Hip, Thigh and Knee
Hip, groin, thigh and knee pain that commonly refer from gluteals, piriformis, quadriceps, hamstrings and adductors.
Lateral Thigh & Hip PainPosterior Thigh PainMedial Thigh PainPosterior Knee PainLateral Knee PainLateral Thigh & Hip PainAnterior Thigh PainMedial Thigh PainAnterior Knee PainLateral Knee PainAnteromedial Knee PainPain at the side of the hip, the front or back of the thigh and around the knee often comes from the gluteal and quadriceps muscles. Vastus medialis and vastus lateralis trigger points are a recognised source of knee pain and of the knee suddenly giving way.
This Hip, Thigh and Knee page lists 12 symptom patterns and 16 muscles. Start with the symptom that matches where you feel pain: each symptom page shows which muscles are the primary, secondary and tertiary sources. Then open a muscle page to see where its trigger points sit, how to locate them by palpation, common causes and evidence-based self-care.
Referred pain maps describe typical patterns, so use them as a starting point rather than a diagnosis. Trigger points often develop in groups: when one muscle in this region is overloaded, its neighbours usually compensate, which is why the symptom pages list several muscles. If pain is severe, constant, follows an injury or comes with numbness, weakness, fever or night pain, see a clinician before trying self-treatment.
