HIP FLEXORS – Often ignored
(This is a MUST READ if you have any type of common back, shoulder, neck, leg or knee pain or headaches).
HIP FLEXORS are among the busiest and hardest working muscles in the body.
But they are often overlooked or ignored by many physical bodywork therapists, simply because they are on the FRONT of the body and rarely FEEL sore despite being very tight.
They get their name simply because they flex your legs at the hip. So, they are active anytime you sit/drive, bend forward (including lifting), walk, run, jog, march, cycle, climb, etc.
They start from the side of your spine – roughly mid-back – and travel down on an angle across the FRONT of your hips and attach to the front of your Femur leg bones.
When they tighten, due to your everyday activities, they tilt your hips forward. It’s known as “anterior tilt.” So as the front of your hips pulls down, the back of your hips pulls up.
That shortens (tightens) muscles particularly in your lower back, but also right up your spine into the shoulders and neck and base of the skull.
Guess where some of the main areas for COMMON MUSCLE PAIN is in most people? YOUR BACK, SHOULDERS AND NECK – AND HEADACHES!!!
And when one side of the hip flexor muscles pulls tighter, it also helps pull one hip higher, creating a side or “lateral tilt.”
It also can result in a distortion of the whole pelvic girdle with one hip pulling higher and tilting backward and the other side tilting lower and pulling forwards – or other combinations of those positions.
That results in a range of muscle imbalances, not only right through the torso and up to the head, but also down across the knees to the feet. It is usually a contributor to common knee pain.
The pelvic girdle is the structural centre of your body. You shouldn’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out, therefore, if it is out of its correct alignment it could be the cause of or a significant contributor to muscle, joint or other soft tissue pain anywhere in your body.
Have you ever been told by your medical practitioner or physical therapist that you have one leg shorter/longer than the other?
You also may have been told or you automatically assume that it could be the reason for a lot of your common back, leg, knee and other pain. Because you’ve been told by a “health professional,” you tend not to question it.
You usually DON’T have one leg shorter, and I can prove it within about two minutes with a simple, painless hip flexor release. (Leg length claims/myths are a separate, more detailed story for another time).
It’s usually simply a case of your whole pelvic girdle being out of alignment.
Another effect of “anterior tilt” is that it increases the curve in your lumbar spine (lower back). That reduces the spaces between your vertebral discs and therefore increases the chances of spinal nerves being impinged.
It is often one cause of sciatica pain in your hips and down your legs. But because it can impinge a number of nerves, it can also cause a range of problems with various muscles AND ORGANS.
If you’ve had any disc issues like bulging or prolapsed disc/s, anterior tilt of the hips or other pelvic distortion, it could make the problem worse. In fact, it can help create those problems in the first place.
Does your physical therapist automatically check and release your hip flexors to realign your pelvic girdle with EVERY treatment?
I DO.
I use a simple, gentle and totally painless technique (with no “bone-cracking”) that will release and stretch your hip flexors and level your hips within about two minutes.
But don’t just accept what I tell you. If you live in Townsville, book in for a REMEDIAL MASSAGE and make me prove it.
CALL OR TEXT NOW on 0438774819, or email me at [email protected] for a booking at DAVID HALL MASSAGE THERAPY. Or simply fill out the details on my CONTACT page.
I also can absolutely guarantee you the best value for money remedial massage in Townsville. Click here to see how and why in this article.
David Hall ©
REMEDIAL MASSAGE THERAPIST IN MT LOUISA
Townsville Massage therapist based in Mt Louisa and specialising in Remedial Massage for headaches and migraines and all types of muscle and/or joint aches and pains, as well as preparing for and recovering from exercise, sporting and other fitness activities. Guaranteed best value for money remedial massage in Townsville. CALL NOW on (07) 4774 6973 or 0438 774 819 to book an appointment.
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