Patient Screening by a Physical Therapist for Nonmusculoskeletal Hip Pain

Mechanical hip pain and disease-based hip pain can have similar signs and symptoms, thereby presenting a differential diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Hip pain is a common complaint addressed by physical therapists; therefore, it would be advantageous for them to be knowledgeable about differential diagnosis for hip pain, so that they can screen for possible serious conditions outside the realm of physical therapist practice and make the appropriate referral.