Why Does Only One Hip Hurt After Playing Pickleball?

Only one hip hurts after playing pickleball because that side often handles more pushing, turning, and quick direction changes, leaving the muscles and tendons tighter and more fatigued than the opposite side.

You might finish a game feeling fine everywhere except one hip. It may ache when you walk to the car, tighten after sitting for a while, or hurt when you climb stairs later that day, even though the other hip feels completely normal.

Pickleball rarely places identical demands on both hips. If you naturally push off one leg more, reach for wide shots on one side, or repeatedly rotate in the same direction, one hip can become much more tired. That extra workload can leave the muscles around the hip feeling sore and less willing to move comfortably after play.

One Side Does More Of The Work During Points

You may notice the same hip is always the one pushing, planting, or catching your weight.

Even if you do not realize it, you probably have a dominant side during rallies. Repeating that pattern over an entire match can leave one hip noticeably more painful because it never gets the same amount of rest as the opposite side.

The Hip Tightens After You Cool Down

You may feel only mild soreness at first before the stiffness increases later.

Once the match is over and your body cools down, the overworked hip can begin to tighten. You may feel restricted when standing up, taking your first few steps, or turning your leg, while the other hip still feels loose and comfortable.

Why Your Hip Could Be Taking Longer To Heal

Your hip has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.

Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.

When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your hip feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.

What Can Help Your Hip Feel Better

Your hip starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.

Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.

Topical herbal remedies made with these same Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.

If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.

If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

Why does only one hip hurt after playing pickleball?

One hip often absorbs more of the pushing, pivoting, and stopping during play, making it more likely to become sore afterward.

Is it normal for just one hip to be sore after pickleball?

Yes. Favoring one side during movement is common, so one hip may become much more fatigued than the other.

Why does my hip feel worse after I sit down?

After cooling down, tight muscles around the hip can stiffen, making the first few steps feel more uncomfortable.

Should I keep playing if only one hip hurts?

If the pain keeps returning or changes how you move, reducing activity and allowing the hip to recover is usually a good idea.

When should I have one-sided hip pain evaluated?

Seek medical evaluation if the pain is severe, lasts despite rest, causes limping, or is accompanied by swelling or significant weakness.

The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.