Hip and Groin Pain When Walking: Causes and What Helps

Pain in the front of the hip or groin when you walk, climb stairs or lift your leg can come from hip arthritis, impingement, a muscle strain, a hernia or a stress fracture.

If walking has started to bring on a deep ache in the groin or front of the hip, or lifting a leg into the car has become a struggle, the likely causes include:

• hip osteoarthritis

• hip impingement or a labral tear

• a strained hip flexor or groin muscle

• an inguinal hernia

• less often, a stress fracture

Where the pain sits, what sets it off and whether it came on gradually or suddenly are useful clues. Sudden pain, pain after a fall, or a groin bulge need a clinician.

For hip osteoarthritis, walking and URAH Joint Health Omega-3 work well together: the micellar glucosamine cream is applied over the hip and absorbed into circulation, while movement helps cycle joint fluid through the cartilage. It's backed by peer-reviewed results, a long safety record and over 15 years of recommendation in hospitals and clinics.

Below: how to read the clues, what helps, and when to get checked.

Table of Contents

• At a Glance

• Why Groin Pain Often Points to the Hip Joint

• The Common Causes of Hip and Groin Pain

• Where It Hurts: A Quick Guide

• Hip Pain When Lifting Your Leg

• Groin Pain When Walking in Women and Men

• Hip Pain When Walking in a Younger Person

• Sudden Hip Pain Without Injury

• Should I Keep Walking With Hip Pain?

• What Helps Hip and Groin Pain When Walking

• Exercises for an Arthritic Hip

• Looking After the Hip Joint Over Time

• Pain Relief Options

• When to See a Doctor

• Frequently Asked Questions

• References

At a Glance

Why does the groin hurt?

Pain from inside the hip joint is usually felt in the groin or front of the hip. Common causes are hip osteoarthritis, hip impingement or a labral tear, a strained hip flexor or groin muscle, an inguinal hernia, and less often a stress fracture.

Clues that point to the joint

A deep groin ache that's worse with walking, stiffness after rest, and trouble putting on socks, pants or shoes suggest the hip joint. Clicking or catching in a younger, active person raises impingement or a labral tear.

What helps most

For hip osteoarthritis, keep walking at a comfortable level, strengthen the hip, manage your weight, and use a cane in the opposite hand if needed. A physical therapist can tailor the plan.

When to get checked

Seek prompt care for groin pain after a fall, sudden pain with difficulty bearing weight, a groin bulge that becomes painful or won't go back in, fever, or hip or knee pain with a limp in a child or teen.

Why Groin Pain Often Points to the Hip Joint

A useful thing to know: the hip joint sits deep at the front of your body, so pain from inside the joint is usually felt in the groin or front of the hip, sometimes spreading down the thigh toward the knee [3]. Pain on the outside of the hip, over the bony point you can feel, is more often from the tendons there. If that's you, see our guide to hip pain from standing, which covers outer-hip tendon pain in detail.

That's also why "hip bursitis in the groin" is a common confusion. The well-known hip bursitis sits on the outside of the hip. Groin pain points more toward the joint itself, the hip flexor tendon, or the groin area.

The Common Causes of Hip and Groin Pain

Hip osteoarthritis

In hip osteoarthritis, the cartilage lining the ball and socket thins and the joint surfaces become rougher [1]. The pain is typically felt in the groin, thigh or buttock and worsens with weight-bearing activities like walking [3]. Many people notice stiff, sore first steps after sitting that ease once they get going [3], and gradually find it harder to bend and rotate the hip, which is why socks, shoes, pants and getting in and out of the car become difficult. It usually builds over months or years.

Hip impingement and labral tears

Hip impingement (femoroacetabular impingement) is a mismatch in the shape of the ball and socket that causes them to pinch against each other. It often causes groin pain after prolonged sitting or walking, and pain with deep bending or rotating of the hip [4]. It tends to show up between adolescence and middle age, especially in active people [4]. Impingement can damage the labrum, the ring of cartilage around the socket. A labral tear can cause hip or groin pain that's worse with standing, sitting, walking or sport, along with a locking, clicking or catching feeling [5].

