-term self-management.

How Can Hip Arthritis Affect Everyday Life?

Hip pain and stiffness can gradually make everyday activities more difficult.

You may begin to notice problems with:

• Walking
• Stairs
• Standing for longer periods
• Getting up from low chairs
• Getting in and out of a car
• Putting on shoes and socks
• Shopping
• Gardening
• Travelling
• Exercise
• Recreational activities

Some people respond by becoming progressively less active because they worry that movement is damaging the joint.

However, reducing activity too much can contribute to further loss of strength, physical conditioning and confidence.

An important goal of rehabilitation is therefore to help you continue moving and participating in the activities that matter to you.

How Do I Know if My Hip Pain Is Arthritis?

Not all hip pain is caused by osteoarthritis.

Pain around the hip, groin or buttock can be associated with several different conditions.

These may include:

• Hip osteoarthritis
• Tendon-related pain
• Greater trochanteric pain
• Hip labral injuries
• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)
• Muscle injuries
• Sports injuries
• Pain referred from the lower back

The location of your pain alone does not always identify the source.

A physiotherapy assessment can help determine which presentation appears most consistent with your symptoms and whether additional medical assessment or imaging may be appropriate.

How Does a Physiotherapist Assess Hip Pain?

Your physiotherapist will begin by asking about:

• When your symptoms started
• Where you experience pain
• Activities that aggravate or relieve your symptoms
• Stiffness and changes in mobility
• Previous hip injuries
• Walking and stair tolerance
• Exercise and recreational activities
• Work and everyday activity demands
• Your goals for rehabilitation

The physical assessment may examine:

• Hip range of motion
• Hip and leg strength
• Walking
• Balance
• Functional movements
• Squatting
• Stepping and stair activities
• Getting up from a chair
• Lower-back movement when appropriate
• Activities specific to your work, exercise or recreation

The purpose is to understand how the problem is affecting your function and identify areas that can be addressed through rehabilitation.

Can Physiotherapy Help Hip Arthritis?

Yes. Physiotherapy is an important part of conservative management for hip osteoarthritis.

Although physiotherapy cannot remove arthritic changes from the hip, rehabilitation can help address many of the factors that influence your ability to move and function.

Your program may focus on:

• Improving hip and leg strength
• Maintaining or improving mobility
• Increasing walking tolerance
• Improving balance
• Building overall physical capacity
• Managing temporary symptom flare-ups
• Returning to exercise and recreational activities
• Developing strategies for long-term self-management

The goal is not simply temporary pain relief.

We want to help you become stronger, more active and more confident managing your hip over time.

How Is Hip Arthritis Treated With Physiotherapy?

Treatment should be individualized according to your symptoms, abilities and goals.

Education and Self-Management

Understanding osteoarthritis can reduce unnecessary fear about movement.

Your physiotherapist can help you understand which activities are safe to continue, how to modify activities during a flare-up and how to gradually increase physical activity.

Learning how to manage your hip independently is an important part of long-term arthritis care.

Progressive Strengthening

Strengthening is an important component of hip osteoarthritis rehabilitation.

Exercises may target:

• Gluteal muscles
• Hip muscles
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Calf muscles
• Trunk and lower-body strength

Your exercises should be progressed as your strength and tolerance improve rather than remaining at the same level indefinitely.

Hip Mobility

Hip stiffness may interfere with walking, stairs, dressing and other everyday activities.

Mobility exercises can be used when appropriate to help maintain or improve comfortable movement.

Balance and Functional Exercise

Rehabilitation may include exercises that reflect the activities you perform in everyday life.

These can include:

• Sit-to-stand exercises
• Squatting
• Step-ups
• Stair practice
• Balance exercises
• Walking
• Lifting and carrying

Your rehabilitation should ultimately prepare you for the activities you want to perform outside the clinic.

Manual Therapy

Hands-on treatment may sometimes be used to help improve comfortable movement or provide short-term symptom relief.

Manual therapy is generally most useful when it supports an active rehabilitation program rather than being the primary treatment for hip osteoarthritis.

What Exercises Are Good for Hip Arthritis?

