Why Does My Hip Hurt When I Get Out of the Car?

Getting out of a car seems like a simple movement, but it can become surprisingly uncomfortable when your hip is bothering you. You may notice a sharp pinch, stiffness, soreness, or pain that makes it difficult to stand upright after sitting for a while. Sometimes the discomfort disappears after a few steps. In other cases, it continues throughout the day.

Hip pain during this movement can have several causes. Understanding what may be contributing to the discomfort can help you decide what to do next and when to seek professional guidance. If the pain keeps returning, outpatient physical therapy may help identify the underlying problem and improve how your hip moves.

Why Getting Out of a Car Can Trigger Hip Pain

Sitting in a vehicle places your hips in a bent position for an extended period. Your knees remain elevated, your hips stay flexed, and your lower body has limited opportunities to move. Over time, this position can contribute to stiffness and discomfort.

Getting out of the car requires your hip muscles and joints to work together. You must rotate your body, move your legs out of the vehicle, shift your weight, and push yourself into a standing position. These movements can place additional stress on areas that are already irritated or restricted.

The transition from sitting to standing can also reveal problems that are less noticeable while you are resting. If your hip joint is stiff or the surrounding muscles are tight, the movement may cause discomfort.

Common Causes of Hip Pain When Exiting a Vehicle

Several conditions can make it uncomfortable to get out of a car. The location of your pain and the movements that trigger it can provide useful clues.

Tight Hip Flexors

Your hip flexors are a group of muscles that help lift your knees and bend your hips. These muscles remain shortened while you sit. Spending several hours at a desk or behind the wheel can contribute to tightness and reduced flexibility.

When you stand up, your hip flexors must lengthen to allow your hips to straighten. If they are tight or irritated, you may experience discomfort in the front of your hip or groin.

You might also notice stiffness when walking after sitting, climbing stairs, or standing after watching television.

Hip Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis develops when the protective cartilage inside a joint gradually wears down. In the hip, this can lead to pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility.

People with hip osteoarthritis often experience discomfort after sitting for extended periods. The first few steps after getting out of a vehicle may feel particularly uncomfortable. Pain may occur in the groin, upper thigh, or outside of the hip.

As the condition progresses, everyday activities such as putting on shoes, getting into a vehicle, and walking longer distances may become more difficult.

Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome involves irritation around the bony area on the outside of your hip. It commonly affects the tendons and soft tissues surrounding the greater trochanter.

This condition can cause tenderness along the outside of the hip. You may notice discomfort when standing after sitting, walking, climbing stairs, or lying on the affected side.

Although the pain may feel like it is coming directly from the hip joint, the surrounding tendons and tissues may be responsible.

Hip Labral Problems

The labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the hip socket. It helps stabilize the joint and maintain a proper fit between the ball and socket.

A tear or irritation in the labrum can cause pain deep in the hip or groin. Some people also experience clicking, catching, or a feeling that the joint is locking during certain movements.

Rotating your legs to exit a vehicle may aggravate these symptoms, especially if the hip is already irritated.

Why Long Drives Can Make Hip Pain Worse

Long drives can increase hip discomfort because your body remains in nearly the same position for an extended period. Limited movement can cause muscles to tighten and joints to become stiff.

Your seating position may also contribute. A seat that sits too low, places your knees too high, or forces you to reach forward can change the angle of your hips. Poor positioning may increase pressure on certain muscles and joints.

A few simple adjustments may help:

• Adjust your seat so your hips are not positioned significantly lower than your knees.
• Keep enough distance from the steering wheel to avoid feeling cramped.
• Take breaks during longer trips to stand, walk, and move your legs.
• Avoid keeping a wallet or other bulky object in your back pocket while driving.
• Change positions occasionally when it is safe to do so.

These adjustments may reduce stiffness, but persistent pain should not be ignored.

How to Get Out of a Car Without Aggravating Your Hip

If getting out of your vehicle causes discomfort, changing how you move may help reduce unnecessary twisting and strain.

Start by moving your seat back slightly to create more room for your legs. Instead of twisting your upper body while leaving your legs in place, turn your torso and legs together toward the open door.

Place both feet on the ground before standing. Use the door frame or another stable surface for support if needed. Then lean forward slightly and push through your legs to rise gradually.

Avoid making sudden twisting movements or forcing your hip into a painful position. If a particular movement consistently causes sharp pain, stop and consider having it evaluated.

How Physical Therapy Can Help With Hip Pain

Physical therapy can help determine why your hip hurts when you get out of the car. Rather than focusing only on the painful movement, a physical therapist evaluates how your muscles, joints, and surrounding structures work together.

An evaluation may include checking your hip flexibility, joint mobility, muscle strength, balance, and walking mechanics. Your therapist may also ask when the pain started, where you feel it, and which activities make it worse.

Based on those findings, treatment may include targeted stretching, strengthening exercises, mobility work, and movement training. These techniques can help improve flexibility, support the hip joint, and make everyday movements more comfortable.

For example, strengthening the muscles around your hips and pelvis may improve stability during transitions from sitting to standing. Improving hip mobility may also make it easier to rotate your legs and stand without discomfort.

Educational resources from ActivePT and Sports Physical Therapy can also help explain how pelvic positioning and muscle imbalances may influence movement and discomfort.

When Should You Have Hip Pain Evaluated?

Occasional stiffness after a long drive may improve once you start moving. However, recurring or worsening pain deserves attention.

Consider scheduling an evaluation if you experience:

• Hip pain that continues for several days or repeatedly returns.
• Stiffness that makes it difficult to stand or walk normally.
• Pain that interferes with sleep or daily activities.
• Clicking, catching, or locking accompanied by discomfort.
• Reduced flexibility or difficulty getting into and out of vehicles.
• Pain that becomes worse with exercise or routine movement.

Seek prompt medical attention if hip pain follows a significant injury, prevents you from bearing weight, or occurs with fever, sudden swelling, or severe unexplained pain.

Get Back to Moving Comfortably

Hip pain when getting out of a car can develop for several reasons, including tight muscles, joint stiffness, arthritis, and irritation of the surrounding soft tissues. Although changing your seating position and movement habits may help, persistent symptoms often require a closer look.

The right treatment starts with understanding what is causing the discomfort. A physical therapy evaluation can help identify movement limitations, address contributing muscle weaknesses, and develop a plan to improve mobility.

You do not have to accept hip pain as a normal part of driving or getting older. With the right approach, you can work toward making everyday movements more comfortable and getting back to the activities you enjoy.