Hip Impingement: What It Means, Why It Happens, and How to Move Forward

Hip impingement (also known as “Femoralacetabular Impingement Syndrome” or “FAIS”) is not just something that shows up on a scan — it’s a condition that depends on your symptoms, how your hip moves, and what shows up on imaging.

Many active people actually have “abnormal” hip shapes on imaging without any pain at all. So if your scan mentions something like a “cam” or “pincer,” it doesn’t automatically mean something is seriously wrong.

Common symptoms include:

• Groin or front-of-hip pain

• Stiffness or tightness

• Clicking, catching, or pinching sensations

• Pain with sitting, squatting, running, or pivoting

• A feeling like your hip just doesn’t move smoothly

The good news?

Most people improve with a structured, active approach that includes:

✔️ Strengthening
✔️ Movement retraining
✔️ Activity modification (not stopping everything)
✔️ Clear guidance from a provider

And most importantly:

You are not “damaged.” Your hip can improve with the right plan.