That clicking, snapping or clunking sensation in your hip when you walk, lift your leg or dance? That is often snapping hip syndrome, also known as dancer’s hip. It is extremely common, especially in dancers, runners and naturally flexible people, and the good news is it is usually harmless and very treatable.
In this guide we explain what it is, the three types, what causes the snap, when it matters, and how physiotherapy fixes the painful kind of hip pain it can bring.
What Is Snapping Hip Syndrome?
It is the medical name for a snapping, clicking or popping sensation in or around the hip, usually as you move it. Often you can feel, and sometimes hear, the snap when you lift your knee, rotate the hip, or extend the leg. It gets the nickname dancer’s hip because it is so common in dancers, though anyone can get it. In many cases it is painless, but for some it comes with hip pain that needs attention.
The Three Types of Snapping Hip
There are three main types, based on where the snap comes from. The most common is at the front, where the iliopsoas or hip flexor tendon flicks over a bony ridge. The next is at the side, where the iliotibial or IT band snaps over the outside of the hip. The third, and least common, is inside the joint itself, which can point to a problem like torn cartilage. Knowing the type guides how it is managed.
What Causes Snapping Hip Syndrome?
The snap happens when a tendon or muscle slides over a bony bump as the hip moves. It is especially common in people who do lots of repetitive hip movement, like dancers, gymnasts, runners and footballers, and in those who are very flexible. Tight or overused hip flexors, muscle imbalances and high training loads all contribute. In short, it is usually a mechanical, movement-related issue rather than something sinister.
Is It a Problem?
Here is the reassuring part: for many people, a snapping hip is painless and completely harmless, more annoying than anything. If it does not hurt, it generally does not need treatment. It becomes worth addressing when it causes hip pain, swelling, or starts affecting your training or dancing. The internal type is the one to take more seriously, as it can signal an issue inside the joint that needs assessment.
How to Fix Snapping Hip Syndrome
When it is painful, it usually responds very well to physiotherapy. Treatment typically involves settling any irritated tissue, then addressing the real drivers: releasing tight hip flexors or the IT band, correcting muscle imbalances, and building balanced hip strength and control. Your physiotherapist will also look at your technique and training load. For the common external types, this approach resolves most cases without injections or surgery.
When to Get It Checked
See a physiotherapist or doctor if your snapping comes with hip pain, catching or locking, swelling, or if it is limiting your activity. Deep pain inside the joint, or a snap that feels different from the usual external click, deserves assessment to rule out an internal cause. A painless click on its own is rarely a concern, but when in doubt, get it looked at.
Can You Keep Dancing or Training?
In most cases, yes. If your dancer’s hip is painless, you can usually carry on as normal. If it is painful, you may need to modify your load or technique for a while, but complete rest is rarely the answer. A physiotherapist can help you keep dancing or training while you address the cause, so you are not sidelined unnecessarily.
Common Questions About Snapping Hip Syndrome
What causes the snapping?
A tendon or muscle, usually the hip flexor at the front or the IT band at the side, sliding over a bony bump as the hip moves. Less commonly, the snap comes from inside the joint.
Is snapping hip syndrome dangerous?
Usually not. The common external types are harmless, if sometimes annoying. The internal type is worth assessing, as it can indicate an issue inside the joint.
Will it go away?
A painless snap may simply be something you live with. A painful one usually improves well with physiotherapy that addresses the underlying tightness, imbalance or load.
How is it treated?
With physiotherapy: settling irritation, releasing tight structures, correcting imbalances, and building hip strength and control. Injections or surgery are rarely needed for the common types.
Can I keep dancing with dancer’s hip?
Often yes, especially if it is painless. If it hurts, a physiotherapist can help you modify and keep training rather than stopping altogether.
How BeFit Can Help
At BeFit Training Physiotherapy, we help dancers, runners and everyone in between fix a snapping hip. Our sports physiotherapy and general physiotherapy teams find the cause of the snap and hip pain, then build a plan to settle it and keep you moving, and a mobility assessment can pinpoint the tightness or imbalance behind it. Initial consultations run for 45 minutes, one-on-one.
Our team at Edgecliff and Coogee would be glad to help. No referral is required, and HICAPS is available on-site for immediate health fund claiming.
Book an appointment at BeFit Training Physiotherapy — no referral needed.
Edgecliff: (02) 9327 7749 | Coogee: (02) 7205 2805 | befittrainingphysio.com/book-now
Related Services at BeFit
Learn more about how our team can help:
Sports Physiotherapy
General Physiotherapy
Mobility Assessment
Further Reading
Hip Labral Tears: Symptoms, Causes and How to Treat Them
Hip Dysplasia: 5 Signs This Is Behind Your Hip Pain
References
Musick SR, Varacallo M. Snapping Hip Syndrome. StatPearls. 2023.
Yen YM, et al. Understanding and treating the snapping hip. Sports Med Arthrosc Rev. 2015.
Australian Physiotherapy Association. Clinical guidelines. physiotherapy.asn.au.
