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Hip Pain Holding You Back? The Brutally Honest Truth About Surgery vs. Physio

  • June 18, 2025
  • Dean Phelps

If your hip’s been screaming louder than your coach on grand final day — this one’s for you.

Struggling to tie your shoes? Ditching footy games or skipping gym sessions because your hip just won’t play nice? You’re not alone and you’re not soft. Hip pain can be seriously debilitating.

There’s been a lot of buzz lately around femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI) – that mouthful of a condition where your hip joint grinds in all the wrong ways, leading to pain, stiffness, and possibly arthritis down the track.

So, what’s the move? Do you go all-in with surgery or tackle it head-on with physiotherapy?

A heavyweight study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine just gave us some long-awaited clarity  and it’s worth your attention.

Surgery vs. Physio: What the Science Actually Says

Researchers followed 222 legends battling FAI over three years — not just a quick 6-week trial. Half underwent arthroscopic hip surgery (that’s keyhole surgery for the non-medical crew), and the other half went hard with a structured physio and activity modification program.

Here’s what they found:

  • Pain and function? Surgery took the lead. People moved better and hurt less.

  • Hip joint health (MRI scans)? Surgery showed less cartilage and bone damage.

  • Arthritis progression (X-rays)? Surprisingly, no significant difference between groups.

So surgery improved symptoms and MRI scans — but didn’t prove it could stop arthritis in its tracks.

Should You Book Surgery Tomorrow? Not So Fast.

Let’s break it down:

  • Not everyone needs surgery. Plenty of people made strong progress with physio alone.

  • Some physio warriors still ended up needing surgery — but not all.

  • Surgery isn’t a magic bullet. It’s about improving your quality of life, not guaranteeing a future free of arthritis.

Why Physio Still Packs a Punch

Physio isn’t some consolation prize — when done right, it’s a serious weapon.

With a structured program, physio can:

  • Build strength around the joint and ease the load.

  • Improve movement patterns to reduce flare-ups.

  • Modify training to reduce pain without losing fitness.

Even those who eventually needed surgery were better prepared for it thanks to prehab work — meaning faster recovery and fewer setbacks.

So… What’s Best for You?

If you’ve been consistently doing the work and still can’t walk, train or live without pain — surgery could be the next logical step.

But if your pain’s manageable and you’re making slow but steady progress with a solid physio plan — back yourself and stick with it.

And please, for the love of your hip, don’t confuse a few random YouTube stretches with proper physiotherapy.

The Bottom Line

  • Surgery can help when physio hits a wall — especially for pain and movement.

  • Physio still rules as a first-line treatment.

  • MRI scans looked better post-surgery, but arthritis prevention? Jury’s still out.

  • Doing nothing is the only guaranteed way to make things worse.

Don’t Limp Into the Future — Let’s Get Moving

At Fighting Fit, we don’t just throw exercises at you and hope for the best. We build bulletproof hips and guide you through every step — whether that’s strength work, pain management, or knowing when to escalate to surgery.

• Customised plans
• Real-world strength
• Straight-talking guidance

Book in with the team who’s got your back — and your hip.

 Book a consult today
Because no one has time to live life half-speed.

Dean Phelps

Dean Phelps is the founding owner and senior physiotherapist at Fighting Fit Physiotherapy. He has a special interest in the highest physiotherapy care which focuses on progressive, results based treatments that ensures patients meet their goals, move optimally and enhance their health.

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Contact Info

Fighting Fit Physiotherapy is located at 3 / 25 Brendan Dr, Nerang, Gold Coast, QLD, 4211

Call Now: 0402 938 661

Email: admin@fightingfitphysio.com.au

About Us

At Fighting Fit Physiotherapy, we recognise the impacts that pain and dysfunction can have on one’s personal and professional life. We are committed as primary healthcare professionals to help our clients resume their lifelong pursuit of health and well-being.

