Hip Flexor Strain: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

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Hip flexor pain can occur if you overuse your hip flexor muscles and tendons. A strain may signal a muscle tear and may require medical attention.

What are your hip flexors?

Lifting your knee toward your body takes the work of many muscles, which are collectively known as your hip flexors. The hip flexor muscles include:

• the iliacus and psoas major muscles, also known as your iliopsoas
• the rectus femoris, which is part of your quadriceps

These muscles and the tendons that connect them to your bones can easily be strained if you overuse them.

The main work of your hip flexors is to bring your knee toward your chest and to bend at the waist. Symptoms associated with a hip flexor strain can range from mild to severe and can impact your mobility. If you don’t rest and seek treatment, your hip flexor strain symptoms could get worse. But there are many at-home activities and remedies that can help reduce hip flexor strain symptoms.

Hip flexor strain’s chief symptom is pain at the front of the hip. However, there are several other symptoms associated with the condition. These include:

• pain that seems to come on suddenly
• increasing pain when you lift your thigh toward your chest
• pain when stretching your hip muscles
• muscle spasms at your hip or thigh
• tenderness to the touch at the front of your hip
• swelling or bruising at your hip or thigh area

You may feel this pain when running or walking.

Learn more: What causes hip pain? »

Hip flexor strain occurs when you use your hip flexor muscles and tendons too much. As a result, the muscles and tendons become inflamed, sore, and painful. Some people are more likely than others to experience hip flexor strain. These include:

• cyclists
• dancers
• martial artists
• kickers on a football team
• soccer players
• step aerobics participants

Athletes who jump or run while performing high knee kicks are also at greater risk for hip flexor strain. If you do deep stretching, such as pulling your thigh backward, you’re also more likely to experience hip flexor strain.

A hip flexor strain represents a tearing in the muscles. These tears can range from mild to severe:

• Grade I tear: a minor tear, in which only a few fibers are damaged
• Grade II tear: a significant number of muscle fibers are damaged and you have a moderate loss of hip flexor function
• Grade III tear: the muscle is completely ruptured or torn, and you usually can’t walk without a limp

According to the Australian Physiotherapy Association, most injuries are Grade II.

Rest

It’s important to rest the affected muscles if you have hip flexor strain. One thing you can do is change up your normal activities to avoid overstretching the muscle. For example, you could try swimming instead of riding a bicycle.

Home remedies

Most instances of hip flexor strain can be treated at home without the need for prescription medications or more invasive treatments. Here are some home remedies that can help relieve the pain of hip flexor strain:

1. Apply a cloth-covered ice pack to the affected area for 10- to 15-minute time increments.

Keep reading: How to make a cold compress »

2. Alternate ice packs with moist heat applications starting at about 72 hours after the initial injury. These include heat patches, moist heating pads, or a warm, wet washcloth. A hot shower can have a similar effect in reducing muscle tightness.

3. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. Any of the following can help:

• acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• naproxen sodium (Aleve)

However, unless directed by your doctor, you shouldn’t take these medicines for longer than 10 days due to risks for stomach bleeding.

4. Rest and avoid activities that will overuse your hip flexors for 10 to 14 days after injury (or longer if directed by your doctor).

Exercises

Gentle stretching exercises can help reduce hip flexor muscle tension as well as reduce the likelihood for future injury. Try these hip flexor stretches, but make sure you don’t push too hard — these stretches should be gentle.

It can help to reduce the risk for hip flexor strain if you apply moist heat and warm up your muscles with a gentle walk for about three minutes before stretching.

In severe cases

If your hip flexor strain is so severe that it results in a large muscle tear, your doctor may recommend seeing a physical therapist. On occasion, surgery to repair the ruptured muscle may be recommended. However, this is a very rare occurrence.

How long it takes a hip flexor strain to heal depends on how severe the injury is. A mild strain can take a few weeks to heal. But a severe strain can take six weeks or more to heal, according to Summit Medical Group. Failing to rest and recover a hip flexor strain usually only results in a worse injury and greater pain at a later time.

If your hip flexor strain is causing you to limp or your symptoms do not improve after at-home treatments for seven days, call your doctor.

14 exercises for relieving hip pain and improving mobility

Hip pain can have a range of causes, from minor injury to chronic inflammation. In many cases, gently exercising and stretching the hips can help relieve pain and restore mobility.

