I do not know an athlete that hasn’t had some problems with their hip flexors at one point or another. The hip flexor muscles are always tight. Especially in this work filled with sitting for hours at a time. Especially the way school is. You are being asked to sit in class for hours at a time every day. This action is going to create an environment that forces a shortening of these hip flexor muscles. We will go over some hip flexor strain symptoms as well as some hip flexor strain exercises.
Hip Flexor Strain Symptoms
The hip flexors are an extremely important aspect of physical performance they are responsible for controlling leg drive, stability, creating stability and allowing you to do certain things. They are the agonist of your posterior chain. If you start suffering from hip flexor strain symptoms as an athlete, you need to take care of it right away.
You need them to be in balance to create a system that is in balance and ready to produce the most amount of force possible. The psoas is a major hip flexor, but it also acts as a cervical flexor because the muscle originates at from the spine and inserts onto the femur. The other hip flexor is the rectus femoris which is one of the quadriceps muscles that connects to the pelvis. Hip flexor strain symptoms are ranging.
- Sudden Pain
- Pain is worse when lifting your knee
- Pain when bringing your knee backward
- Tender to the touch
- Possible spasms
- Bruising or swelling may be possible
Hip Flexor Strain Exercises
Hip flexor strains can be debilitating. They can put you on your butt wondering what to do about this issue. It is almost cliche to say you need to rest and ice it but at first, it may be a good idea to take some time off and work within the range of motions your hip flexor is giving you. You can make the injury worse by doing too much too soon.
However, once your pain levels go down a little, you can start adding in some light stretching and increase your walking. When the pain levels decrease even further this is when you can get right into some good movements for increasing your rehab. If you are still suffering from hip flexor strain symptoms, wait until the pain is gone first.
- Focus on being patient
- Start with stretching
- Add in some resistance band work
- Only work within tolerate pain ranges
- Daily minimum doses are the best ways to attack an ailing hip flexor
- Reach out to a local therapist
- Add in self-myofascial release work to maintain healthy tissue.
Hip Flexor Strain Exercises – Hip Stretch
One of the best things you can do is consistently stretch your hips. There should never be any pain when doing this though. If you feel any pain, you need to stop! We sit down way too much in society, and it makes out hip flexors tight. Doing this stretch will help to reverse these symptoms.
Hip Flexor Strain Exercises – Hip Flexor Strain Symptoms Video
The following video is great for hip flexor strain symptoms, and some different exercises to help relieve these problems. If you are in a great deal of pain, it is in your best interest that you go and get evaluated by a healthcare provider. There are too many people who try and do this all on their own.
Hip Flexor Strain Exercises – Hip Warm-Up
Before doing any activity, you want to make sure that your hips are warm and ready. If the hips are not ready, they will be tight, the glutes will not be activated, and it will not be long until you are dealing with other injuries.
Hip Flexor Strain Exercises – Hip Mobility
Being able to move your hips is the key to athletic success. When the hips do not move properly, the injury is never too far off.
Hip Flexor Strain Exercises – Hip Band Mobility
This band stretch one of the best ways to make sure the femur is sitting in the right spot without needing help from someone else. Doing this stretch daily will open up your entire hip complex.
Hip Flexor Strain Exercises – Best Stretch Ever
Every athlete should do this stretch on a daily basis. The stretch hits the hip, lower back and flutes all at the same time. It also helps to get the external rotators of the hip moving properly.
When to See a Professional For Your Hip Flexor Strain Symptoms or to get Hip Flexor Strain Exercises
If you feel like the stretches are not working because your hips are too tight, you should see a sports medicine provider. They will be able to evaluate you and come up with an effective game plan to relieve the tension. Healthcare providers will be able to palpate your entire hip and relieve spots with the most tension. The type of providers you can work with for Hip Flexor Strain Exercises include the following:
- Physical Therapist
- Acupuncturists
- Chiropractor
- Registered Dietitian
- Sports Physician
- Massage Therapist
- Holistic Healthcare providers
How to Find The Best Providers Local to You?
9INE POINT Health is the best way to find local providers that can help you with your hip flexor strain symptoms and any other pain points. The reason is that 9INE POINT Health lets you search for healthcare providers based on the type of practitioner as well as a skill set. Let’s say you want to work with a massage therapist, but you also want someone who does the Active Release Technique, you can find the best local option on 9INE POINT Health. You can then sift through the different options and compare 9INE POINT Numbers before making a choice.
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
