You wake up every morning, and your first steps are dogged by hip pain. After you move around a little, the pain subsides, but it returns later after you’ve been sitting at your desk for a while. If this scenario sounds all too familiar, you could be dealing with overly tight hip muscles. Here are two hip muscle stretches that can be a treatment option for your pain:
Hip flexor stretch
The hip flexors are a group of muscles that are attached to the front of your thigh bone, and they help you bend your leg at the hip joint. They’re also used when you’re bending over at the waist, walking, and doing other leg-related activities.
However, if you’re using these muscles too much, they can become tight and painful. One treatment option for tightness and pain in these hip muscles is the hip flexor stretch.
To begin the hip flexor stretch, get into a lunge position with your right leg bent at a 90-degree angle and your left knee on the floor.
From this starting position, rock your pelvis and lower torso forward until you feel a stretch in your left hip flexors. Make sure your right foot stays on the floor throughout the movement.
Once you feel the stretch, hold it for about 10 seconds and then return to the start position. Repeat these steps without switching legs until you’ve reached three repetitions. You should be able to deepen the stretch a little more each time. After three reps, switch the positions of your legs and repeat the steps to stretch the hip flexors in the right leg.
Butterfly stretch
The butterfly stretch is another treatment option for tension-based hip muscle pain. This stretch is designed to stretch the muscles on the inside of your thigh, but it also stretches muscles in your hip and lower back.
To get into the starting position for this stretch, you’ll need to sit down on the floor. You may want to sit on a yoga mat if sitting directly on the floor is uncomfortable. Keep your torso straight and place the soles of your feet together so that your legs form a diamond shape. Your knees should rise into the air slightly, and they’ll get higher the closer you bring your feet toward your body.
After you’ve gotten yourself into the starting position, slowly bend forward from the waist. Use your elbows to gently push your legs down toward the ground as you bend forward and stop when you feel a strong stretch in your lower back, hip, and inner thigh.
Hold this stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Once the time is up, return to the start position. You can repeat these steps to stretch the muscles again if they still feel tight, and you can also do this stretch multiple times a day if you desire.
Find help with hip muscle pain treatment at Health Plus Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Center in Edison, NJ
If you’re an Edison resident dealing with daily hip muscle pain, there’s help for you. Health Plus Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Center offers one-on-one treatment plans for many hip injuries and conditions.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment to start treating your hip pain.
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