Lower back and hip pain when sitting

Prolonged sitting increases stress within the hip joint and surrounding tissues. The pain tends to intensify while sitting and/or after getting up.

There are many ways to relieve hip joint pain that worsens with sitting, including activity modification and self-care, followed by non-surgical medical treatments.

Here is what you need to know about how sitting causes hip joint pain and tips and approaches to reduce the pain.

Sitting causes hip joint pain due to muscle imbalances

Sitting for long hours makes the hip flexor muscles short and tight.

When you sit for prolonged periods, your hip and core muscles undergo several changes.

• Your hip flexors become short and tight – these are the muscles in the front of your hip and thigh that help you raise your leg or bend your knees.

  See Understanding Hip Flexor Pain

• Your core musclesbecome weak – these are the muscles in your abdomen and lower back responsible for stabilizing your spine and pelvis

A combination of tight hip flexors and a weak core causes

pain in hips when sitting up

dull ache in hip when sitting