Hip Dysplasia: 5 Signs This Is Behind Your Hip Pain Now

Hip dysplasia symptoms in adults can be easy to miss, especially when hip pain is initially put down to training, tightness or another hip condition.

Hip dysplasia happens when the hip socket doesn’t fully cover the ball of the hip joint. For some people, it’s picked up early. For others, it isn’t discovered until adulthood — sometimes after months or even years of hip pain that keeps coming back.

So, how do you know if this could be behind your hip pain? Here are five signs worth knowing.

What is hip dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia is a condition where the hip socket doesn’t provide full coverage of the ball of the hip joint.

This can affect how the hip moves and how the muscles around it support the joint. Some people experience pain, weakness or a feeling of instability, while others may have no obvious symptoms for years.

It can also sometimes be confused with other causes of hip pain, including hip impingement, which is why getting the right assessment matters.

What are the symptoms of hip dysplasia in adults?

There isn’t one single symptom that tells you what’s going on. Your hip may hurt, feel unstable or simply not move the way you expect it to.

These five signs don’t automatically mean you have the condition, but they can be a reason to have persistent hip pain investigated.

1. Your hip hurts during activity

Do you notice hip pain when you’re walking, running, training or playing sport?

Pain may be felt around the front of the hip or groin, at the side of the hip or sometimes towards the back. It may also become more noticeable as your activity increases.

Hip pain has many possible causes, so pain alone isn’t enough to tell you what’s happening. But if it keeps returning or is starting to stop you from doing the things you normally do, it’s worth having it assessed.

2. Your hip feels unstable

Does your hip ever feel like it might give way, shift or isn’t quite as secure as it should be?

When the hip socket provides less coverage, the muscles and other structures around the joint may need to do more to support it.

Some people describe this as weakness or instability rather than pain — and it can become particularly noticeable during exercise or more demanding movements.

3. Your hip movement feels different

Not everyone’s hips move in exactly the same way.

Some people have a large amount of hip movement, while others notice that certain positions feel restricted, uncomfortable or simply different from one side to the other.

Rather than looking at flexibility alone, a physiotherapist will consider how your hip moves, how well you control that movement and how strong you are through your available range.

4. You’ve started walking differently

Pain, weakness or instability around the hip can sometimes change the way you walk.

You might notice a limp, feel uneven from one side to the other or find yourself naturally changing the way you move to avoid discomfort.

Sometimes these changes are obvious. Other times, you’ve been compensating for so long that you don’t even realise you’re doing it.

5. You’ve been told it’s something else — but you’re not improving

This is an important one.

Different hip conditions can cause similar symptoms, and hip dysplasia can sometimes be confused with other causes of hip pain, including hip impingement.

If you’ve followed a treatment plan but your hip pain keeps returning or something still doesn’t feel right, it may be worth looking at the bigger picture.

Your symptoms, history, movement, strength and — when appropriate — imaging can all help work out what may be contributing to the problem.

How is hip dysplasia diagnosed?

There isn’t one symptom or physical test that can tell the whole story. Diagnosis generally involves looking at your symptoms and clinical assessment together with imaging when appropriate.

Clinical assessment

A physiotherapist will ask about your symptoms, when they started, what makes them better or worse and what you want to get back to doing.

They may also assess your hip movement, strength and control and look at how you walk, run or perform movements that are relevant to you.

Imaging

If the structure of the hip needs further investigation, an X-ray may be recommended. This can help assess the shape of the joint and the amount of coverage provided by the hip socket.

In some situations, further imaging such as an MRI may also be appropriate.

The important part is putting the findings into context. An image is one part of the picture — how you feel and how your hip functions matter too.

Can physiotherapy help with hip dysplasia?

Physiotherapy may form part of the management of hip dysplasia symptoms in adults, particularly when pain, weakness or instability is affecting everyday life, exercise or sport.

There’s no one-size-fits-all program. What you need will depend on your symptoms, strength, movement, goals and the demands you place on your hip.

Depending on your assessment, rehabilitation may include:

• Building strength around the hip and lower body
• Improving control and stability
• Looking at how you walk, run or move
• Adjusting activities that are aggravating your symptoms
• Gradually increasing what your hip can tolerate
• Working towards returning to exercise, sport or everyday activities

The aim isn’t simply to tell you to stop doing what hurts. It’s to understand what’s contributing to your symptoms and help you work towards the things you want to be able to do.

Some people may also need input from their GP, sports physician or an orthopaedic specialist. Your physiotherapist can discuss this with you if further investigation or specialist assessment may be appropriate.

Learn more about General Physiotherapy at BeFit →

What does hip dysplasia actually feel like?

It can feel different from person to person.

For some people, it’s a persistent ache around the hip or groin. For others, pain only appears when they run, train or spend longer periods on their feet.

You might notice weakness, instability or that your hip simply doesn’t move or feel the way you expect it to.

And sometimes the biggest clue is simply this:

Your hip pain keeps coming back and you don’t really know why.

That doesn’t automatically mean you have hip dysplasia. But persistent or recurring pain is a good reason to find out what’s going on rather than continuing to work around it.

Hip Dysplasia FAQs

Can adults have hip dysplasia without knowing it?

Yes. Some people don’t discover they have the condition until adulthood. Symptoms may become more noticeable when activity levels change or the demands placed on the hip increase.

Where do you feel hip dysplasia pain?

Pain may be felt around the front of the hip or groin, at the side or sometimes towards the back. Pain location alone can’t diagnose the cause, as a number of hip conditions can produce similar symptoms.

Does hip dysplasia always require surgery?

No. Management depends on the individual, their symptoms, hip structure, goals and activity demands. Some people may manage their symptoms with physiotherapy and strengthening, while others may need assessment by an orthopaedic specialist to discuss further options.

Should you exercise with hip dysplasia?

Exercise can form part of managing symptoms, but what is appropriate will vary from person to person. Strength, control and gradually building your capacity may all be considered as part of an individual rehabilitation program.

How do I know if my hip pain is hip dysplasia?

Symptoms alone can’t confirm a diagnosis. If your hip pain is persistent or keeps returning, a clinical assessment can help identify possible contributors, with imaging used when appropriate to investigate the structure of the hip.

Can hip dysplasia be mistaken for hip impingement?

Some symptoms can overlap with other hip conditions, including hip impingement. That’s why your symptoms, history, clinical assessment and any relevant imaging need to be considered together rather than relying on one test or symptom alone.

Still not sure what’s causing your hip pain?

You don’t need to diagnose it yourself.

If your hip pain keeps returning, isn’t improving as expected or is starting to affect your training, walking or everyday life, a physiotherapy assessment can help you understand what may be going on.

At BeFit Training Physiotherapy, we assess and treat hip pain at our Edgecliff and Coogee clinics in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

We’ll look at your symptoms, movement, strength and history, explain what we find and help you understand the next step.

Learn more about General Physiotherapy →

Want to hear from someone who’s been through it? Grace knows firsthand what it’s like to deal with hip pain, a confusing diagnosis and the process of getting back to what she loves. Read Grace’s Hip Pain Journey →