Hip impingement
Crowhorse
Posts: 394 Member
So, I had what I thought might be a hip flexor, or even an adductor issue because I was getting pain in my hip in the squat position and getting out of cars, etc. It was the one thing that made me dread squats. Finally got to see a physical therapist, and she told me I had something called a hip impingement, basically muscles that were caught in my hip joint and would get pinched and aggravated with certain moves. She limbered it up and yanked it out (and boy did I feel it when it happened, and even now).
I am not allowed to do any training involving my lower body until she gives me the go ahead (hopefully next week, have to see her first), so squats and deadlifts are out. I can still do my OH and BPs, at least.
Can anyone recommend some other exercises that I might still get a good workout in that won't aggravate the region?
I am not allowed to do any training involving my lower body until she gives me the go ahead (hopefully next week, have to see her first), so squats and deadlifts are out. I can still do my OH and BPs, at least.
Can anyone recommend some other exercises that I might still get a good workout in that won't aggravate the region?
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Probably best to listen to the PT but if I were to generalize I'd say avoid hip flexion/extension. So for example I would assume (key word) that something like leg extensions/curls/calf raises are probably ok but you really should go with your pt on this.
If anyone else with experience with this injury has any feedback, have at it.
If you're asking for additional upper body exercises--- there's really tons of them that shouldn't aggravate your hip. I'm assuming you're looking for lower body movements as a workaround.0 -
I am sorry, but hip impingement is not "muscles that got caught in the hip joint". It is an abnormality in the hip joint itself. I am very familiar with this condition, because I had it for many years. For me, it eventually led to arthritis and replacement of both hip joints. Note: This does not happen to everyone with hip impingement.
"Hip impingement involves a change in the shape of the surface of the hip joint that predisposes it to damage, resulting in stiffness and pain. Hip impingement is a process that may precede hip osteoarthritis. It most often occurs in young, active people. A recent study found that 87% of teens and adults with hip pain showed evidence of hip impingement on diagnostic images taken of their hip joints. To treat hip impingement, physical therapists prescribe stretches and strengthening exercises to better balance the muscles around the hip to protect it, and use manual therapies to help restore range of motion and increase comfort." (This was copied from moveforward.com, the American Physical a Therapy Association website).
Your PT should have given you exercises and stretches to perform at home until you see her again. If she told you not to do any lower body training for now, I strongly advice you to listen. Even leg extensions and curls could possibly aggravate your condition at this stage, because they use muscles that affect the hip joint. Once the PT allows you to train lower body again, I would ask what weight training exercises she recommends to help protect your hip from further damage. More than likely, you'll be able to do seated leg presses, curls and extensions, and partial squats. I would be interested to hear what she says about deadlifts.
Best of luck!0 -
I am sorry, but hip impingement is not "muscles that got caught in the hip joint". It is an abnormality in the hip joint itself. I am very familiar with this condition, because I had it for many years. For me, it eventually led to arthritis and replacement of both hip joints. Note: This does not happen to everyone with hip impingement.
"Hip impingement involves a change in the shape of the surface of the hip joint that predisposes it to damage, resulting in stiffness and pain. Hip impingement is a process that may precede hip osteoarthritis. It most often occurs in young, active people. A recent study found that 87% of teens and adults with hip pain showed evidence of hip impingement on diagnostic images taken of their hip joints. To treat hip impingement, physical therapists prescribe stretches and strengthening exercises to better balance the muscles around the hip to protect it, and use manual therapies to help restore range of motion and increase comfort." (This was copied from moveforward.com, the American Physical a Therapy Association website).
Your PT should have given you exercises and stretches to perform at home until you see her again. If she told you not to do any lower body training for now, I strongly advice you to listen. Even leg extensions and curls could possibly aggravate your condition at this stage, because they use muscles that affect the hip joint. Once the PT allows you to train lower body again, I would ask what weight training exercises she recommends to help protect your hip from further damage. More than likely, you'll be able to do seated leg presses, curls and extensions, and partial squats. I would be interested to hear what she says about deadlifts.
Best of luck!
I'm sorry, that's just how she explained it to me. My hips were x-rayed before I was seen by physical therapy. Would it not show up on that? One reason for the x-ray was to make sure there was nothing abnormal with the hips, and they were given a "good to go".
ETA: She only gave me one little stretch to do, didn't tell me me how often or how long to do it. It's making me wonder :huh:0 -
Also wanted to say, squats aggravated it, but deadlifts never seemed to bother my hips.0
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That is strange! I would have thought she would have given you something more than one little stretch. I had a whole series along with some strengthening moves. As far as I remember, nothing much showed up on my hip x-rays the first time I went to the doctor for this problem either. As a matter of fact, the sports injury specialist orthopedist I went to was unable to see that I had severe arthritis in both hips about 10 years or so after I first went to him for hip pain. He sent me to PT, which at that point did no good. It took a hip specialist to diagnose it.