Hip flexor and groin muscle strains

The hip flexors at the front of the hip lift your leg forward, and the groin (adductor) muscles on the inner thigh pull the leg inward. A strain or irritated tendon in either group can cause pain when walking, lifting the leg or stretching. Strains usually follow a specific effort, like a sprint, a slip or a sudden change of direction, and tend to improve within a few weeks.

Inguinal hernia

An inguinal hernia is a bulge of tissue through a weak spot in the lower abdominal wall. Symptoms can worsen when you strain, lift, cough or stand for a long time, and often ease when you rest or lie down [6]. The key clue is a bulge in the groin that may disappear when you lie down [7]. Inguinal hernias are much more common in men [7]. A hernia that gets stuck and becomes very painful is an emergency [6].

Stress fracture

A stress fracture in the neck of the thigh bone causes groin pain that builds with activity. A history of long-distance running or a sudden increase in activity raises suspicion, and the fracture may not show on X-rays for weeks [9]. It's also more likely in people with low bone density. This one matters because a missed stress fracture can worsen, so groin pain that keeps building with walking or running needs assessment.

Pain from the back or nerves

Irritated nerves in the lower back can send pain into the buttock, groin and thigh. Burning, tingling or numbness, especially on the outer thigh, points toward a nerve cause rather than the joint.

Where It Hurts: A Quick Guide

Where it hurts is a clue, not a diagnosis. More than one problem can exist at once, so use this to guide the conversation with your doctor or physical therapist.

Scroll right to see the full table on mobile →

Hip Pain When Lifting Your Leg

Hip pain when lifting your leg is a useful clue, and the direction matters. Pain lifting the leg to put on pants, get into the car or lift it while sitting often reflects a stiff hip joint, because those movements need the hip to bend and rotate at the same time [3]. It's classic for hip osteoarthritis, and impingement causes similar pain with deep bending [4].

Pain lifting the leg forward after a specific effort, or when lifting it while lying down, can also come from the hip flexor muscles and tendons. Hip pain when lifting your leg to the side is more often from the outer-hip tendons than the joint.

A simple change helps with the car: sit on the seat first with both feet outside, then swing both legs in together.

Groin Pain When Walking in Women and Men

Most causes of groin pain when walking affect both sexes, but a few differ:

• Men: inguinal hernias are much more common [7], so a bulge, heaviness or pain that's worse with coughing or lifting is worth checking.

• Women: hip dysplasia, a shallow hip socket that can lead to labral tears and earlier arthritis, is more common in women. Pelvic and gynecological problems can also cause groin pain, so pain linked to your menstrual cycle, pelvic pain or unusual bleeding should be discussed with your doctor.

• During pregnancy: pain at the front of the pelvis and groin when walking or climbing stairs is common, often from the pelvic joints loosening. Mention it to your midwife or doctor, who can suggest support and physical therapy.

Left side versus right side rarely changes the likely cause for joint and muscle problems.

Hip Pain When Walking in a Younger Person

Hip osteoarthritis is mainly a condition of mid-life and older age. In younger, active adults, hip impingement and labral tears are more common causes of groin pain [4][5], and stress fractures are important to consider in runners and people who've suddenly increased their training [9].

Children and teenagers need special care. A child or teen with hip, groin, thigh or even knee pain and a limp should see a doctor promptly. One cause, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, happens when the top of the thigh bone slips at its growth plate. It often causes pain that worsens with activity and a limp, and it's treated with surgery [8]. The pain is sometimes felt only in the knee, which is why it can be missed.

Sudden Hip Pain Without Injury

Most hip osteoarthritis builds gradually, so sudden hip or groin pain without an injury deserves more attention. Possibilities include a stress fracture, a strain from an effort you didn't notice at the time, a flare of an existing joint problem, and less commonly problems such as loss of blood supply to the hip bone (more likely with long-term steroid use or heavy alcohol use) or infection.

Get same-day advice if the pain came on suddenly and you can't put weight on the leg, if the hip is hot or you have a fever, or if the pain is severe or rapidly worsening.

Should I Keep Walking With Hip Pain?

For hip osteoarthritis, usually yes. Exercise is at the center of care in both major US guidelines [1][2], and walking is one of the simplest ways to do it. Movement also helps the cartilage itself, as the section on looking after the joint explains.