There is no single “best exercise” for everyone with hip arthritis.

A well-designed exercise program may include:

• Hip strengthening
• Lower-body resistance exercise
• Walking
• Cycling
• Balance exercises
• Hip mobility exercises
• Sit-to-stand exercises
• Step exercises
• Functional strengthening
• Low-impact cardiovascular exercise

The appropriate starting level depends on your current symptoms, strength, mobility and activity level.

Exercise should also progress over time as your body adapts.

Hip Exercise Video Library

What Can I Do at Home for Hip Arthritis?

There are several things you can do to help manage hip arthritis between physiotherapy visits.

Keep Moving

Try to remain physically active rather than avoiding movement because you have arthritis.

Walking, cycling and other comfortable activities can help maintain strength, mobility and general fitness.

Change Positions Regularly

If prolonged sitting or standing makes your hip stiff or uncomfortable, change position periodically and incorporate short periods of movement throughout your day.

Modify Activities During a Flare-Up

A temporary increase in symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have damaged your hip.

During a flare-up, you may temporarily reduce the intensity or duration of activities that significantly aggravate your symptoms and then gradually return to them as the flare settles.

Continue Your Strengthening Exercises

Regular strengthening helps maintain the physical capacity needed for walking, stairs and everyday activities.

Your physiotherapist can help you determine an appropriate level and how to progress your exercises.

Pace Longer Activities

If longer walks or demanding activities cause symptoms, consider dividing them into shorter periods and gradually increasing your tolerance.

Use Heat or Cold if You Find It Helpful

Some people find heat helpful for stiffness or cold useful after an aggravating activity. Either can be used for comfort if it helps you.

Consider a Walking Aid When Appropriate

A cane or other walking aid can sometimes improve comfort, confidence or walking ability during more symptomatic periods.

Your physiotherapist can help determine whether an aid is appropriate and show you how to use it correctly.

The goal of self-management is not to avoid using your hip. It is to find an appropriate level of activity and gradually build your ability to do more.

Is Walking Good for Hip Arthritis?

Yes. Walking can be an excellent form of physical activity for many people with hip osteoarthritis.

If longer walks aggravate your symptoms, you do not necessarily need to stop walking.

You may temporarily adjust:

• Distance
• Pace
• Frequency
• Terrain
• Rest periods

Your walking tolerance can then be gradually increased as your strength and physical capacity improve.

Cycling, swimming and other forms of cardiovascular exercise can also provide useful alternatives or additions depending on your preferences and abilities.

Does Exercise Wear Out an Arthritic Hip?

Appropriate exercise does not mean that you are “wearing out” your hip.

This misconception can cause people with osteoarthritis to become unnecessarily inactive.

Exercise and physical activity are important parts of hip osteoarthritis management.

Some temporary discomfort during or after exercise does not automatically mean that the joint has been damaged.

The key is finding an appropriate starting point and gradually progressing the amount and intensity of exercise.

Your physiotherapist can help you determine how to do this safely.

What Is GLA:D™ for Hip Osteoarthritis?

For people diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis, Physiomobility offers the GLA:D™ Canada program.

GLA:D™ combines education with a structured program of progressive exercise for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis.

It may be appropriate if you:

• Have hip osteoarthritis
• Experience persistent or recurring symptoms
• Want to improve strength and mobility
• Want greater confidence exercising with arthritis
• Are considering hip replacement and want to improve your physical condition
• Want a structured approach to long-term arthritis management

Rather than duplicating the complete program here, you can learn about eligibility, program structure and current options on our dedicated page:

GLA:D™ Hip & Knee Osteoarthritis Program

What if I Need Ongoing Exercise After Physiotherapy?

Some people benefit from continuing supervised exercise after the initial phase of individual physiotherapy.

Physiomobility’s Hip & Knee Rehabilitation Program provides another pathway for people who would benefit from ongoing exercise and rehabilitation.

The program can help people work on:

• Strength
• Mobility
• Balance
• Walking
• Physical conditioning
• Confidence with exercise

It may also be appropriate for some people preparing for or recovering from hip replacement.

