6 Reasons Why Your Hips Hurt When You Wake Up

Is it challenging to get out of bed in the morning — not because you stayed up late, but because your hips hurt and are stiff? You don’t have to live with hip pain that prevents you from taking part in activities you enjoy. 

Our board-certified orthopedic surgeons with Alpine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine uncover the source of your morning hip pain and stiffness and develop a treatment plan that eases your discomfort. 

The following are some of the most common reasons for morning pain and stiffness in your hip joints. 

Health conditions and lifestyle choices that can cause hip pain in the morning 

Here are the most common reasons people wake up with hip pain. 

1. Osteoarthritis

You’ve probably heard that being sedentary isn’t good for arthritis. During sleep, you become sedentary. That’s why your legs and hips may be stiff when you get out of bed in the morning or get out of a chair after sitting at the computer for a while.

Your joints have a synovial membrane filled with fluid that helps provide cushioning to your joints. As you get older, the amount of synovial fluid decreases. When you’re inactive, it may become thicker, making it challenging to move. 

2. Sciatic-piriformis syndrome

Are your legs and hips starting to hurt throughout the night? You may have sciatic-piriformis syndrome. Your buttock’s muscle is pressing on your sciatic nerve, starting in your lower back and running down your legs. Spinal misalignment due to scoliosis, a sedentary lifestyle, and muscle spasms, strains, or sprains are common reasons for this condition.

3. Tendonitis

Have you recently increased your amount of exercise? For example, if you’re a runner, are you training for a race and now feel hip pain? 

You may have hip flexor tendonitis. You’ve overused the tendons connected to your hip bones. Constant overuse can lead to degenerative changes in the tendon fibers. 

4. Bursitis

Your hip joints have small pouches filled with fluid called bursa. Overuse of your hip joints can lead to bursitis, which inflames the joint. Arthritis can also inflame your bursae. 

5. Your mattress

You may find that changing your mattress or your sleeping position helps to relieve hip pain in the morning. You may like a firm mattress, but is it too firm, placing undue pressure on your hips? 

6. Sleep position 

Sleep position can also be a factor in hip pain. If you’re a side sleeper, you may be putting too much pressure on your hip and creating a pressure point. Try to learn to sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees. 

Treatment for hip pain

Conservative treatment for hip pain is effective for many people. For example, physical therapy reduces inflammation and helps you regain mobility, and a cortisone injection helps calm severe inflammation. 

Modifying the pace of your activity can help prevent an overuse injury in the future. 

If your cartilage has thinned to the point where you’re bone on bone, a hip replacement helps you regain normal movement. 

Call Alpine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine or request an appointment through our online portal today if you have unexplained hip pain.