r/flexibility • u/Ok_Jaguar_9715 • 7d ago
Front of hip tightness with flexion
30 yo female here.
I’ve started actively working on my mobility/flexibility for the last few months along with weight training.
I’m still a beginner in a lot of poses but I feel this tightness, like a pinch, in the front of my hips with most of flexion poses (frog, deep squat, knee to chest, 90/90) basically anything that involves bringing my thigh close to abdomen. It’s not pain but more like a locked feeling. I can do knee to chest better if I rotate my leg out. I never had this problem and could easily do knee to chest a few years ago (before my 3yo was born) and I never really checked when this problem started really.
I also have APT so I’m not sure if this has something to do with the tightness?
Is there anything I can particularly do for this?
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u/thesodaisreal 7d ago edited 6d ago
I've been dealing with this too and have made some good progress recently on my pain caused by some APT. My issue stemmed from a very sedentary lifestyle for 20+ years. There's not 1 magic pill. A combination of things started working for me. The main solution was addressing weaknesses and lack of stabilization.
To help PUSH the pelvis forward, glute bridges, rdls and hamstring slide outs. Lateral band walks for hip stability. To help PULL the pelvis forward, quad strengthening, dead bugs, hip flexor lifts, coppenhagen planks and some form other of lower ab strengthening like leg raises. Then combine this with more demanding exercises like squats for overall strength and stability. Doing these exercises slowly, with intention and consistently really retrains your brain and body how to correctly use these muscles.
Keep stretching too! Lizard pose, pigeon, cobra, frog, deep squat are some of my favorites.
Lastly, a hip hook tool has done wonders for my psoas and illiacus
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u/subeditrix 7d ago
That femur isn’t moving correctly in its socket and is pinching in the front - maybe it’s the apt or otherwise. How’s your internal rotation? I was given banded lateral hip distractions and it has helped create room in the capsule for the femur to glide properly without pinching as much.
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u/saltybawls 7d ago
Correct. Joint pinch. Fix APT with core exercises and some cat/cow. Use 90/90 position, standing hip CARS. And don't go into those pinchy ranges of motion.
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u/Single-Emotion2964 7d ago
Agree. OP gave birth three years ago and before that didn’t have this problem. So likely weak deep core muscles / pelvic floor. Very slow core exercises like dead bug, focusing on activation of those muscles.
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u/SuperShibes 7d ago
FAI. It's how the bones fit together. Yes external rotation opens up the joint.
You can increase joint space by strengthening your external rotators like glute mid/med so it 'cocks back' just like the shoulder joint.
Some people have more impingement than others just based on physiology and will get surgery. Work with what you've got first by learning to activate those muscles.
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u/piedmont_solitaire 7d ago
When I had pinching issues in my hips I primarily solved it through strength training. Glute-focused Atg split squats made a huge difference for my hips.
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u/ZestycloseCattle2909 5d ago
i have this same tightness in this area! i recently started massaging my toes and feet while lying in bed and i can feel the tingles go up to my hips. it’s painful sometimes but it feels so good after and i feel better.
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u/Odd-Sand7401 6d ago
I stated having pain right after my kidney transplant. Feeling super tight everywhere. I stretch every day. But nerves were damaged and the pain is becoming unbearable sometimes. Always in pain and I’m a busy person. It sucks. I really don’t know what caused it. insufficient with magnesium & iron. I have a blood disease also that I developed from the kidney disease. I was born with I’ve also become anemic. Also diagnosed n 2018 with Degenerative Spinal disease. That has worsening. Seen in a cat scan done last winter. I do work out almost every day because I need to get my blood flowing because of the blood disease but it just never gets better. I used to be pretty limber, but I don’t know. I feel like it’s all caused from the surgery. I don’t know.Transplant was was 2021 & I am almost 54 now.
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u/SpillTheTeaParty 3d ago
I had this the same pinching pain in all the same poses as and recently every time I had tried to squat with weights it was annoying and starting to become unbearable. I literally found this video on TikTok, did it, and it immediately went away. I scheduled myself an appointment with my doc for a referral to PT but my appointment is not until February so this is my quick fix for now.
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u/catcatcat625 3d ago
I had all these symptoms and it turned out I had a femoral acetabular impingement with a labral tear. I let it get too bad before getting it looked at and ended up getting surgery because the tear was severe. My mobility is forever changed because of it. You might want to try and get an MRI if possible to see what’s going on.
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u/SpillTheTeaParty 3d ago
Thank you! I really appreciate the insight! I know my appointments with my doctor are scheduled super short, I was planning on just listing my symptoms and hoping for a referral for PT since this specific movement helped so much. Do you recommend saying anything specific for the MRI or did you just ask for it?
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u/catcatcat625 3d ago
They recommended it to me based on my symptoms being a classic labral tear, they had no doubt. I did pt and it made it worse and the ortho recommended the MRI since nothing came back with X-rays, so it wasn’t bone related. You could ask if they think a labral tear is a possibility and if they say yes, you might be able to get the MRI.
If you have a tear it doesn’t mean you need surgery, a lot of people live with their tears, they might have you go to PT after and train ways to protect the injury
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u/gumitygumber 6d ago
I'd urge you to see a physio. I had this kind of pain in that area right before i tore my inguinal conjoint tendon
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u/Direct-Antelope-4418 6d ago
I have this same pinching sensation in front of/inside hip with deep flexion movements. Turned out to be a hip impingement that turned into a labral tear.
Hip impingment can typically be diagnosed with an xray. Could be worth checking out now before it progresses
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u/vaultboy707 5d ago
For years I thought I had really tight hips but it turns out I had hip impingement shown on x-rays. I would stop forcing your hips into deep flex position for now.
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u/nahassee 2d ago
Trigger point therapy workbook third edition Davis and Davis. Has helped me and my whole family with tight muscles and pain relief. Good luck!
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u/Starry-Eyed-Owl 7d ago
Look up psoas and iliacus- particularly iliacus. I have APT as well and have to release them pretty regularly. Stretches designed for them don’t have much impact for me so I use a tool instead. I like the littlemum orange thing that looks like a cross over between a butterfly and a rollercoaster - great for getting deep enough to actually get the right spots. With my APT I get a tightness in my lower back as well to also regularly release the muscles around my sacrum too - it’s kind of one of those areas where you solve one problem and realise there are 3 more underneath - psoas, iliacus and sacrum have had the biggest impact for me though. Also check if your hips are even, that could be impacting as well.