Hip & Knee Rehabilitation Program

Does Body Weight Affect Hip Arthritis?

Body weight is one of several factors that can influence the physical demands placed on the hip.

For some people, weight management may form part of a broader osteoarthritis management plan.

However, treatment for hip arthritis should not be reduced simply to advice about losing weight.

Strength, physical activity, mobility, sleep, general health and individual goals are also important.

Our physiotherapy approach primarily focuses on helping you move, exercise and improve your physical capacity.

Do I Need an X-Ray or MRI for Hip Arthritis?

Not everyone with hip pain requires imaging before beginning physiotherapy.

Hip osteoarthritis can often be assessed using your history, symptoms and physical examination.

X-rays may sometimes be useful when the diagnosis is uncertain, symptoms are changing, or imaging could influence medical or surgical decision-making.

MRI is not routinely necessary for uncomplicated hip osteoarthritis.

Imaging findings should be considered alongside your symptoms and function rather than treated as the only measure of how healthy or capable your hip is.

What if My Hip Pain Is Not Arthritis?

Not all hip pain is caused by osteoarthritis.

If your symptoms are related to a sports injury, tendon problem, labral injury or another hip condition, your rehabilitation may need to be different.

For example, Physiomobility has a dedicated resource for hip labral tears and related hip conditions.

Hip Labral Tear Treatment

Your physiotherapist can help determine which rehabilitation pathway is most appropriate rather than assuming that every painful hip is arthritic.

Will I Eventually Need a Hip Replacement?

Not everyone with hip osteoarthritis will require hip replacement surgery.

The decision to consider surgery depends on factors such as:

• Pain and functional limitations
• Quality of life
• Response to conservative treatment
• Overall health
• Imaging findings
• Your individual goals and preferences

Many people manage hip osteoarthritis for long periods through exercise, physical activity and other conservative strategies.

If symptoms become severe enough that hip replacement is being considered, improving your strength and physical conditioning before surgery can also be valuable.

Physiotherapy Before and After Hip Replacement

Physiomobility provides rehabilitation for people preparing for and recovering from total hip replacement.

Before surgery, physiotherapy or structured exercise may help maintain:

• Hip and leg strength
• Walking ability
• Balance
• General physical conditioning

Following surgery, rehabilitation may focus on:

• Restoring mobility
• Improving walking
• Rebuilding leg and hip strength
• Improving balance
• Returning to stairs and everyday activities
• Gradually returning to recreation and exercise

Because hip replacement rehabilitation has different goals and timelines from general hip arthritis care, we have a dedicated resource for it:

Physiotherapy After Hip Replacement

When Should Hip Pain Be Medically Assessed?

Seek appropriate medical assessment if hip pain is associated with:

• Significant trauma or a suspected fracture
• Inability to bear weight following an injury
• An obvious deformity
• Significant redness, heat or swelling accompanied by fever or illness
• Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
• New neurological symptoms
• Unexplained symptoms that are not behaving like a typical musculoskeletal problem

Your physiotherapist can also recommend medical assessment when findings during your examination suggest that additional investigation is appropriate.

Hip Pain & Arthritis Physiotherapy at Physiomobility

At Physiomobility in CF Shops at Don Mills, physiotherapy is at the centre of our approach to hip pain and osteoarthritis rehabilitation.

Our physiotherapists combine individualized assessment, education and progressive exercise to help improve strength, mobility, walking tolerance and everyday function.

For people with hip osteoarthritis, our rehabilitation pathways can extend beyond individual physiotherapy to include:

• GLA:D™ Canada for Hip & Knee Osteoarthritis
• Hip & Knee Rehabilitation
• Individual physiotherapy
• Pre-operative rehabilitation
• Post-operative hip replacement rehabilitation

This allows your care to progress from individual assessment and treatment toward structured exercise and longer-term self-management when appropriate.

Physiomobility is also a multidisciplinary clinic. Massage therapy, chiropractic care and acupuncture are available when they may appropriately complement your care, while physiotherapy and progressive exercise remain central to our hip arthritis rehabilitation approach.

Book a Physiotherapy Assessment