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Brenda Samosa profile picture
Brenda Samosa
05:52 07 Nov 24
I had a really bad shoulder and had been seeing a different physio for 3 months (from a different place) I got told Tyson was good. After just a few sessions the movement was coming back. I’m 66 and was worried I would have to stop surfing. But with a lot of help from Tyson I’m back in the waves ( thank you so so much)
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Cyana Ferguson
08:16 30 Oct 24
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Steve Harris
22:33 15 Oct 24
Great team, all friendly, super helpful and first class clinical advice and a big shout out to my Physio Noah with my shoulder issue
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Andrea Bell
05:33 19 Sep 24
These guys are the best in the biz 🎉
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Ryan Brockett
04:20 18 Sep 24
Shout out to Max from fighting fit physio. He helped me out massively straight after shoulder surgery and back into work and sports in no time. Couldn’t recommend anyone better!
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Scotty
08:31 31 Jul 24
Five star service from Max & the team!
Professional & very thorough, you know that patient outcomes are of the highest priority.
I highly recommend this business.
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Riley Wilson
08:27 14 Jul 24
Be AWARE they’ll immediately try to commit you to multiple follow up sessions after your initial consultation. This happened to me and then I later found out that as it just so happens, they have a cancellation policy that says you have to pay 100% of the consultation fee for cancelling. They failed to tell me this when they were pushy in committing me to 6 sessions after my consult, so that was a really nice little surprise.

I was already uncomfortable with how pushy they were in having me commit to so many sessions, so when I heard about the policy I just cancelled all together. So, I can’t speak further to the quality of their service throughout therapy phase. FYI this was also a few months ago now, it’s possible (though unlikely) they may have changed the policy. Just ask the question.
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Megan Shelley
06:51 03 May 24
Fighting Fit Physiotherapy is hands down the best physio I've encountered. Having tried multiple physios for various injuries, I always find myself coming back to them. Their expertise consistently exceeds expectations, helping me get back to my sport faster than I thought possible. Their personalized approach and attention to detail make all the difference. I could not recommend a better or more exceptional physio team!
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Gina Matthews
08:41 24 Mar 23
Can't recommend this place high enough. I was in so much pain with my knee an had been for months through advise an exercises I'm now looking forward to returning to gym an back riding my horses in endurance thank you so much
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Courtney Halse
01:36 29 Nov 22
Kyle was knowledgeable, personable and professional. He saw me through my second pregnancy and continued to work with me until 6 months post partum on issues with my back. Would recommend anyone to go and see him.

Also shout out to Georgia on the front desk. She makes you feel welcome and brings a sense of warmth to the place!
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Alli Davenport
08:07 04 Nov 22
After hip replacement surgery in February I wanted toget back into weight training legs, I started with Mitch 18 weeks ago and after a lot of hard work and sweat I am able to safely train again, I cannot thank Mitch enough for his support,encouragement and knowledge. The staff are friendly and helpful and I always looked forward to my session's
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Robert Parkinson
10:50 15 Aug 22
This is the second time I have been treated by the team at FFP.
As a health professional myself I have been impressed with the level of care I have received from all members of the team.
The personalised treatment and rehabilitation programs have produced excellent results and I have completed both programs pain free and feeling stronger than before my injuries.
During the program there was constant communication and follow up and they were very accommodating with my work schedule.
All in all it was a very holistic experience and I would highly recommend the service.
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Kiri Canavan
07:30 08 Jun 22
Tyson was amazing! We came up with an 8 week plan at my first consultation with weekly check ins and updates to exercises. 8 weeks later, I am pain free and able to train harder than ever. Highly recommend and the staff are all fantastic and super accomodating!

Schedule an appointment with us today and discover the exceptional care that awaits you.

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Fighting Fit Physiotherapy Nerang Gold Coast

fighting fit
physiotherapy

call 0402 938 661

Fighting Fit Physiotherapy provides the ultimate physiotherapy experience! No matter what type of injury or condition you suffer, we strive for all our patients to be ‘fighting fit’ and achieve peak performance in their sport and everyday life.

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OUR SERVICES

  • Physiotherapy
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Fighting Fit Physiotherapy Nerang Gold Coast

fighting fit
physiotherapy

GOLD COAST PHYSIO

Fighting Fit Physiotherapy provides the ultimate physiotherapy experience! No matter what type of injury or condition you suffer, we strive for all our patients to be ‘fighting fit’ and achieve peak performance in their sport and everyday life.

Privacy Policy

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Our Location

3/25 Brendan Dr, Nerang QLD 4211

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OUR SERVICES

  • Physiotherapy
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  • NDIS Physio
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  • NDIS Physio
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Monday6:30am–8:00pm
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Saturday  CLOSED
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