DAMNED range of motion!!! Hip help?!

Bellchick91
Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
edited November 24 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone!

So I've asked on this forum before about tight hips, foam rolling etc etc. Can anybody shed any light on what has worked for them for hip tightness? I'm getting SO friggin frustrated with my hips! I stretch, foam roll, and do mobility work but CANNOT loosen up my damned hips!

To be specific, I have limited range of motion bringing my knees towards my chest (for example, in a hanging leg raise) and getting deep into a squat. The tightness feels to be located around the front of my hips, and to the right of my hip (TFL region) sort of on the side of your hip and extending into the glute. It really is bothering me. I suffer with tight hamstrings, too which isn't helpful. Again - I stretch and foam roll but to no avail...I'm still so tight!

Anybody have any help, suggestions - anything?! Desperate here!!

Hope you're all having a great week!!

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Sounds similar to piriformis syndrome. At least because you mention it extending to your glute. Are you getting any nerve pain in your lower back?

    Anyway, I had really tight hip flexors that stemmed from the piriformis muscle being really tight. I got a massage specifically for it, and it loosened it up quite a bit. Now I just have to do maintenance with the foam roller and ball.
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    Hey!

    No, there's no back pain. My mother suffers with Sciatica, low back pain and piriformis syndrome and so a few months ago had myself checked out by the physio to ensure that wasn't what was up with me! I dont have that! In a way, it would be handy because then id no what to DO about the bloody thing!

    Have you found any particular foam rolling method that works best for you for glute extension? I could always try it anyway! I foam roll and use a ball on my glutes but maybe I'm not hitting the right spots?
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
    I have found this to be very helpful in getting rid of my hip pain. Mine was on both sides of my hips and in the front after long runs. Might be worth a try.

    http://www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    Hey!

    No, there's no back pain. My mother suffers with Sciatica, low back pain and piriformis syndrome and so a few months ago had myself checked out by the physio to ensure that wasn't what was up with me! I dont have that! In a way, it would be handy because then id no what to DO about the bloody thing!

    Have you found any particular foam rolling method that works best for you for glute extension? I could always try it anyway! I foam roll and use a ball on my glutes but maybe I'm not hitting the right spots?

    When I lie with the roller parallel to my body, with my butt on the very end, like the last 6-8 inches.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    My mother suffers with Sciatica, low back pain and piriformis syndrome and so a few months ago had myself checked out by the physio to ensure that wasn't what was up with me! I dont have that!

    Oh, you went to a physio. What was their diagnosis?
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Hip strength stretching:
    http://www.shapefit.com/exercise-guides/stretching-exercises-lying-hip-stretch.html

    Glute Strength (Runner's World)
    http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/glute-strength

    How and Why Should You Strengthen Your Hip Abductors (Runners Connect)
    http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/hip-strengthening-for-runners/

    Flex Those Flexors: 3 Steps To Powerful Hips (BodyBuilding.com)
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/flex-those-flexors-3-steps-to-powerful-hips.html

    Strengthen your Hip Flexors (Speed Endurance)
    http://speedendurance.com/2012/02/07/strengthen-your-hip-flexors/

    Hip Flexor Tightness in Distance Runners (Athletico Physical Therapy)
    http://www.athletico.com/2012/04/04/hip-flexor-tightness-in-distance-runners/

    Foam Roller- Glutes & Hips
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT61cVqCadc

    Yin Yoga for Runners - Hips and Hamstrings
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmzfot_6HcE


    Also VERY IMPORTANT... when you run, you need to engage the glute muscles. This sounds graphic, but the best way to do this is to imagine you are squeezing a quarter between your butt cheeks as you run. Now I am not suggesting you to actually get a quarter out, but visualize an imaginary quarter between your butt cheeks and that you need to keep it there as you are running. Keep your hips relaxed and engage your glute muscles as you run. Pump your arms and kick your heels up tawards your butt as you run.




  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    hip flexor stretches
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    Yin yoga on a weekly basis.
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    Thank you everyone! So helpful as always! :)
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    My mother suffers with Sciatica, low back pain and piriformis syndrome and so a few months ago had myself checked out by the physio to ensure that wasn't what was up with me! I dont have that!

    Oh, you went to a physio. What was their diagnosis?

    I'm not quite sure if this was sarcastic, but either way - no diagnosis. There is nothing wrong with me. Just tight hips. No issues. :)
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Definitely yoga! And yes, do a style that makes you hold the stretches. Look for 'hip opening' routines and there are lots of nice videos around :) I'd also do the forward-bending focused routines. Yoga Journal may have some that are helpful.

    Does your lower back feel tight any, or is it all felt in the hamstrings and hips?

    Be careful about seated forward bending if your hamstrings are incredibly tight. Do the standing versions instead, because they keep your pelvis in a safer position if your flexibility is very limited that way. The floor versions are expecting your pelvis to move better than it might if your hams are keeping it from it, and you could strain something trying.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Oh, you went to a physio. What was their diagnosis?

