I have an R hip flexor (and also possibly hip adductor) strain, according to the PT I’ve been visiting. I’ve had this about a month now, have gone to PT 2 times over the past two weeks. Going again this afternoon.
It’s not horrible pain, but it’s sore and really tight and making me limp a slight bit when I walk (like I’m pimpin). It’s sore when I first get out of bed or up from my office desk after sitting a while. I *can *run, but I feel it. I does seem to loosen up a bit after 10-15 minutes running but doesn’t fully go away. If I speed up running I feel it, or if I’m walking and I speed up I feel it. It seems to be most present when my leg pushes off and releases the tension from being on the ground (when I raise my foot up in a run and start to bring it forward).
The trail marathon I did last weekend probably didn’t help, but that was so hard through the snow and 1 degree F that the hip was the least of my concerns (backdoor brag).
I’m off to the PT again today. The stretches they have me doing *kinda *hit the area but don’t help a lot. One of the PTs (who I’m seeing today) can get in there during deep massage and that seems to help, but I can’t reproduce that on my own and can’t seem to direct my wife to the point the PT is hitting.
Has anyone had something like this? What did you do, what worked, and how long (if at all) were you off?
I suspect this came from a steady build in high mileage over the last few months. It was gradual, but high. I don’t want to make it worse, but I also don’t want to sit around on the trainer when I much prefer running since it’s cold and icy out and I don’t want to lose my solid base.
So having a jacked hip flexor is my weakness. Basically I think I could run 100 miles a week if my hip flexor behaved. It used to die at 30 mpw, but I fixed it up and it seems to be doing better. What I figured out from trial and error / my pt.
my right hip is weak. When I run you can see it drop. Was super clear on a video gait analysis.
making hammies and butt stronger is huge. I did back squats and Romanian dead lifts. Your pt will likely give you one legged bosu ball crap. I prefer freeweights but both do help. I also think about my hip drop and don’t let it happen.
stretch my hip flexor for 5 mins a night. Bunches of stretches.best for me is the kneel/clench butt cheekies / leak forward style. Find what stretches it for you and do 3x s day (but not before a run)
Find what stretches it for you and do 3x s day (but not before a run)
Why not before a run? (just curious).
I’m still suffering this fucking flexor thing. PT for a few weeks now, lots of stretching at home and foam rolling, running on the alter g. I felt like I was only 10% better. Paced a big half marathon yesterday, really sore today (MRI tomorrow night).
I have so much pent up energy and am so sick of the stationary bike.
I just suffered through 16 weeks and 4 days of no running due to a right adductor. First run back was last night! My pain was really high in the pelvis, try using a lacrosse ball to dig into the area for some release. Consider a labrum tear rule out (requires a MRI of the hip). Try monster walk stretches and free weights once the inflammation goes down from the initial insult.
yeah, I’m getting MRI to rule that out. Mostly for my peace of mind, since my PT and PA at two different practices both said I have more mobility and less pain than I would if there was a tear. But, I want the MRI to tell me one way or the other.
+1 for lacrosse ball, especially into the spot where the flexor attaches to the quadricep. This hurts like a mother, but it does release it, and makes it easier to release the muscles in the glute and psoas. (Least it does for me).
Also try (in a chair) sitting up and down with one leg. If you can’t do this w/out your knee buckling in, it’s a giveaway that you need to move sideways. This will help activate the muscle, in addition to the dead lifts. My PT had me starting at 3 sets of five (one leg), 3x10 dead lift-body weight only. Once you can do them, add a little weight.