The goal is the right dose, not pushing through pain:

• Mild discomfort during a walk that settles within a day is generally acceptable.

• If pain lingers into the next day or you start limping, shorten the distance or slow the pace next time, and build up gradually.

• Split one long walk into two or three shorter ones.

• Choose flat routes on sore days; uphill walking and stairs load the hip more.

Walking isn't the answer for every cause. Stop and get assessed if you suspect a stress fracture (groin pain that builds with each walk or run), if you have a painful groin bulge, or if the pain is sharp, sudden or makes you limp badly.

What Helps Hip and Groin Pain When Walking

For hip osteoarthritis, the evidence-based core is exercise, weight management and walking aids [1][2]. Other causes need condition-specific care first.

Strengthen and stay active

A physical therapist can set individualized strengthening, flexibility and endurance exercises, plus hands-on therapy to improve movement, as the 2025 US hip osteoarthritis guideline recommends [1].

Manage your load

If you're carrying extra weight, losing some is one of the most strongly recommended steps for hip osteoarthritis [2].

Use a cane if it helps

For hip osteoarthritis, the American College of Rheumatology strongly recommends a cane where it helps [2]. Hold it in the hand opposite the sore hip.

Take stairs the easy way

Lead with your good leg going up and your sore leg going down, and use the handrail. It takes load off the painful hip.

Exercises for an Arthritic Hip

These particular movements are intended for gradual hip stiffness and pain thought to come from osteoarthritis. If you have a suspected stress fracture, hernia, labral tear, recent injury or a hot, swollen joint, ask a clinician or physical therapist which movements and intensity are appropriate. Move within comfort, and scale back if pain lingers into the next day.

1. Sit-to-stand. From a sturdy chair, stand up and sit down slowly, using your hands if you need to. Start with 8 to 10.

2. Glute bridge. Lie on your back with knees bent. Lift your hips to a comfortable height, then lower slowly. Start with 8 to 10.

3. Heel slides. Lying on your back, slowly slide one heel toward your buttock, bending the hip and knee within comfort, then slide it back. Repeat 8 to 10 times each side.

4. Standing hip extension. Holding a counter, gently move one straight leg backward without arching your back, then return. Repeat 8 to 10 times each side.

Looking After the Hip Joint Over Time

This section applies to gradual, osteoarthritis-related hip pain. Hernias, stress fractures, muscle strains, labral tears and injuries require condition-specific care first.

If your pain comes from hip osteoarthritis, walking, strengthening and load management do the main work. Alongside them sits a question about the cartilage itself.

What cartilage needs

Cartilage works like a cushion held together by a collagen framework. The cushion is a water-holding matrix rich in glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans and hyaluronic acid, which absorbs pressure with every step, grip and bend. Glucosamine, a compound your body makes naturally, is a key starting substrate for that cushion, and laboratory research suggests it can also stimulate cartilage cells to produce aggrecan and type II collagen [15], so it may support both. As cartilage ages, its cells become less efficient at maintaining the matrix, which makes a steady daily supply more relevant over time.

The catch is getting it there. Cartilage has almost no blood supply of its own. It's nourished by the fluid inside the joint, which is filtered from your blood and pumped in and out of the cartilage like a sponge every time you move [12][13]. It's one more reason walking matters for an arthritic hip.

Why delivery matters

A swallowed glucosamine tablet has to survive the stomach and a first pass through the gut and liver before it reaches circulation. Major guidelines don't recommend conventional oral glucosamine for osteoarthritis, largely because clinical trials haven't shown sufficiently consistent benefits [2]. Most of that evidence concerns conventional oral preparations. Micellar glucosamine is a different formulation and delivery route, with its own product-specific research.

So what happens when you change the delivery?

Targeted first, circulates further

Support starts where you apply it, but it doesn't necessarily end there. URAH Joint Health Omega-3 uses patented MD-Tech, which wraps glucosamine in micelles, tiny carriers formed from biosurfactants, designed to help it pass through the skin. Natural active ingredients, precisely delivered, with no heat, smell or greasy residue.

