Conditions

Hip Pain

One-on-one care for hip pain in a private South Natick studio: a full session with a Doctor of Physical Therapy every visit, for people who want to walk, run, golf, and sleep on their side without the hip setting the terms.

The hip is where the back, the knee, and the swing all meet

Hip pain rarely stays in the hip. A stiff hip sends load into the low back and the knee; a weak hip lets the whole leg collapse inward on stairs and landings; a hip that can't rotate takes yards off a golf swing. Whether it shows up in the groin, the buttock, or the outside of the hip, the fix usually involves the joints on either side of it.

Hip care here is led by clinicians with advanced residency training at the Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy and board certification as Orthopedic Clinical Specialists, in a facility built for strength work. Every session is one-on-one for the full visit. No aides, no handoffs, no exercise sheet doing the treating.

In Massachusetts you have direct access: no physician referral is needed to start. If your evaluation shows something outside the scope of physical therapy, we will tell you and point you to the right practitioner.

A Doctor of Physical Therapy guiding a hip and hamstring stretch on the treatment table

Mobilize what's tight. Strengthen what's weak.

That is the whole approach, applied to the hip and everything attached to it. Your evaluation identifies which structures are restricted and which muscles are underperforming, and treatment works both sides of that equation every session.

Hands-on treatment for what's tight

Restoring motion in the hip joint and the tissue around it:

  • Joint mobilization & manipulation of the hip, pelvis, and low back
  • Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (Graston)
  • Deep tissue massage for the glutes, hip flexors, and adductors
  • Dry needling
  • Assisted stretching & mobility work

Progressive strengthening for what's weak

Rebuilding the muscles that control the leg:

  • Glute and deep hip rotator strength
  • Core and lumbopelvic control
  • Single-leg balance and stability
  • Graded return to walking, running, lifting, golf, and sport
  • An individualized home program that evolves with you

Hip problems we treat

  • Hip osteoarthritis
  • Labral tears and hip impingement (FAI)
  • Hip flexor and groin strains
  • Gluteal tendinopathy / outer hip pain (bursitis)
  • Piriformis and deep buttock pain
  • Hip replacement: before and after surgery
  • Post-surgical hip recovery
  • Hip pain with running, golf, or lifting
  • Stiff hips that limit your swing or squat
  • Recurring flare-ups

Not sure what yours is? That is what the evaluation is for.

Buttock pain that runs down the leg? See our sciatica page.

Strength and conditioning floor with racks, dumbbells, sleds, and a turf strip at PT Progression

Results from real hips

"I went to PT Progression prior to having hip replacement surgery. They took an integrated approach that included both strength training and flexibility. After only three weeks post surgery I was taking half swings and hitting balls at my club. Only six weeks post surgery, I played 18 holes (walking) without pain. Whether you are a student athlete or weekend warrior PT Progression should be your go to provider for training and physical therapy."
Angelo Santinelli Hip replacement to 18 holes in six weeks · Google review
"I was in rough shape when I first came in to see Shawn. Almost forty years of playing hockey had really begun to take its toll on my body. I was experiencing what I thought was a severely pulled groin and a very stiff lower back. Shawn created a program for me consisting of an intense physical therapy session once a week and a very beneficial stretching regimen that we implemented immediately. Within a month, the benefits were tangible, and my pain had subsided tremendously."
Teddy O'Brien Forty years of hockey, groin and lower back · Google review

Read all 81 reviews on Google →

Where it leads

The goal is not just a quiet hip. It is a hip you trust under load again. When pain resolves, your plan progresses from rehab into performance training or golf performance with the same clinician in the same facility, so the strength that protects the joint keeps building instead of stopping at discharge. That transition is the Progression Method.

Hip pain FAQs

Do I need a referral to see a physical therapist for hip pain in Massachusetts?
No. Massachusetts has direct access, so you can start physical therapy without a physician referral. Book a free 15-minute fit call and we'll tell you whether we're the right place to start.
How soon should I see a physical therapist for hip pain?
Sooner is better. A hip that hurts changes how you walk, sit, and climb stairs, and the low back and knee start paying for it within weeks. If pain or stiffness is limiting how you run, train, golf, sleep on your side, or get through a day on your feet, that's reason enough to be evaluated.
Is my pain coming from the hip or from my back?
Good question, and a common one. Pain in the buttock, groin, or outer hip can come from the hip joint, the muscles and tendons around it, or the low back. The evaluation sorts out which, because the treatment differs. If it turns out to be your back, our low back and sciatica pages cover that.
Can physical therapy help hip arthritis or a labral tear?
Often, yes. Many people with hip arthritis or a labral tear on imaging do well with hands-on treatment that restores motion plus a strengthening program for the glutes and core, and put off or avoid surgery. When surgery is the right call, rehab before and after it is what gets you back to what you did before. Imaging findings don't decide the plan on their own; what your hip can and can't do does.
Do I need an MRI before starting physical therapy?
Usually not. Labral fraying and cartilage changes show up on scans of plenty of people with no hip pain at all. A thorough orthopedic evaluation of how your hip, pelvis, and low back move together tells us more in most cases. If we see signs that imaging or a physician consult is warranted, we'll tell you.
Do you take insurance?
We're an out-of-network, fee-for-service practice. That's what lets every visit be a full session, one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy, with no aides, no double-booking, and no visit limits set by a payer. Many PPO plans reimburse a portion of out-of-network care through the Super Bill we provide, and HSA/FSA funds typically apply. We'll walk you through what care costs on your free fit call.
What happens in a session?
You work start to finish with one senior Doctor of Physical Therapy. Sessions combine hands-on treatment, such as joint mobilization, Graston, deep tissue work, or dry needling, with corrective and strengthening exercise on the floor and in the machine room, plus a home program you actually understand.
I'm having, or just had, a hip replacement. Can you help?
Yes, on both sides of it. Getting strong before surgery makes recovery faster, and rehab after it is what gets you back to walking the course, running, or lifting instead of stopping at 'good enough.' One of our clients was playing 18 holes walking six weeks after his replacement. We coordinate with your surgeon on timing and precautions.

Start with a free 15-minute fit call

Tell us what your hip is doing and what it is keeping you from. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit, what care would look like, and what it costs.

Book a Free 15-Minute Fit Call