Maybe it started as a pinch in your groin on the stairs at Anderson Park, or a deep ache after yard work that never quite left. Now you’re modifying how you get out of the car, and someone — a friend, a search result, maybe even a doctor — has already floated the word injection.
Here’s what we want every Wheat Ridge neighbor to know: for most hip pain, there’s a lot of effective, conservative care to try before anyone reaches for a needle full of cortisone. That’s the care we provide every day at Lakeside Spine & Injury Center.
What’s Usually Behind Hip Pain
Most of the hip pain we see in the clinic isn’t a worn-out joint that needs replacing. It’s some combination of:
- Tight, overworked muscles — hip flexors shortened by desk hours, glutes that have stopped pulling their weight, a piriformis in permanent spasm.
- A stiff joint capsule that has lost rotation, so every step asks the low back and knee to make up the difference.
- Tendon irritation — gluteal tendinopathy on the side of the hip is one of the most common culprits, especially in active adults.
- Referred pain from the lumbar spine or SI joint pretending to be a hip problem.
Each of those responds to conservative care — but each responds to different conservative care, which is why treatment starts with an honest diagnosis, not a one-size-fits-all protocol. If you’re not sure whether your pain is even coming from the hip, our post on telling hip pain apart from lower back pain is a good place to start.
Why We Don’t Start With Injections
Cortisone injections have a place — they can calm severe inflammation and occasionally make rehab possible when pain is unbearable. But an injection doesn’t restore motion, doesn’t strengthen a weak glute, and doesn’t change the movement pattern that irritated the tissue in the first place.
Numbing a hip that doesn’t move well just gives you a quieter hip that still doesn’t move well. Our approach is to fix the mechanics, so relief has a reason to last. And to be clear: this is educational information, not a promise — some hips do ultimately need imaging, injections, or a surgical consult, and when yours does, we’ll tell you directly and help you get there.
How We Treat Hip Pain at Lakeside
Dr. Andrew Allen, DC builds each plan around what your exam actually shows, but most hip care at our clinic draws on four tools:
1. Soft tissue therapy for the muscles that guard the joint
This is where Dr. Allen’s soft-tissue expertise does its heaviest lifting. Soft tissue therapy — myofascial release, trigger point work, and instrument-assisted techniques — releases the hip flexors, glutes, TFL, and piriformis so the joint underneath can finally move the way it’s supposed to.
2. Adjustments to restore motion where it’s missing
Because the hip, pelvis, and lumbar spine work as one system, chiropractic adjustments and joint mobilization address the stiff segments — SI joint, lumbar spine, and the hip itself — that force other tissues to overwork.
3. Targeted strengthening — especially the glutes
Releasing tight tissue buys you a window; strength keeps it open. Expect simple, progressive exercises — bridges, side-lying work, hinge patterns — chosen for your specific weak links, not a generic printout.
4. Movement and habit coaching
Desk setup, sitting time, walking mechanics, training load — the everyday inputs that either feed the problem or starve it. Small changes here are often what separate a temporary fix from a lasting one.
What a Course of Care Typically Looks Like
Every case is different, but a typical arc runs something like this: more frequent visits in the first couple of weeks to calm symptoms and restore motion, then progressively fewer visits as strengthening takes over. Most patients know within four to six weeks whether the plan is working — and if measurable progress isn’t there, we reassess or refer rather than asking you to keep paying for more of the same.
That reassess-or-refer promise matters. Persistent night pain, rapidly worsening stiffness, a hip that locks or gives way, or pain after a fall or car accident all warrant imaging and, sometimes, a specialist — and we coordinate that instead of treating through it.
Care for Active Bodies, Not Just Sore Ones
A lot of our hip patients aren’t trying to get back to “fine” — they’re trying to get back to trail runs at Crown Hill, cycling Clear Creek, ski season, or the gym. Our athlete-focused chiropractic care is built for exactly that: restoring the rotation, strength, and load tolerance your sport actually demands, whether you’re in Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Lakeside, or anywhere in the Denver metro.
Start With a Free Evaluation — Right Here in Wheat Ridge
You’ll find us at 6073 W 44th Ave #101, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 — minutes from Arvada, Lakeside, Edgewater, and the west Denver metro. If your hip has been talking to you for more than a couple of weeks, don’t wait for it to start shouting.
Call (303) 351-0744 or book a free 30-minute evaluation with Dr. Allen. You’ll leave knowing what’s driving your hip pain and exactly what we’d do about it — no injections required to find out.
