Suffered a Hip Flexor Injury
Hip flexor pain can be caused by a variety of problems ranging from poor biomechanics, to muscle tears! The hip flexors are responsible for moving the knee towards the chest and lifting the leg forward for walking and running.
Hip flexor strains and tears are most common in sport. They occur due to a sudden contraction or explosive contraction of the hip flexor muscles, particularly in a position of stretch, often occurring in sprinting or kicking.
Patients usually complain of sudden pain that is sharp or feels like a localised ‘pulling’ in the front of the hip and groin. Minimal strains may be less severe, allowing continued play. Severe strain may also be associated with weakness and walking with a limp.
Poor mechanics around the hip can also contribute to hip flexor overload. This is most common with patients who present with hip pain in the depth of a squat. When squats are performed correctly, the hip flexor can become overloaded causing pain due to a weakness or imbalance from the glute muscles. A lack of strength in the glutes is one of the biggest predictors for hip and groin pain, as the balance of the forces around the joint is required for stability, mobility, and efficient hip and pelvic movement.
Your physiotherapist will do a full subjective and objective assessment of your hip considering a wide range of factors including referred pain from the low back or pelvis, the mechanics of the whole lower limb, strength and balance of the muscles surrounding the hip and knee, squat or sporting technique, motor control, core stability and biomechanical analysis.
City Physio & Sports Injury Centre has been providing musculoskeletal physiotherapy in the MLC Centre for over 30 years. Our team are expertly trained in providing detailed full-body assessments and delivering personalised treatment for musculoskeletal conditions, sports injuries, headaches, neck and back pain.