There are many possible causes of hip pain, ranging from muscle strains and injuries, to arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.

In this article, we describe 14 exercises that can help strengthen the hips, improve joint mobility, and relieve hip pain.

Flexibility and strength exercises are key to relieving hip pain. Although these exercises may result in temporary discomfort, they should not cause or aggravate pain. If an exercise causes pain, stop doing it or try going at a slower or gentler pace.

Individuals who have recently had a hip replacement should consult a doctor or physical therapist before performing any of the exercises below.

Exercises 1–4

The first four exercises stretch the muscles around the hip joint, which can help reduce stiffness and improve joint mobility.

A person should perform these exercises at times when they are feeling the least amount of pain and stiffness. A good time to do them is after a warm shower or bath when the muscles are most relaxed.

Begin with one or two exercises a day, three times a week. If this feels comfortable, try doing several exercises once a day.

Exercises 5–14

The aim of these exercises is to strengthen the hip muscles to better support the hip joint, which can help relieve pain.

Resistance training is a form of exercise for developing muscular strength. In resistance training, a person uses either low weights or their body mass to create resistance for their muscles to work against.

People who experience hip pain or discomfort for more than an hour following these exercises should reduce the number of repetitions accordingly.

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To perform knee lifts:

1. Lie on the back, extending both legs flat along the floor.
2. Keeping the left leg straight, pull the right knee up toward the chest.
3. Place both hands on top of the knee to help pull it in toward the chest.
4. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds.
5. Let go of the knee and gently lower the leg back toward the floor.

Repeat this exercise 5–10 times on each knee.

To perform external hip rotations:

1. Sit on the floor with both legs out in front.
2. Bend the legs at the knees and press the soles of the feet together.
3. Place a hand on top of each knee and gently push them both down toward the floor. Apply pressure to the knees until there is a stretch, but do not push them further than is comfortable.
4. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and then relax.

Repeat the stretch 5–10 times.

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To perform double hip rotations:

1. Lie flat on the back. Then, bend the knees and bring them toward the body until the feet are flat on the floor.
2. Gently rotate the knees to the left, lowering them toward the floor. Rotate the head to face the right while keeping the shoulders against the floor.
3. Hold this position for 20–30 seconds.
4. Slowly return both the head and knees to the starting position.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.

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To perform hip and lower back stretches:

1. Lying flat on the back, bend the knees and bring them toward the body until the feet are flat on the floor.
2. Using the hands, pull both knees in toward the chest.
3. Breathe deeply, pulling the knees closer to the shoulders with each exhalation.
4. Go as far as is comfortable, then hold the position for 20–30 seconds. Breathe normally.

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To perform hip flexions:

1. Stand upright.
2. Extend one arm out to the side and hold on to a sturdy surface, such as a wall, table, or chair, for support.
3. Slowly raise the right knee to the level of the hip or as far as is comfortable while keeping the left leg straight.
4. Only hold this position for a second before placing the left foot back on the floor.
5. Repeat with the left knee.

Do 5–10 repetitions of this exercise.

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To perform hip extensions:

1. Stand upright with the legs straight and the feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Extend both arms out in front and hold on to a chair, table, or wall for support.
3. Keeping the right leg straight, lift the left leg backward without bending the knee.
4. Lift the leg as far as possible without causing discomfort, then clench the buttock tightly and hold the position for 5 seconds.

Repeat this stretch 5–10 times on each leg. To increase the resistance, try attaching small weights to the legs.

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To perform hip abduction exercises:

1. Stand upright.
2. Extend the left arm out to the side and hold on to something solid, such as a chair, table, or wall.
3. Starting with the feet together, lift the right leg out to the right side. Keep the left leg straight and avoid rotating the hips.
4. Hold the position for 5 seconds and then slowly return the leg to the starting position.

Do this exercise 5–10 times on one leg, then repeat it on the other side.

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To perform heel-to-buttock exercises:

1. Stand upright with the legs straight and the feet shoulder-width apart. For support, hold on to a chair, table, or wall.
2. Bending the left knee, bring the heel up toward the left buttock with the top of the foot facing the floor. Be sure to keep the right leg straight and align the knees.
3. Slowly lower the leg and return to the starting position.
4. Repeat the exercise on the opposite side.

Aim to do 5–10 repetitions on each leg.

