Hip Pain Relief in New Braunfels, TX

Chronic pain in the hip can lead people to reduce activity or change the way they walk and move. Physical therapy can evaluate factors such as mobility restrictions, muscle weakness, balance, and movement mechanics that may be contributing to those limitations. Your treatment can then focus on improving the areas identified during your evaluation while gradually rebuilding your ability to walk, work, exercise, climb stairs, and complete other daily activities. Exercise, strengthening, flexibility work, and physical therapy are commonly used as part of conservative management for hip joint conditions.

Hip pain can develop for many reasons, including previous injuries, repetitive activity, changes in strength or mobility, and conditions such as osteoarthritis. Age and repeated joint use may contribute to certain hip problems, but hip osteoarthritis is more complicated than simple “wear and tear.” Joint tissues can gradually change over time, and factors such as previous injury, repetitive overuse, body weight, and joint structure can influence the risk of developing osteoarthritis.

Non-surgical care depends on the cause of the hip pain. Common approaches may include physical therapy, modifying activities that aggravate symptoms, therapeutic exercise, and, when recommended by a medical provider, medication for pain or inflammation. BioMotion provides physical therapy and rehabilitation services only. We do not prescribe or manage medications. If medication or another form of medical treatment may be appropriate, patients should discuss those options with their physician, pharmacist, or another qualified medical provider.

Ice and heat can be useful for some types of hip pain, but which one is appropriate depends on the condition and stage of recovery. For an acute muscle injury with swelling, a cold pack may help reduce pain and swelling. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends applying a cold pack for about 20 minutes at a time and avoiding direct contact between ice and the skin. Heat may be useful later for stiffness or before certain exercises because it can help with flexibility and range of motion. Your physical therapist can help you determine whether temperature therapy makes sense for your particular condition.

Sometimes. Continuing to repeatedly perform an activity that clearly aggravates hip pain may make symptoms harder to settle. Activity modification does not necessarily mean completely stopping movement or exercise. It may mean temporarily reducing the intensity, frequency, distance, resistance, or type of activity while you work on the strength and mobility needed to tolerate it again. Activity modification is commonly included in conservative treatment for hip conditions such as bursitis and overuse injuries. A physical therapist can help you determine what you may need to modify in order to improve function and how to progressively return to your normal activities.

Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, may reduce pain and inflammation for some musculoskeletal conditions. However, these medications are not appropriate for everyone and can have side effects or interact with other medications. BioMotion does not prescribe, dispense, or manage medication. Questions about whether an over-the-counter or prescription medication is appropriate for you should be directed to your physician, pharmacist, or another qualified medical provider.

Hip mobility plays a role in walking, stairs, squatting, bending, getting in and out of a chair, and many athletic movements. When meaningful mobility restrictions remain, you may compensate by changing the way you move through the pelvis, back, knee, or other areas. Your physical therapist can identify these restrictions and determine whether mobility work should be combined with strengthening, balance, and functional movement training.

Yes. Hip and lower-body strength contribute to walking, standing, climbing stairs, maintaining balance, and performing more demanding activities. Your therapist may use progressive strengthening together with balance and coordination exercises to improve stability and control. Exercise programs for hip and joint conditions commonly incorporate strength, flexibility, balance, and functional movement based on the patient’s needs.

No. BioMotion does not prescribe medication as part of its physical therapy services. Treatment instead focuses on physical rehabilitation methods such as therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, strengthening, mobility work, movement education, balance training, and other appropriate PT interventions. If your symptoms suggest that medication or another type of medical treatment should be considered, your physical therapist may recommend that you discuss those options with an appropriate healthcare provider.

Treatment depends on what your evaluation shows. The plan for most common conditions may include therapeutic exercise, progressive strengthening, manual therapy, mobility work, balance and coordination training, gait training, postural education, and functional movement practice. BioMotion may also use physical therapy modalities such as electrical stimulation or dry needling when appropriate. Physical therapists select interventions based on findings from the patient’s examination and evaluation rather than using the same treatment for everyone.