Apply it over the hip that needs the most attention. MD-Tech helps micellar glucosamine cross the skin in that area first. Once absorbed, it enters the bloodstream, and circulation carries it beyond the application area, making it systemically available. For a deep joint like the hip, that circulation route is what counts: glucosamine doesn't need to travel all the way from the skin surface into the joint. At the joint, fluid derived from the circulation helps nourish cartilage, while movement cycles that fluid through the cartilage matrix. Once available, glucosamine can take part in the body's normal pathways for producing glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans and hyaluronic acid.

That local-first, systemically available route is why URAH works as a daily joint-support routine rather than an ordinary local pain cream. It's also why topical micellar glucosamine and regular walking go hand in hand.

Three findings that point the same way

Proof 1: absorption. In a lab study, blood-plasma glucosamine two hours after applying URAH micellar glucosamine cream was about ten times higher than after an oral dose [11]. This shows the delivery system gets glucosamine through the skin and into the body.

Proof 2: a joint-level outcome. In a peer-reviewed 12-week study of people with knee osteoarthritis, the 53 participants who completed the program were spread across three groups, and every group used 8% URAH cream twice a week. In the group that had the cream applied over the knee by hand, using cross-friction massage and no electrical equipment, medial joint-space width increased by approximately 61% [10]. Joint-space width is the standard X-ray measure used to track cartilage thickness in knee osteoarthritis, and it usually narrows over time.

Considered together, these findings point in the same direction: the micellar system gets glucosamine beyond the skin, and application over the joint has been linked to a measurable structural change within that joint.

Proof 3: everyday use. In a four-week open clinical survey across 16 outpatient clinics in Singapore, 44 people with mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis used URAH transdermal glucosamine. Pain scores and functional measures improved from baseline, and the reported safety findings were favorable, with no adverse reactions or skin irritation [14]. As an open survey without a placebo group, it can't show how much of the improvement came from the cream itself.

URAH was developed in Singapore by scientist Dr Jonathan Obaje, with R&D going back to 1999. It has been recommended in hospitals and clinics for over 15 years, with over a million units sold worldwide.

Want a simple daily support step for your hip joint? Targeted first. Circulates further. Built for daily joint support.

1. Massage about a fingertip (0.5 g) of URAH Joint Health Omega-3 over the front and side of the sore hip for about a minute, once or twice a day.

2. Keep walking at a comfortable level; movement circulates joint fluid through the cartilage.

3. Give it at least 12 weeks, the length of the joint-space study.

Every order comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

See URAH Joint Health Omega-3 →

About the research: every group in the knee study used the cream and there was no placebo group. The group using the cream with hand massage alone showed the standout joint-space result. Joint space was measured on X-ray, and the study looked at knees only. Walking, strengthening and load management remain the foundations of care. Full details are on the URAH Research & Evidence page.

Pain Relief Options

A quick word from the pharmacy side. For hip osteoarthritis, oral anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen are strongly recommended by the American College of Rheumatology, used at the lowest dose that works, for the shortest time [2]. They aren't right for everyone. Check with your pharmacist or doctor first if you have a history of stomach ulcers, kidney disease, heart problems or high blood pressure, or if you take a blood thinner. Acetaminophen is conditionally recommended and can suit people who can't take NSAIDs [2].

For stubborn joint pain, a doctor may offer a steroid injection into the hip, which the ACR recommends for short-term relief, ideally with ultrasound guidance [2]. Hernias, stress fractures and labral tears have their own treatments, which is why the right diagnosis comes first.

When to See a Doctor

Seek prompt medical care if you have:

• Groin or hip pain after a fall, especially if you can't put weight on the leg

• Sudden, severe hip or groin pain without an injury, or a hot hip with fever (seek same-day care)

• A groin bulge that becomes very painful, tender, red or dark, or won't go back in, especially with nausea or vomiting (emergency) [6]

• Groin pain that builds with each walk or run, especially after increasing activity or if you have low bone density

• Hip, groin, thigh or knee pain with a limp in a child or teenager

• Numbness, tingling or weakness in the leg

• Pain that keeps getting worse, or isn't improving after a few weeks of self-care

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my hip hurt when walking and sitting?