    I'm not quite sure if this was sarcastic, but either way - no diagnosis. There is nothing wrong with me. Just tight hips. No issues. :)

    What i meant was, which of the 15+ muscles surrounding your hip joint are tight? And are they tight due to weakness in a different area of your body.. or is there a different cause. That determines the appropriate treatment. There is no generic solution for all forms of hip tightness, and some solutions (like strengthening the hip flexors, mentioned above) can make certain hip issues worse, so it's better to follow the advice of a professional who has assessed you than follow generic advice off the web. If your physio's treatment isn't working, they should know about it, so they can adjust your treatment. :+1:

  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Oh, you went to a physio. What was their diagnosis?

    I'm not quite sure if this was sarcastic, but either way - no diagnosis. There is nothing wrong with me. Just tight hips. No issues. :)

    What i meant was, which of the 15+ muscles surrounding your hip joint are tight? And are they tight due to weakness in a different area of your body.. or is there a different cause. That determines the appropriate treatment. There is no generic solution for all forms of hip tightness, and some solutions (like strengthening the hip flexors, mentioned above) can make certain hip issues worse, so it's better to follow the advice of a professional who has assessed you than follow generic advice off the web. If your physio's treatment isn't working, they should know about it, so they can adjust your treatment. :+1:

    You are right in that she SHOULD have told me what the exact problem was. Im considering going back to physio about it but maybe trying my dads one. She told me that it was all because of my IT band being tight. I dont sit a lot (at all) EXCEPT when Im in lectures - but she told me it was because i walk a lot. She loosened up my hips that day with a massage but since then its been just as bad - maybe better since i started stretching etc but it should be much better than it is!

    Thanks :)
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    cafeaulait7 wrote: »
    Definitely yoga! And yes, do a style that makes you hold the stretches. Look for 'hip opening' routines and there are lots of nice videos around :) I'd also do the forward-bending focused routines. Yoga Journal may have some that are helpful.

    Does your lower back feel tight any, or is it all felt in the hamstrings and hips?

    Be careful about seated forward bending if your hamstrings are incredibly tight. Do the standing versions instead, because they keep your pelvis in a safer position if your flexibility is very limited that way. The floor versions are expecting your pelvis to move better than it might if your hams are keeping it from it, and you could strain something trying.

    Hey! Thanks for the help. I dont really get low back pain - only low back tightness after deadlifts. I agree that floor stretching hurts the low back so i do them standing, usually in a yoga type pose like down-dog then just some other weird variations I like! I did some yoga yesterday and plan on doing it a bit more - everyone's raving about yoga!
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    You're welcome! I think yoga is great for IT band tightness. Other stretches are wonderful, too (particularly for IT problems, actually). It's just that yoga makes you hold the pose long enough, and it's more interesting to do than most other stretching, imho. I do dance stretches and athletic ones and yoga combined when I do my own at home, though ;)

    This page has the sort of deep IT band stretches that I find most yoga tends to leave out (at the bottom):
    http://www.fix-knee-pain.com/knee-exercises/stretches/itb-stretches/
    It has info on foam rolling for it, too.

    I'd just add those in to my hip-opening yoga practice somewhere and do it every day for a while.
  • DreesPerformanceTraining
    DreesPerformanceTraining Posts: 187 Member
    Most likely a strength/stability issue. Often times tightness is mistaken as lack of flexibility, but rarely is the case. I have some information on the subject. If you prefer, you can also look up Eric Cressey.
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    DreesPerformanceTraining wrote: »
    Most likely a strength/stability issue. Often times tightness is mistaken as lack of flexibility, but rarely is the case. I have some information on the subject. If you prefer, you can also look up Eric Cressey.

    I always welcome new information! Please share? :)


  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    cafeaulait7 wrote: »
    You're welcome! I think yoga is great for IT band tightness. Other stretches are wonderful, too (particularly for IT problems, actually). It's just that yoga makes you hold the pose long enough, and it's more interesting to do than most other stretching, imho. I do dance stretches and athletic ones and yoga combined when I do my own at home, though ;)

    This page has the sort of deep IT band stretches that I find most yoga tends to leave out (at the bottom):
    http://www.fix-knee-pain.com/knee-exercises/stretches/itb-stretches/
    It has info on foam rolling for it, too.

    I'd just add those in to my hip-opening yoga practice somewhere and do it every day for a while.

    Thank you! And you're right - holding stretches is so boring! Yoga though - is different. Good idea. More yoga!
  • DreesPerformanceTraining
    DreesPerformanceTraining Posts: 187 Member
    edited September 2015
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    DreesPerformanceTraining wrote: »
    Most likely a strength/stability issue. Often times tightness is mistaken as lack of flexibility, but rarely is the case. I have some information on the subject. If you prefer, you can also look up Eric Cressey.

    I always welcome new information! Please share? :)


    I'm not sure what MFP policy is, but you can follow my links to my website/YouTube page.
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