Dry needling is a physical therapy technique that may be used for certain musculoskeletal pain and movement problems, including treatment involving sensitive or tight areas of muscle. The American Physical Therapy Association, also known as the APTA, recognizes dry needling as an intervention performed by appropriately qualified physical therapists where permitted by state regulations. When appropriate at BioMotion, dry needling would be one component of a larger rehabilitation plan rather than a stand-alone treatment. Strengthening, mobility, movement training, and other active treatments may still be important parts of recovery.

Physical therapy can help athletes and active adults progressively rebuild the physical abilities required for their activity. Feeling less pain does not necessarily mean the hip is prepared for running, lifting, jumping, cutting, or other demanding movements. Rehabilitation may also need to address strength, mobility, balance, coordination, and tolerance for the specific demands of your sport or exercise routine. Your therapist can gradually progress those demands as your abilities improve.

Physical therapy cannot guarantee that another injury will never occur, but rehabilitation can address limitations that may leave the body less prepared for activity. Restricted mobility, weakness, poor balance, reduced coordination, or returning to demanding activity too quickly may affect how well you tolerate physical demands. Your therapist can identify these areas during your evaluation and progressively work on them as part of your rehabilitation.

Hip pain should be medically evaluated when it follows a significant injury, particularly if you cannot bear weight or move the hip normally. You should also seek medical attention for symptoms such as significant swelling, deformity, worsening pain, or unexplained numbness or weakness. A physical therapist can also identify findings during an evaluation that may warrant additional medical assessment and recommend that you follow up with an appropriate provider.

If your therapist identifies symptoms or examination findings that may require additional medical evaluation, they may recommend that you see a physician, orthopedic specialist, or another appropriate healthcare provider. That provider may determine whether imaging such as an X-ray or MRI or another form of medical treatment is necessary. Hip evaluations sometimes require imaging depending on the patient’s symptoms and suspected cause. BioMotion’s role remains physical therapy and rehabilitation. We do not provide imaging, medication management, injections, or surgical treatment.

Physical therapy is one conservative treatment option for many causes of hip pain, but it is not the right or only treatment for every condition. If your symptoms are not progressing as expected, your therapist may recommend additional medical evaluation. A physician or orthopedic specialist can determine whether imaging, medication management, injections, or other medical treatment should be considered. BioMotion does not provide those services. For certain severe hip conditions, including advanced joint damage, hip replacement may eventually be considered by an orthopedic surgeon when non-surgical treatments are no longer providing adequate relief or function. Physical therapy may then also be used as part of rehabilitation following surgery.

Yes. Physical therapy is commonly part of recovery after hip replacement and may focus on restoring mobility, rebuilding strength, improving walking and balance, and gradually returning to everyday activities. Your rehabilitation plan should follow any precautions and activity restrictions provided by your surgeon. BioMotion provides the physical therapy portion of recovery and does not perform hip replacement surgery.

Many patients in Texas can begin physical therapy without first obtaining a physician referral under the state’s Direct Access law. Texas law currently allows qualifying physical therapists to treat a patient without a referral for up to 30 consecutive calendar days. A referral is required before treatment extends beyond that period. The change took effect September 1, 2025. Insurance plans may have separate referral or authorization requirements, so contact BioMotion if you are unsure what applies to your coverage.

BioMotion provides sports physical therapy and sports injury rehabilitation, which are important parts of sports medicine. Our physical therapists work with athletes and active adults recovering from sprains, strains, joint injuries, surgery, and other conditions that can affect strength, mobility, and performance. Treatment may include progressive strengthening, mobility work, balance and coordination training, movement retraining, and return-to-sport exercises based on the demands of your activity. Dr. Derek Sanchez, PT, DPT, CSCS, also brings more than 20 years of experience in sports medicine and rehabilitation to BioMotion. BioMotion does not provide sports medicine physician services. If your injury requires imaging, medication, injections, surgery, or another type of medical care, your physical therapist can recommend that you follow up with an appropriate healthcare provider.

There is no single timeline for hip rehabilitation. The length and frequency of treatment depend on factors such as the cause of your symptoms, how long they have been present, your current strength and mobility, whether an injury or surgery was involved, the activities you want to return to, and how you respond to treatment. Your physical therapist will recommend a treatment plan after your evaluation and adjust it as your abilities and needs change.