Hip flexor strain – Sarah Fischer
Hip flexor strain – Sarah Fischer
Hip flexor strain: something I have been treating a lot of lately so I thought I would have a little blog moment about it.
Hip flexors bring your knee toward your chest, in small or big movements. The main muscles involved in this movement are psoas major, iliacus, rectus femoris and your sartorius. Rectus femoris and your sartorius muscles are two of the muscles found in your muscle group known as your “quads.”
A strain happens when there is a small or a large tear in the muscle and/or tendon. Even without the strain, I find restriction, through the hip flexors, pretty common especially with people who may sit a lot for work such as at a desk all day or driving.
When in a seated position, especially for a prolonged amount of time, your hip flexors tend to shorten while in the flexed position. Then when we go about with our general activities, or even if moving too quickly into standing position or into a run if in a hurry, the muscles can quickly spasm or become strained. When hip flexor pain occurs most will feel a pain/ache around the groin, and upper thigh area.
It’s always best to make sure to get up and move around if seated for long periods of time, stretch and get the muscles moving and blood flowing! As well as before the activity, warm up lightly to prevent injury due to any sudden movements. I know I have said it before but I will say it again…and again…and again, posture is so important, standing or seated. Taking care of ourselves and keeping everything balanced and strong is essential for preventative health.
Down below, I have attached an example of a hip flexor stretch you can try at home. You should not feel pain when doing a stretch and during this particular stretch, placing a pillow under the one knee is recommended if doing this on a hard surface.
If you feel an ache, or pain, that is becoming more of a constant issue; it’s always great to have it checked to prevent further injury. Or if it can be worked out through massage and some home care exercises, why not feel better sooner than later, right? Am I right? We always love meeting new people at Adica Massage Clinic and would be more than happy to lend a hand and assist with getting those muscles and tissues happy and healthy! We offer different types of massages like therapeutic massage, deep tissue massage and even couple’s massage. We also have a massage length to fit any schedule. We offer anywhere from a 30 minute massage to a 2 hour massage.