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To perform mini squats:

1. Stand upright with the feet shoulder-width apart.
2. If necessary, hold on to a chair, table, or wall for support.
3. Keeping the back straight, gently lower the body by bending the knees until they are above the toes. The feet should remain flat on the ground.
4. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly straighten the legs to return to the starting position.

Repeat these mini squats 5–10 times.

To perform short-arc quadriceps exercises:

1. Lie flat on the back with a pillow or rolled-up towel beneath the right knee.
2. Slide the left foot back toward the buttock, bending the knee.
3. Slowly lift the right foot off the floor while keeping the back of the right knee pressed against the pillow or towel.
4. Hold the position for 5 seconds and then gently lower the right leg back to the starting position.

Do 5–10 lifts on one leg and then switch to the opposite leg.

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To perform quadriceps exercises:

1. Lie flat on the back and keep the legs straight throughout the exercise.
2. Push the backs of both knees toward the floor and flex both feet by pulling the toes toward the body.
3. Hold the position for 5 seconds, then relax.

Do 5–10 repetitions.

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To perform a bridge:

1. Lie on the back, bending both legs at the knee and placing the feet flat on the floor. Keep the arms by the sides of the body with the palms facing downward. If necessary, place a small pillow underneath the neck and head for support.
2. Slowly lift the pelvis and lower back upward. Be sure to keep the shoulders and upper body on the floor.
3. Hold the position for 5 seconds.
4. Gradually lower the back and pelvis toward the floor, starting at the top of the spine. Roll down through the spine until the entire back is flat against the floor again.

Repeat this exercise 5–10 times.

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To perform a chair stand:

1. Position a chair so that its back is resting against a wall.
2. Sitting on the front part of the seat, bend the knees and place the feet flat on the floor. Cross the arms, placing each hand on the opposite shoulder.
3. Pivoting at the hips, recline back into the chair.
4. Lean the upper body forward again and then slowly stand up. Keep the back, shoulders, and head straight while doing this.
5. Slowly sit back down and return to the original position.

Repeat this exercise 4–6 times to begin with before gradually building up to 12 repetitions.

To perform abdominal exercises:

1. Lie on the back, bending the legs at the knees and placing the feet flat on the floor.
2. Tuck both hands underneath the lower back.
3. Focus on the muscles in the lower abdomen and pull the bellybutton downward.
4. Hold this for 20 seconds and then relax.

Repeat this exercise 5–10 times.

Gently stretching and exercising the hips can help relieve pain, increase mobility, and strengthen muscles. There are many exercises to choose from, but people can experiment to find the ones that work best for them and then incorporate these exercises into a routine.

A person can also work with a physical therapist to design an individualized exercise plan to suit their needs.

People with severe, persistent, or worsening hip pain should see a doctor. It is important to stop or reduce any exercises that cause or aggravate hip pain.

Sprained hip: symptoms and treatment

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ok. Do not rush to prescribe pills and ointments for yourself. Let’s figure out what a sprain of the hip joint is, the symptoms and treatment of which we will consider in this article.

Hip injuries in which pain is associated with ligaments rather than muscles are not so common, but not only people from big sports can get them. It is the hip joint that takes on the main load during movement – therefore, no one is immune from stretching.

This article is advisory in nature. Treatment is prescribed by a specialist after consultation.

The risk of sprains in those who lead a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle is even increased – due to the fact that the ligaments are so inactive and have lost elasticity that even a small load is enough for them to get sprained. Both a small child and adults, mainly women with obesity or diabetes, are at risk for such a tendon injury.

Symptoms of trauma manifestation

In order not to waste time, immediately identify the disease and start treating it, you should know the main signs of its manifestation.

Usually, with this injury, you can hear a slight click and crunch in the joint area. Then there is pain and swelling. The intensity of pain depends on the severity of the injury. For example, mobility will be severely limited if the ligaments are completely torn.

If the injuries are minor, then immediately after the injury, the person may feel a burning sensation in the damaged area. But you need to be prepared for the fact that the pain can increase with any movement.

Characteristic signs that can be used to identify a sprain:

• pain in the groin and buttocks that occurred immediately after the injury;

• throbbing or shooting pain in the area of ​​injury, radiating to the inner part of the thigh;

• numbness or tingling in the thigh;

• swelling and redness of the skin in the area of ​​the damaged ligament is possible within 30 minutes after the injury;

• limitation and stiffness of movements;

• difficult to focus on the affected limb;

• discomfort in the joint area when sitting;

• unpleasant or sharp pain when abducting the leg to the right or left side.

