Introduction

The hips play a crucial role in maintaining stability and mobility in the body. However, incorrect actions can lead to misalignment and pain in the hip muscles, causing discomfort and affecting other muscles and joints. This article focuses on the hip flexor muscles and how assessing them with MET therapy can reduce pain and restore hip mobility. We utilize and incorporate valuable information about our patients to certified medical providers using MET therapy to relieve chronic muscle pain associated with the hip flexor muscles. We encourage and refer patients to associated medical providers based on their findings while supporting that education is a remarkable and fantastic way to ask our providers the essential questions at the patient’s acknowledgment. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., comprises this information as an educational service. Disclaimer

 

What Are The Hip Flexor Muscles?

 

Do you have any pain in your hips? Does shifting your weight from one side to the other help relieve the pain? Do you feel pain shooting down from your hips to your legs? These symptoms may be due to pain in your hip flexor muscles. Research studies reveal that these muscles support other muscle groups like the trunk and legs, allowing for proper muscle activity when lifting your legs straight during functional tests for the hips and pelvis. The hip flexors in your hips consist of six muscles that aid in stability and mobility:

• Psoas Major
• Iliacus
• Rectus Femoris
• Sartorius
• Adductor Longus
• Tensor Fasciae Latae

Additional studies have revealed that the hip flexor muscles are crucial in supporting the lower back and maintaining stability. These six muscles aid in hip movements such as deep flexion, adduction, and external rotation, among other functions. The relationship between the hip flexors and the lumbar spine is particularly strong. However, if these muscles become tight, it can negatively affect performance and lead to other issues.

 

Hip Pain Associated With The Musculoskeletal System

Hip pain can be caused by tight hip flexor muscles, which can be affected by various factors such as health issues, injuries, or environmental factors. Research studies have shown that lower extremity injuries can reduce performance and cause pain-like symptoms associated with the musculoskeletal system. Tight hip flexors can be caused by prolonged sitting, incorrect lifting, or repetitive actions, leading to stretched or shortened muscles and the development of nodules. This can contribute to musculoskeletal disorders and uneven hips. Various treatments are available to realign the body and strengthen the hip flexor muscles.

 

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Non-Surgical Solution: Chiropractic Care- Video

Do you struggle with instability while walking or find yourself leaning more on one leg than the other? Perhaps you experience constant hip pain. Misalignment in the hips caused by environmental factors can lead to instability and pain-like symptoms associated with tight hip flexor muscles. These issues can cause musculoskeletal disorders that overlap and result in spinal subluxation. Research studies mentioned that it could be difficult to diagnose hip pain because it often presents as referred pain from the lumbar spine or knee joint. This means uneven or tight hips could cause low back or knee pain. Treatments are available to reduce hip pain and gently stretch flexor muscles. The video above demonstrates how chiropractic care can offer non-surgical solutions to realign the body and relieve stress in the surrounding muscles.

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Assessing The Hip Flexors With MET Therapy

 

If you are experiencing stiffness or pain in your hips due to tight hip flexors, you can improve your mobility and prevent future issues in several ways. Studies have revealed that physical therapy involving RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) can help restore muscle strength and range of motion. Soft tissue treatment combined with physical therapy can also be effective in restoring hip mobility. In their book “Clinical Application of Neuromuscular Techniques,” Dr. Judith Walker DeLany, L.M.T., and Dr. Leon Chaitow, N.D., D.O. explain that Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) can gently stretch the hip flexor muscles and restore mobility and range of motion in the hip joint. MET therapy can lengthen tight hip flexor muscles, reduce referred pain, and improve the hip’s function.

 

Conclusion

When the hips and the muscles around them start to cause pain that spreads to the rest of the body, it can lead to uncomfortable symptoms that cause people to shift their weight to compensate for the pain. This can happen because of environmental factors like sitting for too long or overstretching the muscles, which makes the hip flexors tight and can lead to pain in the hips and lower back. However, physical therapy combined with muscle energy techniques (MET) can help relieve the pain and realign the hips with the body. These treatments let the body naturally heal the affected muscles so that people can be pain-free.

 

References

Ahuja, Vanita, et al. “Chronic Hip Pain in Adults: Current Knowledge and Future Prospective.” Journal of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8022067/.

Chaitow, Leon, and Judith Walker DeLany. Clinical Applications of Neuromuscular Techniques. Churchill Livingstone, 2003.

Konrad, Andreas, et al. “The Influence of Stretching the Hip Flexor Muscles on Performance Parameters. A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 Feb. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7922112/.

Mills, Matthew, et al. “Effect of Restricted Hip Flexor Muscle Length on Hip Extensor Muscle Activity and Lower Extremity Biomechanics in College-Aged Female Soccer Players.” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, Dec. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4675195/.

Tyler, Timothy F, et al. “Rehabilitation of Soft Tissue Injuries of the Hip and Pelvis.” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, Nov. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4223288/.

Yamane, Masahiro, et al. “Understanding the Muscle Activity Pattern of the Hip Flexors during Straight Leg Raising in Healthy Subjects.” Progress in Rehabilitation Medicine, 16 Feb. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7365227.

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