From day to day, as we walk, run, sit, and lie down, it can be easy to forget about our hips – that is, until they suddenly start to hurt. They need care, especially in relation to the rest of the back; the spine rests on the hips, so the hips have a very important job when it comes to alignment and posture. In fact, pain you feel in your hip may signal a problem in your back – and tight or weak hips can disrupt your back’s proper alignment. Some hip and back pain may be the result of lumbar spinal stenosis, a condition that becomes more common as we age past 50. In this condition, the spinal canal narrows, squeezing the nerves inside. In milder cases, symptoms can be treated with a combination of medications, physical therapy, and injections. In cases with severe narrowing of the spinal canal, surgery is necessary to get symptom relief. With arthritis of the hip, decreased range of motion can occur, which can put increased stress on the lower  back. Also if one leg is shorter than the other, that can cause pelvic tilt which can induce scoliosis and abnormal stress on the vertebra and disks of the lower back. For muscular forms of hip pain, exercise can likely address the problems. Consider them part