Hips Don’t Lie – Signs Hip Flexors are the Problem

We are responding to a common question that we have received on the Healing Through Movement Facebook Fan Page.  It is regarding The Hip Flexor!

What are the 4 signs that your hip flexors are the problem?”

What I noticed with my 20 years of working with people with injuries and pain, a lot of times the hidden cause of other issues has been hip flexor issues. So with people that have shoulder pain, or people that have back pain, hip pain, or knee pain; often times when I assess their hip flexors and pelvis it is obvious something is out of alignment. Once I fix their hip flexors it also helps resolve that other tightness and pain. Our body is all connected and one tight area can cause an imbalance and pain elsewhere. By fixing the alignment, the rest of the body will relax and let go.

Here are the 4 signs that your hip flexors are the problem:

1.The curvature of your spine.

Lie on the floor relaxing your upper body and your shoulders. Bend your knees and tilt your pelvis forward and then try to slide your hand underneath your back. For most people, when they slide their hand underneath their back, they get some resistance. They feel their lower back but they should still be able to get their hand underneath their lower back. But if you’re able to easily get your hand underneath without any issues that is a good sign that you have a hip flexor issue or problem and you need to address it.

2. Clanking Sound

Lie on the floor relaxing your upper body and your shoulders. Bend one knee. What you’re going to do is bring the other knee back and straighten it out again in a slow repeated movement. If you feel or hear any clanking in your hip flexor when you’re doing that movement, that’s the sign that you have tight hip flexors and you need to address that.  You need to deal with your hip flexors and address the tightness.

3. 45-Degree Angle Heel Drop

Move over from your back to your stomach. Bend one knee then slowly drop your heel out or drop your heel in. Bring your heel halfway to the ground at a 45-degree angle. Now if you’re not able when you go through the movement, that’s a good sign that there is an issue with your hip flexors and needs to be addressed.

4. Excessive Pelvis Tilt

Move up to a standing position and take a look to see if your pelvis is tilted forward excessively. That is a good sign that you have hip flexor tightness. Now one way of looking at is if you get someone put their hands on your hips and sees if their hands are tilted down or straight ahead or slightly tilted down. Now, there should be a slight tilt like 5 degrees tilted downwards. If it’s excessively tilted down then that is a sign that you have tight hip flexors.

Give those 4 little simple tests a go. If you get that positive result with any of these 4 little tests, it’s a good sign that you have tight hip flexors. Now if you have any issues when it relates to knee pain, hip pain, back pain, shoulder pain, mid back pain; there’s a good chance that it is the result of your hip flexors and I will target on fixing that issue with the hip flexor. A lot of times it will help resolve those other issues.

Take care,

Rick Kaselj

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