SupremeHips that feel twice your age?
Getting out of the car is a two-step process. Crossing your legs is a no. That deep ache in the buttock is there every morning. Most hip pain isn't the joint at all. It's the muscles around it pulling everything out of line.
Nick Monczakowski 4.9 from 74 Google reviews · 13+ years
The ache is in your hip. The cause is around it.
Sitting shortens the front.
Hours in a chair or on the bike shorten the hip flexors. They pull the pelvis forward and the lower back pays for it.
Your glutes switch off.
Sit on them all day and they stop doing their job. Other muscles take over and get overloaded, especially the TFL and piriformis.
The pelvis sits uneven.
Tight on one side, lazy on the other. That twist loads the SI joint and gives you the deep one-sided ache that won't go.
It rarely stays in the hip.
The muscles around your hip connect to your lower back, your knee and the sciatic nerve. When they tighten, the pain often turns up somewhere else.
Lower back pain
Tight hip flexors tilt the pelvis forward and compress the lower back. Loosen the front of the hip and the back often eases too. Back pain →
Outer knee pain
A tight TFL and glute med load the IT band, which pulls on the outside of the knee. Knee & IT band →
Sciatic-type pain
A tight piriformis can squeeze the sciatic nerve and send pain down the leg. Sciatica →
The whole hip, not just the sore spot.
Piriformis & hip rotators
Pulls on the sacrum, stresses the SI joint and can squeeze the sciatic nerve. Releasing it eases both.
Psoas & iliacus
Shortened by sitting and cycling. Deep release here often changes hip movement and lower back comfort in the same session.
TFL & glute medius
Overworked in runners and cyclists. Free them up and load spreads properly across the hip and knee again.
SI joint & lower back
Easing the muscles that load the SI joint unevenly is what settles that deep one-sided ache.
Hip myths. Busted.
“It's arthritis, nothing to be done.”
Tap to flip →Sometimes there is wear in the joint. Very often the pain is the tight muscles around it and those respond well to treatment at any age.
“I just need to stretch my hips.”
Tap to flip →Stretching a hip that's being pulled out of line by tight and lazy muscles gives a short break. Release and rebalance them and the stretching finally sticks.
“Rest will sort it.”
Tap to flip →Rest weakens the muscles that support the hip. Keep moving with the right changes and it usually settles faster.
Which one is you?
Runners
Tight TFL when the glutes are weak, plus a piriformis that tightens from the running stride. Worse on hills and long runs. Massage for runners →
Cyclists
Hours in a bent-forward position shorten the hip flexors. Plenty of riders on the Kingston and Surbiton roads come in with hip and back complaints together.
Desk workers
Sitting all day shortens the front of the hip and switches the glutes off. Often feels like back or SI joint pain. Massage for desk workers →
Field & racket sports
Twisting and cutting load the hip rotators unevenly. Shows up as lost power and recurring groin or buttock tightness. Sports performance →
Drivers
Clutch leg, long journeys and a wallet in the back pocket. A classic one-sided hip pattern. Driver stiffness →
Parents
Carrying a toddler on one hip, day after day. It adds up on that side.
One hour. Looser hips.
- 01
Talk
Your symptoms, your activity and how long you spend sitting.
- 02
Assess
Hands-on assessment of the piriformis, TFL, hip flexors and glutes to find which part is driving it.
- 03
Treat
Release of those muscles plus the lower back and thigh where they're involved.
- 04
Plan
Simple stretches, any activity changes and an honest view on how many sessions you need.
Moving freely again.
“I came in with tight hip flexors, which were quickly and efficiently relieved, allowing me to continue playing sports without any restrictions or physical limitations.”
Max · Plays sport“Over a few sessions Nick completely resolved my back pain and I've also been recovering faster on the bike!”
Peter · Cyclist“After sitting in a typists chair for work for the last seventeen years I was struggling with pain and aching joints. I would definitely recommend him if you are having any trouble.”
Alison · Desk workerBefore you book for hip pain.
Can sports massage help hip pain?
Yes. Most hip pain, including SI joint problems, piriformis syndrome, tight hip flexors and TFL-related pain, responds well to targeted soft tissue release. Treatment goes after the muscles driving it rather than just the sore spot. Most people see a big improvement within 2 to 3 sessions.
What is the difference between hip pain and sciatica?
Hip pain is usually a local ache in the buttock, outer hip, groin or outer thigh. Sciatica travels from the lower back or buttock down the leg, often past the knee. Piriformis syndrome sits in between, with buttock pain and some pain down the leg. Nick will work out which pattern you have before treating.
Can massage help SI joint dysfunction?
Yes. SI joint pain is usually driven by muscle imbalance: a tight piriformis, sleepy glutes and tight hip flexors loading the joint unevenly. Releasing the muscles around it tackles that directly. Most people notice real relief within 2 to 3 sessions.
Can I exercise with hip pain?
Usually yes, with some changes. The aim is to cut back the movements that provoke it while staying active. Complete rest is rarely needed and can weaken the muscles that support the hip. Nick will suggest specific changes for your activity after the first session.
Where is the practice?
Beverley Road, New Malden KT3 4AW. About a 10-minute walk from New Malden station with free street parking nearby. Open Monday to Friday, 11am to 7pm. Clients come from Kingston, Wimbledon, Raynes Park, Surbiton and Worcester Park.
When to see your GP first
Call 999 or go to A&E straight away if you have had a fall and can't put weight on your leg, or the leg looks shorter or turned outwards.
Call NHS 111 or see your GP before booking if you have hip pain with any of these:
- A hot, red or swollen hip, especially with a fever
- Hip pain that wakes you at night and doesn't ease with rest
- Pain alongside unexplained weight loss or feeling generally unwell
- Numbness around the groin or changes in bladder or bowel control
Not sure? WhatsApp Nick a quick description first. If massage isn't the right first step, he'll tell you before you book.
Unlock your hips.
- £80 first session, assessment included
- Mon–Fri 11am–7pm
- Near New Malden station · free street parking
- Personal reply from Nick, usually same day
“He quickly identified areas that needed work which massively helped with my mobility issues.”