Prolonged sitting and activities like jogging and cycling can lead to tight hip flexors and muscle imbalances which contribute to low back pain. Tight hip flexors create an anterior pull on the pelvis known as an anterior pelvic tilt.
Mostly, it comes down to lifestyle factors. Dr. McNally explains that “a sedentary lifestyle (sitting all day) can cause tightness in the hip flexors with resultant tightness in the hamstrings. Hamstrings can also become tight after an injury or intense workout.”
Sitting in one place for an extended period, which causes the iliopsoas to atrophy over time. Having a weak core, which forces the hip flexors to stabilize the spine and work overtime to provide such support. You may eventually notice pain and a tight sensation in this area.
Tight hips, psoas, and hip flexors can mean that we're hesitant about facing the future. More specifically, we fear living up to our own expectations and those laid out by others.
Do the exercises at least 3 days/week and you'll feel the results in 1-2 weeks and of course, to continue progressing consider the Hip Flexibility Solution as the next step.
Prolonged periods of not moving, such as sitting, may cause the hip flexors to tighten, so finding even small ways to move your hips throughout the day — whether that's a dedicated 20 minutes of walking or doing one minute of walking as a “movement snack” — will help keep your hip flexors supple.
Signs you may have tight hips
Lower back pain. Hip pain. Knee pain. Decreased physical performance in sports and daily activities.
Chiropractic treatment for hip flexor pain varies based on the severity and cause. It typically involves a combination of manual therapy, like spinal manipulation, massage, or trigger point therapy, and rehabilitative exercises, including stretching, strengthening, and range of motion exercises.
Conclusion on how to fix tight hips
Gently stretching and exercising the hips can help relieve pain, increase mobility, and strengthen muscles. There are many exercises to choose from, but once you have found the stretch routines that work then it is best to incorporate it into your daily routine.
The biggest cause of tightness is what we do all day long: sitting for too long is a major culprit in tightening the hip flexors. When you sit all day at a desk, the iliopsoas shortens, making the flexors tight.
Sometimes — actually often — the tightness you feel in your hip flexors (or any other muscle group for that matter) can be due to weakness or overworking of the muscle. If this is your problem, then no amount of stretching or foam rolling is going to help you.
This same initial response also happens when we experience feelings of fear, anxiety and sadness. Although our physical response isn't so abrupt, we still tense our hips; trapping not only muscular tension but also emotional tension too.
Avoid exercises involving repetitive hip flexion, the motion involving bringing your hip or leg up toward your chest. If doing squats, keep them shallow and hold off on lunges entirely, until you receive a diagnosis from your doctor. Do not work through pain. When walking or running, pay attention to pain.
Sitting upright in your chair, cross your right ankle over your left knee. Flex your right foot, and feel a stretch in your right glute and outer hip. If you don't feel a stretch, slowly hinge forward at your waist and lean into the right hip. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch sides.
The best type of massage for hip pain relief is a combination of deep tissue massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy. Deep tissue massage helps to reduce inflammation and improve circulation, while myofascial release helps to loosen tight muscles and fascia.
The hip flexor muscles are major contributors to lumbar spine stability. Tight hip flexors can lead to pain in the lumbar spine, and hence to an impairment in performance. Moreover, sedentary behavior is a common problem and a major contributor to restricted hip extension flexibility.
The tissues in our hips hold onto the unprocessed emotions from these moments as a way for the subconscious mind to remember to avoid that same trigger in the future,” Sherer explained. Considering the hips are the largest joint in our bodies, they bear a lot of the weight—literally and figuratively.
1 – CHIROPRACTIC
From a chiropractic standpoint, adjusting the hip is a great way to free up any restrictions in the joint itself, allowing for proper joint spacing that bones need to be able to move fully and freely.