Symptoms in children are very similar to those in adults. The most dangerous case is a sprain that goes away without pain or discomfort. It is imperative to monitor the baby so that his condition does not worsen, and edema or hematomas do not appear at the site of the injury.

Causes of sprain of the hip joint

To understand the causes of sprain, you should remember the course of anatomy and physiology, kinesiology.

The hip joint is the articulation of two bones: the head of the femur and the acetabulum of the pelvic bone. The hip joints are surrounded by an array of muscles of the gluteal and femoral region, which are attached with the help of tendons and fascia to bone structures. Thanks to this structure, we can perform a large amount of amplitude movements in the joint: rotational movements, abduction, adduction, flexion and extension of the hip.

If we take the leg too far to the side, sharply bend or straighten the limbs, then we put the muscles and tendons under excessive tension, and they can be injured – this is the main cause of sprains. In addition, damage to the ligamentous apparatus of the hip joint can be caused by:

• 1

  Sports or household injuries;

• 2

  Long walk;

• 3

  Training without special preparation and warm-up;

• 4

  Incorrect and careless performance of physical exercises;

• 5

  Incorrect foot placement during movement;

• 6

  Uncomfortable shoes with high heels.

Consequences of injury

Physical rehabilitation after a hip sprain is a lengthy procedure. It often happens that when the ligaments of the hip joint are sprained, there is no pronounced clinical picture. Small pulling pains in the groin, impaired mobility for many patients is not a reason to go to traumatology. But not in this case!

Even the slightest degree of sprain of the ligaments and muscles of the hip joint in the future is fraught with deformation of the cartilage tissue, and subsequently, of the bone. Capsular shell of the joint in this case is subject to degenerative changes. And this already leads to deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint, in the advanced stages of which, only arthroplasty helps the patient. All this can happen just because of a sprain that was not cured in time.

Injury diagnostics

At the first pain sensations, high-quality diagnostics and treatment are needed. At the Center for the Treatment of the Spine and Joints – Clinic TEMED Clinic – diagnostics are promptly carried out by specialists with many years of experience. You will find detailed information on our website.

Diagnostics takes place in several stages.

1. At the first stage, the level of injury to the ligamentous apparatus is determined. To do this, the doctor conducts an initial examination and asks the patient about the conditions of injury.
2. If ligament inflammation is suspected, ultrasound is recommended. To exclude such serious injuries as dislocations and cracks, it is better to do an x-ray, CT or MRI.
3. If intra-articular bleeding is suspected, a joint cavity puncture may be indicated. If at the same time a large amount of blood is found, then an intracavitary study is necessary – arthroscopy. In this case, a special device is inserted into the joint and allows you to restore the integrity of the tissue.

Make an appointment with an orthopedic traumatologist

Appointment lasts 60 minutes, includes diagnostics, analysis of your MRI and preparation of a treatment plan, takes place both in person and online.

Hip sprain treatment

When a sprain is diagnosed or even suspected, it is important to get first aid immediately. This will help avoid complications in the future.

• Remove any strain on the ligaments and secure the joint with an elastic bandage or bandage. It is good to lift and fix the thigh, but only if there is no acute pain. If possible, an ice pack can be applied to the stretch area for the first 10-20 minutes.

• If the pain persists, you can take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – NSAIDs.

• The most reliable way to recover without consequences is to see a doctor and undergo a full course of treatment and rehabilitation, and not be limited to home compresses and ointments. Scars can form in the lesion – such changes in the muscle tissue can lead to the destruction of the hip joint as a whole and severe restrictions on mobility.

Experts recommend immediately after treatment to engage in comprehensive rehabilitation and increase the elasticity of ligaments and muscles.

For this purpose, we invite you to visit the Center for the Treatment of the Spine and Joints – the TEMED Clinic. We have been specializing in musculoskeletal problems for many years and helping clients avoid surgery. More information about joint treatment can be found on our website.

Injury to the hip and hip joint is a serious problem. It can really limit mobility and delay recovery for several weeks.

It is much easier to prevent sprains than to treat them and remove the consequences. Therefore, avoid situations that can provoke a sprain of the muscles of the hip joint, give the muscles and ligaments regular moderate physical activity.

