Free online courseHip assessment

Course Description

Build confidence in evaluating hip pain and movement dysfunction with a practical, clinically oriented course designed for physiotherapy students and healthcare professionals. You will learn how to run a complete hip assessment from start to finish, developing a clear structure you can apply in the clinic to reduce missed findings and improve decision-making. The focus is on translating what you see and feel into meaningful clinical reasoning, so your assessment leads to targeted management rather than a collection of unrelated tests.

Across the lessons, you will refine the essentials of objective assessment: observation, palpation, and both active and passive range of motion. You will learn how to interpret key movement patterns, identify common markers of altered hip function, and recognize when symptoms may relate to surrounding regions such as the lumbar spine or sacroiliac joint. By practicing how to assess quality of movement, symptoms, and end-feel, you will strengthen your ability to differentiate between mobility restrictions, irritability, and strength-related limitations.

The course also emphasizes resisted testing and special tests used frequently in musculoskeletal practice. You will understand the purpose of each procedure, what a positive finding may suggest, and how to choose the right test based on the patient presentation. Specific clinical tools covered include the modified Thomas test, Craig’s test, Ober’s test variations, the hip quadrant test, Faber’s test, and the sign of the buttock, alongside functional screening such as the single leg stand test commonly linked to lateral hip pain and greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Integrated knowledge-check questions reinforce accuracy and help you avoid common mistakes in interpretation.

As a free online learning experience, this course supports skill development you can use immediately during placements or daily practice. By the end, you will be better equipped to perform a thorough, efficient hip assessment, communicate findings clearly, and make more informed clinical choices for patient care.