My Hip Rehabilitation


As promised in my post Strategic Retreat this is the combination of exercises I have been doing to restore function to my right hip. After roughly 2 weeks of performing these exercises about every second day the pain I experience in my right hip while lifting has significantly decreased to the point that it no longer limits my weight increases. All credit to this routine goes to Dr. Jordan Shallow and the mind pump tv youtube channel. One thing I like in particular about this routine is that it addresses multiple parts of the hip in an attempt to balance the joint. I find this is a much better approach than just mercilessly attacking the one muscle that is believed to be the issue. A more functional approach to the hip is like casting a bigger net, increasing your chances of getting to the cause of the dysfunction.

Part 1: Hip Adductor Release
Tight hip adductors is common in both runners and lifters. One misconception when attempting to release muscles is only addressing their primary movements. Although the adductor group of course adducts the thigh it is also involved in flexion, medial rotation and extension of the hip depending on joint position. A release that also moves a joint through range of motion is sometimes needed in order to restore function.

Part 2: Tensor Fasciae Latae
Best known for its tendinous counter part the iliotibial band this small but important muscle can be a difficult one to address due to its deep position in the hip. I found this release very helpful in exposing the TFL.
Part 3: Hip Flexor
The bane of the seated work place. Hip flexor dysfunction is very common in today's society. It can be hard to counteract an 8 hour workday of being seated. I found that the first part of this release combining internal rotation at the hip with hip extension was extremely successful in getting to the source of the pain I was experiencing during lifting. When stretching the hip flexor always keep an eye on the position your lower back is in. Failure to activate your glute to control your lumbar curve will lead to an unsuccessful stretch. Do your best to keep your pelvis in neutral position. Also it can be helpful to try and relax your knee so that tension passes through it and into your heel pressed against the wall, otherwise you may experience discomfort in your knee.
 
Part 4: IT Band
Everyone is probably familiar with rolling out their IT band. As Dr. Shallow comments if it wasn't for ITB rolling their probably wouldn't even be foam rollers. I found this different approach more effective than the traditional.

 
Part 5: Lunge
When I first watched this video I thought this lunge looked ridiculous..it does.. but it also feels amazing. The small change of moving your knees outside of centre mass at the bottom of the lunge makes for such a deep hip stretch combined with accentuating the hip abduction at the top of your stride to increase your stride length. 


I now perform all 5 parts of this multiple times a week and it seems to have significantly helped my hip pain. This of course is not for everyone and you should have your hip evaluated by a licensed professional.

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