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Hip sprain – causes, symptoms, who treats

A hip sprain is an injury to the ligaments caused by moving out of range.

What needs to be done to diagnose and treat a hip sprain ? To solve this problem, the first step for the patient is to make an appointment with an orthopedist. After the initial examination, the doctor may prescribe additional tests:

• MRI of the hip joint
• CT scan of the hip joints
• Ultrasound of soft tissues.

Degrees of hip ligament sprain

There are 3 degrees of severity of hip sprain:

Sprain I degree – the least severe injury when the ligaments are not torn, overstressed. There is mild swelling and pain. An effusion (fluid buildup in a joint) may occur. In this case, you can resume physical activity after a short period

With grade II sprains, the ligaments of the hip joints are partially torn. Pain and swelling are more intense. Limited range of motion.

In grade III sprains, the ligaments of the thigh are completely torn. The pain is severe, the movement of the legs is extremely limited. The injury is accompanied by much more effusion, and therefore surgery is sometimes required.

Causes of hip sprains

Hip sprains can be caused by:

• direct impact on the ligaments after a fall
• sports injury
• overvoltage bundle
• degenerative tissue changes.

Main symptoms of a hip sprain

Most relevant symptoms of a hip sprain:

• Moderate hip and groin pain
• weakness of the hip joints
• inflammation
• hematoma
• stiffness in the movement of the hip joints
• difficulty moving the leg.

How a physician diagnoses a hip sprain

The diagnosis of a sprain is based on a review of the patient’s medical history and physical examination. X-ray or MRI of the hip joints can be effective in ruling out possible fractures or complete ligament tears.

Prophylaxis

Hip sprain cannot be prevented, but injury can be reduced. Recommendations include:

• warm-up exercises before any strenuous physical activity
• caution when walking or running on uneven surfaces
• avoidance of physical exertion when overtired or tired.

How a doctor treats a hip sprain

Generally, patients do not require surgery for mild to moderate hip ligament injuries, given that most sprains are minor injuries that heal with minimal treatment. Conservative treatment includes:

• rest (at least the first 2 days)
• cooling the affected area for 20 minutes every 2 or 3 hours with ice
• compression with bandage
• physiotherapy
• anti-inflammatory drugs.

Most patients recover completely without any surgery. In extremely rare cases of a torn ligament, arthroscopic surgery or ligament reconstruction surgery may be indicated.

Complications

Recurrent hip ligament sprains can lead to chronic joint instability as well as arthritis. When a ligament is sprained, in the vast majority of cases, the tissues heal completely after a few days or a few weeks. In the meantime, it usually takes a couple of months to fully restore the function of the ligamentous tissues.

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Scientific sources:

1. Avakyan. G.N. Structural and functional characteristics of motor disorders in diseases of the nervous and neuromuscular systems: dis. . Dr. med. Sciences / G.N. Avakyan.-M., 1985.- 35 p.
2. Kogan O.G., Naidin V.L. Medical rehabilitation in neurology and neurosurgery / USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. Moscow: Medicine, 1988, – 304 p.
3. Bryukhanov A.B. Magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of joint diseases: Abstract of the thesis. diss. . Dr. med. Sciences. Obninsk, 1998.-46 p.
4. Maikova-Stroganova B.C. Bones and joints in x-ray image; Limbs / B.C. Maykova-Stroganova D.S. Rokhlin. L., 1957. 483 p.
5. Vasiliev A.Yu., Possibilities of ultrasound diagnostics of articular syndrome in rheumatology 2005 (Bulletin of radiology and radiology. 2005. – No. 5. – P. 50-60

Useful information

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What should be done to diagnose and treat hip injuries? To solve this problem, the first step for the patient is to make an appointment with the surgeon. After the initial examination, the doctor may prescribe additional studies:

Consultation with a traumatologist
MRI of the hip joint
CT hip
MRI of the soft tissues of the thigh.

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What should be done to diagnose and treat a sprained hip? To solve this problem, the first step for the patient is to make an appointment with an orthopedist. After the initial examination, the doctor may prescribe additional studies:

Consultation with a surgeon
MRI of the hip joint
CT scan of the hip joints
Ultrasound of soft tissues.

read more +

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What should be done to diagnose and treat a hip injury? To solve this problem, the first step for the patient is to make an appointment with an orthopedist.