Hip Pain & Arthritis Treatment in Laguna Niguel

Types of hip pain we treat

“Hip pain” covers a wide range of conditions, and knowing which one you’re dealing with changes everything about the care plan. We regularly help patients from Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Hills with:

• Hip bursitis — inflammation of the fluid-filled sac over the greater trochanter, causing aching pain on the outer hip or thigh that’s worst lying on that side or after stairs.
• Hip impingement (FAI) — extra bone growth at the ball or socket that pinches the labrum with deep flexion; common in active adults and athletes.
• Referred pain from the spine — a lumbar disc, facet joint, or sacroiliac problem can send pain directly into the hip or groin. Treating the hip alone won’t fix it (see Low Back Pain and Sciatica).
• Labral irritation — the cartilage ring lining the socket can become irritated from twisting, repetitive loading, or an underlying alignment problem; it often presents as a deep clicking or catching sensation.
• Hip osteoarthritis — gradual cartilage wear that causes morning stiffness and aching with activity; conservative care slows the progression and often significantly reduces pain.
• Muscle-imbalance pain — tight hip flexors and weak glutes alter how the joint loads with every step, leading to chronic irritation that responds well to corrective exercise.
• Sports and overuse injuries — IT band syndrome, hip flexor strains, and stress reactions from running or cycling are common presentations we treat through sports injury rehab.

Your exam tells us which pattern is driving your pain so your plan is built around your hip — not a generic protocol.

What to expect at your first visit

Your first appointment runs about 45–60 minutes, and it’s focused on understanding your hip before we treat it. We’ll:

1. Listen to your story — when the pain started, what makes it worse or better, how it affects your daily movement and activity.
2. Examine thoroughly — orthopedic tests, gait analysis, and movement screening of the hip, pelvis, and low back as a unit. We order imaging only when it will change your care.
3. Explain what we found — in clear, everyday terms, with a clear time-bound care plan and honest expectations for your recovery.
4. Begin care when appropriate — many patients receive their first gentle adjustment the same day.

You’re never signed up for open-ended treatment. Just a specific plan with a real finish line and the rehab to keep the hip stable once the pain is gone.

Drug-free hip pain relief — without injections or surgery

Cortisone injections can quiet hip pain for a few weeks, but they don’t correct the alignment or muscle imbalance that’s driving it. Surgery is often avoidable for the most common hip conditions. Chiropractic care works differently — we relieve the pain and address the mechanics causing it, without drugs or downtime. For most patients across the Laguna Niguel area that means returning to walking, stairs, exercise, and sleep faster, and staying there. If your exam ever shows that imaging, a specialist, or a surgical consult is the right next step, we’ll tell you directly and help coordinate that care.

When to see a chiropractor in Laguna Niguel

Hip pain deserves attention sooner rather than later. Waiting allows compensatory patterns to develop in your gait and posture that can drag the knee, low back, and opposite hip into the problem. Consider booking an exam if you notice:

• Pain in the hip, groin, or outer thigh that lingers more than a few days
• Stiffness that makes it hard to get dressed, get in and out of a car, or climb stairs
• Limping or unconsciously shifting your weight to the other side
• Hip discomfort that gets worse after sitting for long periods
• Pain that seems connected to your low back — or that radiates down the leg (see Low Back Pain)

We do refer when it’s appropriate: if your exam or imaging points to a hip replacement candidate, severe arthritis, or a fracture, we’ll tell you clearly and coordinate with the right specialist.

Advanced therapies for the hip and surrounding tissue

When hip pain comes from degeneration — worn cartilage, bone spurs, or arthritic change — shockwave therapy is one of the therapies we reach for most. Sound waves travel deep into the affected area to reduce inflammation, produce collagen, release growth factors, and break up calcification, without surgery or physical contact. Hip tendonitis, hip bursitis, and iliotibial (IT) band syndrome are all specific indications for it.

PEMF therapy is used where arthritic change and worn cartilage are at the centre of the problem, and laser therapy sends soothing light waves through the skin to the joint, providing warmth, speeding healing, and easing pain. For the tight glute and hip-flexor tissue that so often accompanies hip pain, myofascial release and cupping release the trigger points that refer pain down the leg.

Chiropractic adjustments also help fluid flow to your joints, promoting healing — and by realigning your spine and improving your posture, we reduce the pressure loading the hip in the first place.

Why Laguna Niguel-area patients choose Divine Healing Chiropractic

Patients from Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, and Laguna Hills choose us because we look past the symptom to find the cause. Dr. Azien Mousavi uses a thorough orthopedic and movement assessment to map the hip-pelvis-low back relationship, then builds a plan that uses chiropractic adjustment to restore proper joint mechanics, corrective exercise to fix the muscle imbalances driving the problem, and sports injury rehab for athletes who need to return to full activity.

Hip pain and low back pain are closely linked — if you’re dealing with both, our approach addresses them together rather than in isolation. Ready to find out what’s really going on? Our New Patient Special makes it easy to get started, and you can book your exam online in under a minute.