What causes hip pain when sitting for long periods?

Prolonged sitting shortens the hip flexor muscles — psoas and iliacus — which attach to the lumbar spine and pull it forward into an anterior pelvic tilt. This compresses the hip joint and creates tension in the piriformis and surrounding muscles. The longer this pattern holds, the more the hip adapts to a compressed, restricted position. The Amari Method releases this pattern and restores proper pelvic alignment.

What is hip impingement and can it be fixed without surgery?

Hip impingement (femoroacetabular impingement or FAI) occurs when the hip joint doesn't move freely — the femoral head contacts the acetabulum in ways it shouldn't. While some impingement involves bone shape, most functional impingement is driven by muscle imbalances and pelvic positioning. Correcting anterior pelvic tilt, releasing tight hip flexors, and activating the glutes often eliminates impingement symptoms without surgery.

Can hip pain cause back pain and knee pain?

Yes — the hip is the structural center of the body. Anterior pelvic tilt from tight hip flexors pulls directly on the lumbar spine, causing lower back pain. Poor hip mechanics also send abnormal forces down through the knee, causing knee pain that appears unrelated. Addressing hip alignment often resolves both back and knee symptoms simultaneously.

Do you treat hip pain virtually?

Yes. Virtual hip pain sessions are very effective. The assessment involves observing your posture and movement, and the corrective tools — hip flexor releases, glute activation patterns, pelvic alignment exercises — are all movement-based and work perfectly in a virtual setting. Many clients feel significant relief in their first virtual session.

I was told I have hip bursitis. Is this treatable without injections?

Hip bursitis (trochanteric bursitis) is often caused by the IT band repeatedly rubbing over the greater trochanter. This happens when the hip isn't moving correctly — typically due to weak glutes and poor pelvic control. Restoring hip mechanics and glute function reduces IT band tension and allows the bursa to heal. Many clients avoid repeated injections by addressing the mechanical root cause.

Hip Pain Relief in San Francisco — Alignment-Based, Not Symptom-Based

Hip impingement, bursitis, and chronic hip tightness are almost always the result of pelvic alignment and muscle imbalance — not irreparable damage. We fix the cause.

→Take the Free Assessment →Book a Session

San Francisco in-person · Virtual from anywhere · HSA/FSA accepted

Why Hip Pain Keeps Coming Back

Most treatments don't address why the hip is under stress in the first place.

Hip Stretching

Stretching tight hip flexors gives temporary relief — but if the pelvis isn't properly aligned, those muscles tighten again immediately. Stretching treats the symptom, not the structural reason the muscles are overworking.

Result: Temporary flexibility. Pain returns the next day.

Cortisone Injections

Injections reduce bursa or joint inflammation but don't address the biomechanical pattern that caused the inflammation. Once the steroid wears off, the same mechanics recreate the same problem.

Result: Relief for a few weeks. Then the pain returns.

Glute Strengthening Alone

Strengthening the glutes is often prescribed for hip pain — but if the hip flexors are still locked short and the pelvis is still tilted, the glutes can't work effectively regardless of how strong they get.

Result: Months of exercise. Incomplete improvement.

What's Actually Causing Your Hip Pain

The hip is a pressure junction — what surrounds it determines how it moves.

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

When the pelvis tips forward — almost universally from prolonged sitting — it compresses the front of the hip joint and overstretches the back. This single pattern is behind the majority of hip pain diagnoses: impingement, labral irritation, hip flexor strain, and groin tightness.

Glute Inhibition

Sitting turns off the glutes over time. When the primary hip extensors go offline, other structures — the hip flexors, IT band, and piriformis — take over and become chronically overloaded. Reactivating the glutes in the right sequence restores balance to the entire hip complex.

IT Band and Piriformis Overload

These structures are often blamed for pain but are rarely the original cause — they become overworked because the primary hip mechanics are failing. Releasing them directly without fixing the underlying pattern provides only temporary relief.

Your Specific Compensation

Hip pain presents differently in every person. The Amari Method assesses your individual pelvic position, muscle activation sequences, and movement patterns — and builds a protocol specific to your body.

What Happens in Your First Session

Full assessment, hands-on correction, and lasting tools — 60 minutes.

Pelvic & Hip Assessment

Dr. Garrett evaluates your pelvic tilt, hip flexor length, glute activation, and movement patterns — identifying the exact pattern creating compression and pain in your hip.

Pattern Release and Reset

Specific techniques release the hip flexors and restore pelvic position. Most clients feel the hip open up — often more mobility than they've had in years — during the session itself.

Glute Reactivation

You learn exactly how to wake up and use your glutes correctly — not just squeeze them randomly, but activate them in the patterns that offload the hip joint and maintain alignment.

Your Personal Toolkit

You leave with 3–5 targeted tools that maintain pelvic alignment, keep the hip flexors from tightening again, and prevent the compensation patterns from rebuilding.

In-Person (San Francisco) or Virtual — Same Results

Hip alignment work translates perfectly to virtual sessions. The movements are teachable via live video and the results are the same.

Frequently Asked Questions — Hip Pain

Why does my hip hurt after sitting for long periods?

▼

Prolonged sitting shortens the hip flexors — especially the psoas — which pull the pelvis into an anterior tilt. This compresses the hip joint and strains the surrounding muscles. The longer you sit, the more your body adapts to this compressed position. The Amari Method releases this pattern and restores proper pelvic alignment so the hip can move freely again.

Can hip impingement be treated without surgery?

▼

In most cases, yes. Functional hip impingement is largely a positioning problem — the hip joint is compressed because of pelvic tilt and tight hip flexors, not because the bones are shaped incorrectly. Correcting the alignment pattern removes the mechanical cause of impingement. Many clients who were told they needed hip surgery have avoided it by addressing the mechanics first.

My hip pain also causes my back and knee to hurt. Is that connected?

▼

Almost certainly. The hip is structurally central — it connects the pelvis to the legs and interacts directly with the lumbar spine. Anterior pelvic tilt pulls the lower back into hyperlordosis (causing back pain). Poor hip mechanics send abnormal forces through the knee (causing knee pain). Fixing the hip alignment often resolves all three areas simultaneously.

I was diagnosed with hip bursitis. What causes that?

▼

Trochanteric bursitis — pain on the outer hip — is typically caused by the IT band repeatedly rubbing over the bony prominence of the hip as it doesn't move properly. This happens when the glutes aren't functioning correctly and the IT band overworks. Restoring hip mechanics reduces IT band tension and allows the bursa to heal naturally, without repeated injections.

How quickly will I feel results?

▼

Most clients feel meaningful change — more mobility, less compression, reduced pain — in their first session. How quickly you reach lasting resolution depends on how long the pattern has been established and how consistently you apply your tools. For most people, significant improvement is felt within 3–5 sessions.

"I'm a runner and my hip pain was bad enough that I stopped running entirely for eight months. Three ortho visits, two injections, six weeks of PT — nothing worked. Dr. Garrett fixed the pelvic tilt pattern in my first session. I ran a 10K six weeks later."
— Rachel S., San Francisco

Ready to Fix Your Hip Pain for Good?

Take the free 2-minute assessment to find out what's causing your hip pain and whether the Amari Method is right for you.

→Get Free Assessment →Book a Session