The hip flexors are an important group of muscles that raise the knee and lift the thigh towards the abdomen. And while this might seem relatively simple, if you have weak or tight hip flexors they can cause issues with your pelvis. As a result you could get lower back or knee pain, or even upper back and neck problems.
What Are The Hip Flexors
The hip flexor group consists of several muscles but there are 3 main ones(1). These are the rectus femoris, the iliacus and the psoas (which you might have heard referred to as the iliopsoas). The rectus femoris starts in your hip, runs down the front of your thigh and crosses over your knee. This is the reason it can cause knee pain. The iliopsoas muscles extend from the lumbar vertebrae of your lower spine down to the femur bone of your thigh. It is the connection to your spine that can be the cause of lower back pain.
Together the hip flexors raise your knee during activities such as walking or climbing the stairs. They are also active during exercises such as jogging and even doing sit ups. But problems develop when the muscles become shortened or tight. Whether this is lower back pain, knee pain or pain that is felt elsewhere in your body, the hip flexors are often overlooked as the actual cause.
What Causes Tight Hip Flexors
If you’re like most people, the cause of your tight hip flexors is spending too long sitting down. Whether this is at a desk, driving, watching TV or a combination of the three. Especially if it is with a poor posture. Over time this shortens hip flexor muscles so that when you stand up they are no longer flexible enough for your pelvis to be in its correct position. It is mostly your iliopsoas that is pulling on your lower vertebrae and the result is lower back pain. In turn this can affect the natural shape of the spine, causing upper back, neck or shoulder issues.
The other main cause of tight hip flexors is exercise, whether this is running, such as during sport, or jogging. This will cause muscles that have otherwise been in a shortened (seated) position to tighten further. Likewise with weight training. Because your rectus femoris crosses over your knee as well as your hip it is also involved with straightening your leg from a bent position. Going to the gym and using a leg extension machine is a good example, as is the leg press. And doing any squat exercise with tight hip flexors is also likely to cause other issues, including serious injury. Click here to find out more about how to fix your squat technique
How To Fix Tight Hip Flexors
If you suspect that tight hip flexors are the source of your lower back or knee pain, or affecting your exercise technique, massage can help. And although there are stretches that might ease minor muscle tension or lack of flexibility, even regular stretching will do little to make up for exercising or being in a seated position several hours a day. Instead have a hip flexor massage and let the massage therapist do the hard work for you.
Book A Mobile Massage
If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here
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