Pain with both walking and sitting points toward the hip joint. Impingement and labral tears often hurt with prolonged sitting as well as walking [4][5], and hip osteoarthritis commonly causes stiffness after sitting followed by pain with walking [3]. For more on the sitting side, see our guide to hip pain from sitting.

Is hip bursitis pain felt in the groin?

The common type of hip bursitis sits on the outside of the hip, so it's usually felt there rather than in the groin. Groin pain more often points to the hip joint, the hip flexor tendon, a groin strain or a hernia.

Why is my hip pain burning when I walk?

Burning, tingling or numbness suggests a nerve is involved, either from the lower back or a nerve on the outer thigh being compressed. Joint pain is more often described as a deep ache. It's worth getting checked.

Why does my groin hurt walking uphill or up stairs?

Uphill walking and stairs bend the hip further under load, which irritates an arthritic joint, impingement or the hip flexors. Shorter strides, flatter routes on sore days, and leading with your good leg on the stairs help.

Does it matter which side hurts?

For joint and muscle causes, left or right rarely changes the likely diagnosis. What matters more is where exactly it hurts, what sets it off, and whether it came on gradually or suddenly.

Should I stop walking if my hip hurts?

Not usually, if the cause is osteoarthritis. Adjust the dose instead: shorter, flatter walks with mild discomfort that settles within a day. Stop and get assessed if you suspect a stress fracture, have a painful groin bulge, or have sudden, severe pain.

Does URAH only support the area where it's applied?

URAH is applied over the joint that needs the most attention first. Its micellar delivery system helps glucosamine cross the skin in that area, after which absorbed glucosamine enters the bloodstream and becomes available beyond the application site. This gives URAH a local-first application method with broader systemic availability, making it suitable as a daily joint-support routine.

Further Reading

• Hip pain from standing

• Hip Pain From Sitting

• URAH Research & Evidence

References

1. Koc TA Jr, Cibulka M, Enseki KR, Gentile JT, MacDonald CW, Kollmorgen RC, Martin RL. Hip Pain and Mobility Deficits - Hip Osteoarthritis: Revision 2025. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2025;55(11):CPG1-CPG31.

2. Kolasinski SL, Neogi T, Hochberg MC, et al. 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee. Arthritis Care & Research. 2020;72(2):149-162.

3. University of Washington Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. Osteoarthritis of the Hip (Hip Arthritis). Patient information.

4. Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Hip Impingement: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments.

5. Mayo Clinic. Hip Labral Tear: Symptoms and Causes.

6. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Inguinal Hernia.

7. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Inguinal Hernia.

8. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (OrthoInfo). Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE).

9. Ballas MT, Tytko J, Mannarino F. Commonly Missed Orthopedic Problems. American Family Physician. 1998;57(2):267-274.

10. Onigbinde AT, et al. Symptoms-modifying effects of electromotive administration of glucosamine sulphate among patients with knee osteoarthritis. Hong Kong Physiotherapy Journal. 2018;38(1):63-75.

11. Liang K, Xu K, Bessarab D, Obaje J, Xu C. Arbutin encapsulated micelles improved transdermal delivery and suppression of cellular melanin production. BMC Research Notes. 2016;9:254. (Glucosamine plasma comparison reported in Supplementary Figure S7; glucosamine was not the paper's main subject.)

12. Sophia Fox AJ, Bedi A, Rodeo SA. The basic science of articular cartilage: structure, composition, and function. Sports Health. 2009;1(6):461-468.

13. Wang Y, Wei L, Zeng L, He D, Wei X. Nutrition and degeneration of articular cartilage. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy. 2013;21(8):1751-1762.

14. Ng GH, Lee YM, Obaje J. A transdermal glucosamine formulation improves osteoarthritic symptoms in an open clinical survey. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2011;3(3):80-83.

15. Derfoul A, Miyoshi AD, Freeman DE, Tuan RS. Glucosamine promotes chondrogenic phenotype in both chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells and inhibits MMP-13 expression and matrix degradation. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2007;15(6):646-655.

This article is for general information and isn't a substitute for personal medical advice. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or physical therapist about hip or groin pain that is severe, sudden, persistent or getting worse, and before starting new medicines or exercises if you have other health conditions.