Hip Pain Relief, Without Drugs
A drug-free wearable option for hip-area discomfort during walking, sitting, and everyday routines.
ActiPatch® is a drug-free wearable, FDA 510(k)-cleared (K192234) for over-the-counter (OTC) adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain. It offers up to 720 therapy hours and can be used alongside other care for musculoskeletal pain associated with hip pain. Results vary; it does not treat the underlying condition.
Take the 5-minute Pain Check for this area
Less pain. More everyday life.
ActiPatch® offers drug-free, wearable relief for everyday musculoskeletal pain, including back, knee, shoulder, neck, foot and heel pain, and muscle and joint aches.
Wear it for hours as directed, with no drugs, no appointments to use it, and up to 720 therapy hours per device.
Rest and recharge
When pain eases, it can be easier to settle down for sleep and feel ready for the day.
Keep your independence
When pain eases, it can be easier to stay active, manage everyday tasks, and focus at work.
Make room for connection
When pain eases, it can be easier to enjoy family and friends, nurture relationships, and make space for a brighter mood.
In a 6-month ActiPatch® follow-up, 60% reported better sleep and 53% were more active.
Staelin, Koneru, and Rawe (2019) followed 240 users who had relief in week 1. Self-reported, with no placebo group. Individual results vary.
Read the ActiPatch® research and its limitationsMood and relationship benefits are possibilities of less pain, not measured ActiPatch® results.
ActiPatch® is FDA cleared (510(k) K192234) for over-the-counter adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain.
Pinpointing Hip-Area Discomfort
Hip-area pain can make a walk, a flight of stairs, or finding a comfortable sleeping position feel more complicated. An ache on the outer hip is different from deep groin pain, and some hip-area symptoms come from the lower back. Tell a clinician where the pain starts and what brings it on.
Wearable Support for Hip Pain
ActiPatch® offers adjunctive musculoskeletal pain relief over an identified painful hip area. It can be used alongside your current care, but cannot determine whether the discomfort comes from a muscle, tendon, joint, or another source. Deep groin pain or difficulty bearing weight calls for assessment, not trial-and-error placement.
Where to Place It
Wear ActiPatch® directly on the skin secured with the included tape or wrap, or over thin/light clothing such as a t-shirt or leggings. Keep the loop close to the skin and avoid thick layers between the device and skin. Follow the package insert for positioning.
Where to Place It
- Outer hip over the localized sore spot
- Back of the hip over an identified area of musculoskeletal discomfort
- Upper thigh near the hip if that is the assessed painful area
Put it on in four steps
- 1Find the spotPick the one area that hurts most, using the map above.
- 2Center the loopPlace the loop so the sore spot sits in the middle of it.
- 3Secure itUse the included tape or a wrap, as the package insert directs.
- 4Switch on, then recheckCheck the loop is still centered after sitting or walking.
Quick fit check
- Do: On the skin, or over thin clothing such as a T-shirt or leggings.
- Avoid: No thick trousers between the loop and your skin.
- Avoid: Sitting and waistbands can move it. Recheck after sitting or walking.
- Avoid: Keep it off open wounds and broken skin.
- Do: Made for everyday wear, including activity and sweating, with IP22-rated water protection. Remove before showering, bathing, or swimming.
Tip for this area: Secure the loop as directed in the supplied instructions and check it after sitting or walking. Avoid open wounds and thick pants between the loop and skin. Do not guess at placement for unexplained deep pain.
Compare Pain During Your Usual Routine
Getting started
Note the exact sore spot and pain during an ordinary activity, such as a familiar walk or sitting down.
With regular use
Compare discomfort during that same activity. Check that a waistband or pocket seam has not moved the loop.
At 7 days
Check in with your doctor if the pain changes, gets worse, or isn't easing after a few weeks. Seek care sooner for severe pain after a fall or inability to bear weight.
Response and timing vary; some people may not experience relief. Pain relief does not mean the underlying condition has changed.
Safety and when to stop
Not a Cure: ActiPatch® is intended for adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain, not a cure for hip pain.
Water Resistance: Made for everyday wear, including activity and sweating, with IP22-rated water protection. Remove before showering, bathing, or swimming.
Contraindications: Do not use if you have a cardiac pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, or other active implanted metallic or electronic device. Follow the supplied instructions for use.
Pregnancy: Do not use if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant.
Not for children: Not for use by or on children under 17.
Pain of unknown cause: Do not use for sudden or unexplained pain, or if the cause of the pain is unknown. Not for pain deep in the body such as the chest or stomach, and not for cancer-related pain.
Open wounds: The device is not sterile. Do not place it in direct contact with open wounds.
If pain does not ease: Check in with your doctor if the pain changes, gets worse, or isn't easing after a few weeks. If you are under a doctor's care, consult your doctor before use.
See the package insert for full contraindications, warnings, and precautions.
Research and background (optional reading)
Technology and Evidence
ActiPatch® is a self-contained wearable that uses pulsed shortwave therapy for drug-free pain support, with no noticeable heat or tingling sensation from the device. There are no electrode pads or wires to connect. FDA 510(k) K192234 clears ActiPatch® for over-the-counter adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Read the evidence below and the science overview for study limits and technical details.
Each trial's design, size, and findings are summarized on the ActiPatch® Science page.
Be specific about hip-area pain
Pain on the outer hip, toward the groin, and in the upper thigh may have different sources. Note exactly where you feel it and whether walking or lying on that side makes it worse. This distinction is worth sharing at an appointment rather than describing every ache in the area simply as hip pain.
The hip and lower back can overlap
Muscle or tendon strain, repeated stress, and changes around the joint can contribute to discomfort. Tendons attach muscles to bones. Pain felt around the hip may also start in the lower back. ActiPatch® is an additional option for musculoskeletal pain relief, not a way to tell these causes apart or treat an underlying hip condition.
When walking difficulty needs assessment
Seek prompt care after a fall, for severe hip pain, or if you cannot put weight on the leg. Fever or a visibly swollen, hot joint also needs assessment. Arrange medical advice for persistent pain, new weakness, or pain moving down the leg. Do not delay evaluation of an unexplained symptom while trying a device.
Outer-hip placement is not guesswork
For discomfort on the outer hip, position the loop over the sore area rather than where you imagine the joint sits underneath. Follow the supplied instructions and avoid open wounds. Deep groin pain or major difficulty putting weight on the leg calls for clinical assessment, not experiments with different positions for the loop.
Check waistbands, pockets, and bag straps
Before walking or climbing stairs, check that clothing or a bag strap has not moved the loop. Secure it on skin with the included tape or a wrap, or over thin leggings. Keep the loop close to the skin and avoid thick pants between device and skin. Remove it before showering, bathing, or swimming to keep it dry.
What does the published evidence say?
Rawe and Kotak's 2015 UK registry followed people using wearable pulsed shortwave therapy for chronic pain. Participants reported their own experiences, with no random assignment to treatments and no placebo, or inactive, comparison device. This is broad observational evidence, not a hip-specific controlled trial. It cannot separate a device effect from other influences or establish that your particular hip pain will respond. The science page explains this study's context; pain relief does not establish that an underlying hip problem has been addressed.
Source: Rawe and Kotak, Pain Management, 2015. Read the ActiPatch® science overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore ActiPatch® for Hip Pain
Explore wearable support for musculoskeletal hip pain, without replacing an assessment of the cause.