Hopefully, your impingement is minor and will feel better quickly with the stretching and some rest! However, if it does not get better, you may want to consider seeing a hip specialist (if you haven't already) to see what can be done about it. It is no fun to try to live with that pain, especially if you're someone who likes to be active.
One thing I found helped my hips until they got really bad, was the elliptical. If I used it regularly, it would keep my hips from getting stiff and sore.
Interesting that the deadlifts don't bother you! I was not dead lifting when I had the impingement, but if would have guessed that it would aggravate the hip joints.0 -
It's mostly aggravated when I squat low, in the front joint of my leg (where I feel it). I'm still not totally convinced, because it still could be a hip flexor issue from what I was reading, but that would take further diagnostics.
I like to be active, and I love lifting and it kind of bums me out if it's something I can't continue to do. I like what it's been doing to my body, and I was only beginning (about 4ish months in).0 -
I know how you feel! Let's hope it's a minor impingement, or a hip flexor issue!
But if not, just know that impingements, and even arthritis in the hips can be fixed. I'm just as active now as I was before I had hip problems. I was able to resume weight training 6 weeks after my hip surgeries, although I had some limitations on how much weight I was allowed to use for the first six months. So either way, it's not the end of your being active.
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Probably best to listen to the PT but if I were to generalize I'd say avoid hip flexion/extension. So for example I would assume (key word) that something like leg extensions/curls/calf raises are probably ok but you really should go with your pt on this.
If anyone else with experience with this injury has any feedback, have at it.
If you're asking for additional upper body exercises--- there's really tons of them that shouldn't aggravate your hip. I'm assuming you're looking for lower body movements as a workaround.
I had hip surgery Jan 13th of this year for a torn labrum in my right hip. Listen to your PT and let them guide you in your re-hab.0 -
I sure hope I don't need surgery!
I was thinking that if and when I get the go ahead to squat again, I may go with Wendler for my next step, since it only has 1 squat day a week and the rest of the week it takes a rest.0 -
I have had past hip flexor issues - this is what worked for *me*.
I had to deload my squats....by a LOT. I went about 6 weeks without squatting at all, and during that time did a massive deload on my deadlifts as that was causing mild pain as well. Once I started squatting again, my squats dropped from 195 lbs down to about 100.
I found the pigeon pose in yoga helped a lot. Hip flexors are very difficult to target via stretches or foam rollers. This one seemed to get it the most.
I also adjusted my squat stance. I have since found that my joints lack normal mobility...so squatting in a normal stance didn't work as I was trying to force my hips to bend in ways that they just don't bend. I widened my stance...not quite sumo, but definitely wider than a normal stance. I pointed my toes out a bit more to give my knees room to move out so that my hips would open up. I have also moved to sumo deadlifts since then - again, conventional deadlifts do bad things to my hip joints.
It took a few months to get everything in working order and get my squat built back up, but I've had no issues since. I'm now squatting 220 with no pain.0 -
I got the go ahead to start squatting weightless today, and if I can do that without pain, then start with the bar weight. It's better than nothing!
Deadlifts do not seem to bother the area so much. I'm guessing it's because the hips are kept higher up , where as in a squat you are going pretty low and putting more stress on the area.0 -
Great news!0
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I have hip flexor issues and I think that often gets overlooked. Anyone who sits for an extended period of time probably has tight hip flexor and weak glutes.
What is helping me is active release, standing at work, concentrating on strengthening the posterior chain, and of course stretching.
I also avoid straddle ups in aerial circus arts but you probably don't have to worry about that. ;-)0 -
It's mostly aggravated when I squat low, in the front joint of my leg (where I feel it). I'm still not totally convinced, because it still could be a hip flexor issue from what I was reading, but that would take further diagnostics.
I like to be active, and I love lifting and it kind of bums me out if it's something I can't continue to do. I like what it's been doing to my body, and I was only beginning (about 4ish months in).
Front of the leg where the hip meets thigh is probably hip flexor. I have had major problems on both sides. I had to give up doing any squats at all for a few months, and then worked my way back up over the course of about 6 more months. Twice. It was just bad tendonitis. Both times, different sides. My squat is back up to the 3-plate range which is great considering all the problems I've had.
To keep it at bay I have been working with a wider squat stance which helps tremendously. The narrower I go, the worse it is. A really narrow stance front squat is especially horrible. I also watch out for exercises that hit the hip flexors, like most ab work. I also have to limit my sumo deadlifting. Any extra deadlift volume I usually switch to conventional to give the hips a break. Finally, I do probably 15-20 minutes of warm-up and dynamic stretching for my hips which has helped tremendously. I'm probably a year out from my last flare-up and I get zero pain in them now.0 -
So, I've been given the go ahead to do slow progression back up on the squat weights. Yay! I also have some band exercises and stretches to do for the hip. Will have to go back in a few weeks and see what the physical therapist thinks.0
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Yay! Just build back up slowly...0
