Hip Flexor Injury - What you need to know!

The hip flexors are a group of muscles that actively bring your knee toward your chest.  The primary muscle that does this is commonly called the Iliopsoas muscle.  There are actually two parts to this muscle.  The Iliacus muscle is positioned at the hip for strength, power and speed.  The psoas muscle is positioned more for stability of the lumbar spine and the pelvis.  Other muscles contribute to hip flexion as well including a part of the quadriceps muscle called the Rectus Femoris which does cross the hip joint along with the pectineus muscle.

These muscles tend to be tight and weak in part because of how much we sit especially in a slumped posture in a chair or something with a back to it.  This puts the hip flexors in a shortened position and they do not have to work due to leaning on the back of the furniture.  So the stage is set for increased risk of muscle pain and even injury.

Hip flexor muscle strains are common in sports especially running, hockey, football and soccer.  Muscle strains happen when some of the muscle fibers are pulled beyond their limit.  Strains tend to happen with overuse or repeated motions and if we do not warm-up and stretch adequately.

Symptoms of a hip flexor strain:

• Pain with walking

• Feel like leg is weak or unstable

• Tightness and pulling in the hip

• Swelling and bruising depending on intensity of injury

• Muscle spasms.

There are 3 grades of strains.  Grade one being mild and Grade two being moderate often can be addressed with ice, rest, compression, elevation, stopping sport/exercise to allow healing, and OTC medications.  If symptoms do not improve in a timely manner or if you do have extensive bruising, you should consider getting more treatment and possible testing.  Testing may include MRI if there is concern of a grade 3 strain which is severe in intensity.  While grade 3 strains are rare, it is important to get treatment if you need it.  If you do have a grade 3, surgery is often needed to reattach the tendons and ligaments to the bone.  Again this is rare.

Physical Therapy treatment for hip flexor strain is important.  Even if someone has only mild issues or injury, it can be very helpful to see a PT to address prevention and to maximize healing to decrease a risk of re-injury.  Muscle imbalances – including tightness and weakness – in muscles thru the back, gluteal, hip and thigh region can contribute to risk of injury.  Education and exercises to promote improved posture in sitting to decrease the tightness and inactivity of the psoas muscle can help decrease risk of re-injury as well.  Specific stretching program development and education can be helpful.

If symptoms are not improving and you are seen by a PT or your physician, they may do further testing and assessment to rule out other issues which can also cause pain in the hip region including ruling out impingement of the hip, blood clots, herniated disks and pinched nerves.                                

To review – we all tend to be at increased risk from hip flexor strain due to how much we sit as well as the specific posture we sit in.  So we all can benefit from working on preventing injuries before they happen.

• Warm-up before exercising

• Stretching program

• Postural awareness and correction when sitting

• Ergonomic assessment if you sit at work

• Strengthening psoas muscles

  

Any of the Physical Therapists at PTSC can treat this issue.  You will need a physician’s order for most insurances for PT.  Please call us if you have any questions at 970-241-5856, we cannot wait to help you!