Persistent Groin Pain After Hip Replacement
- Zero Distance Acupuncture
- Aug 3
- 4 min read
Understanding Groin Pain After Hip Replacement
To protect patient privacy, “Michael” is a pseudonym, and certain identifying details have been modified.
“Sometimes the pain isn’t coming from the artificial hip itself. Sometimes the missing piece is how the entire pelvis moves together.”
Every Step Hurt
For nearly two years, Michael, a 63-year-old grandfather, lived with groin pain after hip replacement.
It started in his right hip. Then the pain spread into his groin. Eventually, his knee began hurting as well.
Some days, the pain was a dull ache. On other days, it became sharp, throbbing, and intense—reaching 6 to 9 out of 10.
Simple movements that most people rarely think about became daily challenges:
Standing up from a chair
Walking across a parking lot
Getting out of the car
Standing long enough to cook dinner
Sleeping comfortably
Like many patients facing chronic hip pain, he pursued several appropriate treatment options. He completed physical therapy, received cortisone injections, and tried chiropractic care. Eventually, he underwent a right total hip replacement.
The surgery successfully replaced the damaged joint.
Yet seven weeks later, something still didn’t feel right.
When a Successful Surgery Doesn’t Feel Like Success
One question guided our evaluation:
If the new hip is functioning well, why does the patient still hurt?
Instead of looking only at the replaced hip, we evaluated how his entire movement system was functioning—including the pelvis, knees, feet, surrounding muscles, fascia, and the way he walked, stood, and turned.
One area immediately stood out.
The pubic symphysis—the small joint connecting the front of the pelvis—was extremely tender.
Further examination identified functional restrictions throughout the pelvic ring, including the sacroiliac joints, along with altered mechanics extending into the knees, ankles, and feet.
His sleeping posture offered another clue. Every night, he slept on his stomach with one leg pulled upward, placing continuous rotational stress across the pelvis.
None of these findings suggested that the hip replacement had failed.
Instead, they pointed toward another possibility:
The hip had been replaced.
The movement pattern had not.
Seeing the Pelvis as One Functional System
The pelvis is not simply a collection of separate joints.
The pubic symphysis, sacroiliac joints, hips, surrounding muscles, fascia, and nervous system all work together during every step we take.
When one part of this system loses its normal movement, other areas may begin to compensate. Sometimes, these compensations persist even after the original hip problem has been corrected.
Recognizing these movement patterns does not replace orthopedic surgery or postoperative rehabilitation. It complements them by identifying additional factors that may be contributing to persistent pain or limiting recovery.
An Integrative Treatment Strategy
Rather than relying on a single therapy, we developed an individualized plan that addressed several aspects of his recovery.
Restoring Functional Joint Mechanics
Gentle chiropractic care focused on improving coordinated movement throughout the pelvic ring and lower extremities, including the:
Pubic symphysis
Sacroiliac joints
Lumbar spine
Knees
Ankles and feet
At Zero Distance Acupuncture & Ding Pelvis Health, restoring coordinated movement throughout the pelvic ring is a core specialty of Dr. Beck Bravard. Using gentle, specialized chiropractic care, his approach focuses on improving coordinated movement across the pubic symphysis, sacroiliac joints, and lower extremities to support balanced load transfer during walking and daily activities.
The objective was not simply to “make the joints move.” It was to support more balanced load transfer through the pelvis during walking and everyday activities.
Releasing Myofascial Restrictions
Acupuncture addressed another important part of the recovery process.
After months—or even years—of altered movement, the muscles and fascia may develop protective patterns of tension and guarding.
Acupuncture was used as part of a myofascial treatment strategy to help relax the surrounding tissues, reduce muscle guarding, support circulation, and improve neuromuscular coordination around the pelvis and lower extremity.
Reinforcing Healthier Movement
The patient also began sleeping on his side instead of his stomach. He wore a Serola Sacroiliac Belt while walking, completing household activities, and exercising to provide temporary pelvic support during recovery.
Each part of the plan supported the others:
Joint mechanics. Soft-tissue function. Movement habits.
Together, they created an environment in which his recovery could continue.
The Recovery
The patient noticed meaningful improvement after his first visit.
Over the course of several integrative treatment sessions, his progress continued:
His groin pain resolved.
His constipation resolved.
Standing became easier.
Walking became more comfortable.
Getting in and out of the car no longer caused severe pain.
These improvements lasted for approximately one year, until an unrelated slip on the ice caused a new injury.
When asked what mattered most about his recovery, he did not mention his pain score.
He smiled and said he could finally get down on the floor again to play with his grandchildren.
Clinical Insight
Persistent pain after hip replacement does not necessarily mean that something is wrong with the artificial joint.
For some patients, ongoing symptoms may also involve changes in how the pelvic ring functions as an integrated system, including the pubic symphysis, sacroiliac joints, surrounding fascia, and neuromuscular coordination.
These contributing factors may be subtle and may not always be apparent through imaging alone.
At Zero Distance Acupuncture & Integrative Health, we believe complex pain deserves a comprehensive evaluation.
By integrating functional movement assessment, chiropractic care, acupuncture for myofascial dysfunction, and individualized rehabilitation strategies, our goal is to identify factors that may be limiting recovery and help patients return to meaningful daily activities.
Could This Be Part of Your Story?
A comprehensive evaluation may offer additional insight if you are experiencing:
Persistent groin pain after hip replacement
Hip pain despite an otherwise successful surgery
Pain when getting into or out of a car
Difficulty standing up from a chair
Ongoing pelvic discomfort
Hip pain accompanied by knee or lower-back pain
An integrative assessment looks beyond the hip itself and considers how the pelvis, surrounding soft tissues, and movement patterns are working together.
Schedule an Integrative Evaluation Care recommendations are individualized and based on each patient’s history and clinical evaluation. Individual results may vary.
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