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Hip pain
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Diagnosis & Evaluation
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Non-Surgical Care
Hip Physical TherapyHip Pain MedicationHip Activity & Weight Plan
Injections & Orthobiologics
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Hip Arthroscopy & Preservation
Hip ArthroscopyHip Labral RepairFAI SurgeryGluteus Medius Tendon RepairPeriacetabular Osteotomy (PAO)
Hip Replacement
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Anterior vs PosteriorArthroscopy vs ReplacementCortisone vs PRPSurgery vs Physical Therapy
Hip Health Library Saturday Hip Pain Clinic About Dr. Stride Location & hours Request an appointment
Diagnosis & Evaluation

Get a Clear Answer About Your Hip Pain

What happens at a hip exam with an orthopedic hip specialist?

A hip exam with an orthopedic hip specialist is a hands-on check of range of motion, labral and impingement signs, tendon strength and walking pattern. Dr. Stride uses tests such as FADIR, FABER, log roll and single-leg stance, then screens the lower back and knee. The visit usually takes 30 to 45 minutes and sets the plan.

The same ache in the groin, the side of the hip or the buttock can come from the joint itself, the tendons around it or a nerve in the lower back. Dr. Stride's exam is built to tell those apart in one visit, before any MRI is ordered.

Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Stride, MD, board-certified orthopedic surgeon
Last reviewed October 2026
Dr. Stride bending a patient's hip and knee to test hip motion on the exam table

At a glance

Also called
hip impingement test, FADIR test, FABER test, walking analysis for hip pain
After your visit
Follow-up visit
Ask about this treatment →(713) 555-0168

Is this right for you?

Usually a good fit if

  • Groin pain that catches when you get out of the car or put on socks
  • Side-of-hip pain that wakes you when you lie on that side
  • Anyone who has an MRI report full of findings but no clear plan
  • People told they need a new hip who want a second opinion

Another option may be better if

  • A fall with sudden inability to stand or put weight on the leg, which needs an emergency room and X-rays first
  • Hip pain with fever, chills or a hot, swollen joint, which needs same-day care to rule out infection

What happens, step by step

  1. Your story and your goals

    Dr. Stride asks what sets the pain off and what you want back, from 18 holes to carrying a grandchild upstairs. A cupped hand over the side of the hip (the C sign) usually points to the joint itself.

  2. Range of motion and joint tests

    Rotation is measured with the hip bent. The FADIR test (flexion, adduction, internal rotation) checks for impingement and labral irritation, FABER stresses the joint and sacroiliac area, and a gentle log roll looks for joint irritation.

  3. Tendon and muscle checks

    Pressing over the bony point on the side of the hip, a 30-second single-leg stance and resisted rotation tests help detect gluteal tendinopathy or a gluteus medius tear.

  4. Gait analysis

    You walk the hallway, step up and balance on each leg. A protective stride, a dropping pelvis (Trendelenburg sign) or a leg length difference each point somewhere different.

  5. Spine and knee screen

    A pinched nerve in the lower back often mimics hip pain, so every visit includes a straight leg raise and a lumbar check. The knee is examined too, since hip arthritis can show up as knee pain.

The hip-spine connection

Could it start in your back?

Every hip exam includes the lower back: posture, a few nerve tests and a check of how the spine moves with the hip.

Is it your hip or your back? →

What happens after the visit

Same visit

Dr. Stride explains the findings in plain language.

Same day

Most patients get standing X-rays in the office, reviewed right away.

Within a few days

If a labral tear, tendon tear or stress fracture is suspected, our team schedules an MRI and handles the insurance approval.

Weeks 1 to 6

You start the first-step plan, often therapy, activity changes or medication.

Follow-up visit

Results are reviewed together. A diagnostic injection is added when the pain source is still unclear.

“Plenty of the hips sent to me for a second opinion turn out to have a back problem, a tendon problem or both. I would rather spend an extra ten minutes on the exam than send you down the wrong road. The MRI matters, but your hip tells me more when I move it.”

Dr. Stride, MD

Frequently asked questions

How can a doctor tell if hip pain is coming from the back?

Dr. Stride compares how the pain responds to hip tests and to back and nerve tests. Pain that shoots below the knee, comes with numbness, or worsens with a straight leg raise points toward the spine. When it is still unclear, a numbing injection into the hip joint can settle the question.

What should you wear to a hip appointment?

Wear shorts or loose athletic pants, or bring a pair to change into. Dr. Stride needs to see both hips move and watch you walk. Comfortable shoes you normally wear are helpful.

Can a hip specialist diagnose a labral tear without an MRI?

An experienced hip surgeon can often strongly suspect a labral tear from the history and exam alone. An MRI or MR arthrogram is usually still ordered before surgery to confirm the tear and check the cartilage. Many people over 40 have labral changes that cause no pain, so the exam decides what matters.

How soon can a new patient be seen?

New patients are usually seen within the week. The Saturday Hip Pain Clinic runs from 8 AM to noon for new hip pain and second opinions. Bring any X-rays or MRI discs you already have.

Related treatments

Diagnosis

Hip X-ray & MRI

Hip X-rays and MRI answer different questions.

Read more →Diagnosis

Diagnostic Hip Injection

A diagnostic hip injection places a numbing medicine directly into the hip joint under ultrasound or X-ray guidance.

Read more →Non-surgical

Hip Physical Therapy

Physical therapy helps many types of hip pain, including arthritis, gluteal tendinopathy, hip impingement and many labral tears.

Read more →Preservation

Hip Labral Repair

Hip labral repair is an arthroscopic surgery that reattaches a torn labrum, the ring of cartilage around the hip socket, using small anchors.

Read more →

Hip pain this can help with

Hip pain · Back of hip

Pain in the Back of the Hip and Buttock

Pain in the back of the hip and buttock most often comes from the lower back, such as a pinched nerve or sciatica, or from the sacroiliac joint.

Causes & treatment →Hip pain · symptom

Is It Your Hip or Your Back?

Hip joint pain is usually felt in the groin or front of the thigh and flares with putting on socks or getting out of a car.

Causes & treatment →Hip pain · symptom

Hip Pain When Walking

Hip pain when walking is most often caused by hip osteoarthritis, which brings a groin ache and a limp, or by gluteal tendinopathy, which causes outer hip pain.

Causes & treatment →
From the Hip Health Library

Questions patients ask about this

All guides →
Dr. Stride walking a patient through a pelvis X-ray on the screen
Treatment & Recovery

Hip Pain but the X-Ray Shows Nothing: What Next?

A normal hip X-ray means your bones look intact, but it does not rule out a problem.

5 min read Read
Dr. Stride bending a patient's hip and knee to test hip motion on the exam table
Pain & Warning Signs

How to Tell if Your Hip Pain Is Serious

Hip pain is serious if you cannot put weight on the leg, the leg looks shortened or turned out after a fall, the joint is hot and swollen with fever, or the pain is sudden and severe.

6 min read Read
Dr. Stride walking a patient through a pelvis X-ray on the screen
Pain & Warning Signs

Is Hip Pain at Night a Sign of Cancer?

Hip pain at night is rarely a sign of cancer.

6 min read Read
SourcesReferences used for this page3

Medically reviewed by Dr. Stride, MD against current guidance from these sources. Last reviewed October 2026. How we write and review content

  1. Hip pain (opens in a new tab) MedlinePlus
  2. Femoroacetabular Impingement (opens in a new tab) AAOS OrthoInfo
  3. Abnormal Gait: Gait Disorder Types, Causes & Treatments (opens in a new tab) Cleveland Clinic
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