The hip muscles form a vital link in the lower body’s connective chain. These 17 muscles provide balance, stability, and range of motion for all of your daily activities. When one or more of these muscles becomes injured or tight, the ripple effect is significant. Learning about how to prevent hip pain will benefit you in the future.
While overuse, a sudden fall or other injury can impact hip flexibility, tight hip muscles very often stem from a lack of activity. Sitting at a desk all day can quite quickly cause a tightening and shortening of the muscles. The result of any of these causes the muscles in your hips to lack proper range of motion and strength. When your hip flexors get stiff and fail to do their job sufficiently, your lower back and hamstrings have to compensate by doing the hip’s job of flexing and extending the leg and hip.
We’ve all heard a lot about core strengthening but maintaining flexibility of your core (hip flexors, glutes, piriformis, IT band, and hamstrings) is every bit as critical to reducing the risk of injury and maintaining long-term mobility. In fact, reduced flexibility not only impacts your ability to perform everyday tasks, but it is one of the leading causes of injuries.
Please see our hip pain exercises for more information.
Like the spine, the hips are a vital part of your body, and pain in the hips can have far-reaching negative effects on your everyday life. Unfortunately, because we use our hips so regularly, they can become vulnerable easily, and hip pain can be caused by a wide variety of problems. If you are experiencing hip pain, it may be a sign of:
Different types of injuries or illnesses may all cause unique long term problems. Ask a doctor to help you identify the source of your hip pain.
Every case of hip pain is different, and depending on the cause of your pain, you may experience it in different ways. Hip pain may be a constant ache or short, sharp pains that only strike when you move your joint in certain ways. In addition to feeling pain, if you have an injury or illness impairing the functionality or hip, you may also experience:
Hip pain can make it difficult to walk, stand, or even sit in certain positions. With the right exercises and treatment, however, mobility and comfort can be restored to your joint.
Stretching and Strengthening Products:
Stretching and strengthening exercises are beneficial for hip pain. Firstly, targeted stretching helps improve the flexibility of the muscles and tendons around the hip, reducing stiffness and enhancing range of motion.
Recommended products:
CoreStretch® ★★★★★ Allows tissues to elongate, stretch, and relax. Originally developed for Physical Therapists to help patients achieve the safest lower abdomen stretch possible, the CoreStretch uses the body’s natural traction to provide a deep, effective stretch of the hips, hamstrings, glutes, and quads. |
NEW ProStretch® Z™ Designed to aid in the stretching and strengthening of the lower back, hips, and pelvis. It focuses on relieving discomfort from conditions like sciatica, Piriformis syndrome, and lower back tightness by enhancing flexibility, correcting muscular imbalances, and facilitating Muscle Energy Techniques (METs) for pelvic alignment. |
StretchRite® Stretching Strap ★★★★★ The key to StretchRite’s effectiveness is in the ergonomically designed handgrips that allow you to stretch comfortably, increase your range of motion in stages and visually monitor your progress. |
Massage Products:
Massaging helps to relax tight muscles and release tension, reducing overall discomfort and promotes a greater range of motion. A targeted massage can address specific trigger points or knots in the muscles, contributing to pain relief and enhancing the overall recovery from hip pain.
Recommended products:
ProStretch® Pro Stick Massage Roller★★★★★ Is an innovative mulit-layer therapy roller with a range of possibilities. Provides deep tissue massage, allowing you to apply pressure directly to the muscles and soft tissues around the hip. Deep tissue massage helps relieve muscle tension and improve blood circulation. |
ProStretch® Knot Bad Massage Cane ★★★★★ It's four massage knobs on shaft are ideal massage tool for releasing myofascial trigger points for a deep tissue massage. Its massage knobs include rounded therapy nodes for targeting knotted muscles and pressure points. |
ProStretch® Nonagon Foam Roller It is the ideal trigger point massage tool to help alleviate muscle soreness, tightness, and tiredness by sitting, leaning, or rolling, improving flexibility for active pain relief, and encouraging optimal blood flow. |
ProStretch® Peanut Massage Ball It is the ideal trigger point foam massage roller to alleviate muscle soreness and stiffness and can be used on areas like your glutes, upper back, and shoulders. |
In addition to the above mentioned techniques, you should always ice the area after you have exercised to reduce inflammation. Speaking to a physician about proper medication could also be an option to explore.
Rehabilitating an injury is time consuming. As with all injuries, prevention is your best defense. Prevention options include:
If you feel strain or pain at any time during play, or even during your everyday activities, stop what you are doing and give your leg a rest.
PLEASE NOTE: The information on this website and article is for information only and should not be used as a substitute for consulting your doctor. Consult your doctor for proper diagnosis and rehabilitation.