How to treat a hip flexor strain

Your hip flexors serve an important purpose in regard to daily functions. They allow you to bend at the waist and lift your knees. Motions such as kicking, running and jumping are made possible by these tendons. Once diagnosed with a pulled hip flexor, there are steps that can be taken to help treat the injury and get you back to sports and other daily activities.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Ice
• Elastic bandage
• Anti-inflammatory medications

1. • 1
     Get plenty of rest. Rest will allow the tendon to heal and prevent further injury. Not allowing for a proper recovery time can further injure the tendon and may result in a tear. Typical recovery time for a hip flexor pull is anywhere from five days to several months, depending on severity.
   • 2
     Use ice to help reduce swelling and keep pain at bay. You should ice the area for 15 minutes at a time up to five times a day. Make sure not to apply ice to unprotected skin as this may cause irritation.
   • 3
     Consider using an elastic bandage to compress the area. This will further help to reduce swelling and help to stabilize the injured area. Keep the bandage tight enough to compress, but do not make it so tight that circulation is compromised.
   • 4
     Keep the area elevated. You can use pillows to accomplish this. This will help to keep fluids from pooling in the injured area and reduce swelling.
   • 5
     Take anti-inflammatory and pain medications as directed by your doctor. If the pain persists or gets worse your doctor should be contacted, so a new evaluation can occur.

Read more: How to run with a hip flexor strain http://www.ehow.com/how_8041346_run-hip-flexor-injury.html

What is a Hip Flexor Strain?

Hip Flexor Strain is a muscle (psoas) strain felt in the front part of the hip. It is often associated with speed training or compensating for another injury, especially Achilles tendonitis or plantar fasciitis. A ‘hip flexor strain’ or a ‘pulled hip flexor’ is an over-stretching or tear in the hip flexor muscle. The hip flexor muscle is actually made up of ‘two main’ muscles – the ilicus and psoas muscles. These muscles run from the back of the lower spine to the front of the thigh. The difference between a strain and a sprain - is that a sprain is an injury to a ligament, while a strain is an injury to a tendon or muscle.

Strains of the hip flexor muscle, like strains of the quadriceps, usually occur during sprinting or kicking, often as a result of an overload of the muscles, or trying to move the muscles too fast (as when kicking forcefully playing soccer or football or anytime sudden changes of direction are involved). 

Like all muscle strains, they maybe graded as mild (grade 1) moderate (grade 2) or severe, complete tears (grade 3).




What are the symptoms of a hip flexor strain?


 
The symptoms of a hip flexor injury can be graded 1, 2 or 3 depending on severity. 

• A grade 1 injury could consist of a ‘stretch’ of the muscle or a small micro tear in the muscle. 
• A grade 2 injury could be a partial tear in the muscle and,
• A grade 3 injury is usually a severe, complete rupture of the muscle. 

The player feels a grade 2 or grade 3 injury as a sudden pain the hip region during an activity requiring explosive muscle contraction (for example sprinting or kicking in soccer). There is local pain and tenderness and, if the strain is severe, swelling and bruising 

Grade 1: What are the symptoms?
The player may have tightness and pain in the front and very top of their thigh during a game but will still be able to walk properly. The player will usually notice the injury after cooling down or the following day. The player probably won’t have much swelling, but will have trouble or some mild pain when sprinting, kicking a football or changing direction quickly. Often the player may be able to finish the game.

Grade 2: What are the symptoms?
During training or a game, the player may notice a ‘sharp pull’ or ‘cramp’ in the front and very top of their thigh. The player may feel they have ‘strained their groin’. The player will probably be unable to walk properly and will not be able to sprint or kick a football effectively.

Grade 3: What are the symptoms?
The player will often feel a severe pain in the front and very top of their thigh while kicking or sprinting, which will almost always stop the player from playing. A static contraction of the muscle will be painful and might produce a bulge in the muscle. A player will be in severe pain and will notice swelling. However, complete tears of the hip flexor muscle are uncommon. In the long-term, they heal well with physiotherapy.

What can you do?

To see if you have strained your hip flexor muscle try the following maneuver: while standing, flex your hip such that your knee comes up towards the chest, then have a friend apply moderate pressure to pull the knee down while you resist. This test should result in pain similar to your symptoms.

If this is a grade 1 or 2 strain: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE), as well as some gentle stretching exercises

You may be able to run just fine at slower speeds and shorter distances, but as the distance or speed increases; watch out - it can bite. Be sure to fully recover before resuming progressive training.

If you suspect this a grade 3 strain, see a sports injury professional (a physiotherapist or sports doctor) - who can advise on the correct rehabilitation and guide them back to training.

10 Reasons you NEED to Start Stretching NOW!

 
Every body type, age, gender, size, race, religion needs to stretch.  
So this means YOU!

1.) Prevent injury
2.) Increase muscle-tendon flexibility
3.) Enhance performance
4.) Improve range of motion
5.) Increase sleep
6.) Alleviate muscle soreness
7.) Enhance well-being
8.) Decrease low-back pain
9.) Improve circulation
10.) Post-exercise cool-down


How does stretching work? 
Muscles get sore when their fibers remain partly contracted, from either overuse (such as too many rounds of racquetball) or underuse (too much time in the car). Tight muscles also trigger the body's stress response, which prompts them to tighten even more. By systematically lengthening those fibers, stretching helps ease muscles out of this semicontracted state. That makes it a great way to "cool down" after exercise. And the act of stretching itself builds body awareness: In slowing down to focus on each movement, you become less apt to use your muscles in harmful or inefficient ways.
 

When Is The Best Time To Stretch?
The best time to stretch is when the muscles are warm. Either after exercise or after a warm-up activity. This gives the muscles a chance to heat up and become more flexible. Injuries usually occur when people stretch muscles when they are cold or not warmed up. Stretches should be held for approximately 20 seconds. Think of your muscles as a piece of taffy, cold taffy seems to break when you try and stretch it while warm taffy stretches very easily.

How often should I stretch?
Frequency: Try to stretch every day; start doing each stretch once and build up to doing each stretch 3 times

Intensity: Light pressure, about 30-40% of max

Duration: Hold each stretch between 10 to 60 seconds depending on your current flexibility, conditioning, and time. Start slow and gradually build up the time you hold a static stretch.

If you are unable to stretch on a daily basis, a post-workout stretch is necessary. Or, as I advice my clients, incorporate stretches DURING your workouts . Typically, that means stretching the bodypart that has just been exercised. For example, if you just did a set of bicep curls, follow it up with a bicep stretch. Or, if you're doing multiple sets, stretch the bicep after the first set. This is a very time efficient way to incorporate stretching and to ensure you're getting maximum benefit.

NOTE: Don't bounce as you stretch; that only tightens the muscle you're trying to extend. And try not to stretch "cold": Wait until you've taken a warm shower or moved around a bit.

Knee Pain and Injury improved with Strengthening, Stretching and Rest

Exercises Can Prevent Injury
Tomorrow's post will have a list of exercises and stretches for you to do at home.


Strengthening the muscles that support the knee with knee exercises is most important in protecting your knees from injury and knee pain.

Weak or fatigued muscles cannot adequately support the knee joint or absorb shock before it gets to the knee and the extra stress placed upon the knee can cause injury to the structures of the knee. Strengthening exercises can make the muscles tight, so follow strength exercises with stretching exercises.

Stretching the muscles that support the knee with knee exercises is also important in preventing injury. Flexible muscles are not as easily injured as tight muscles. Tightness of muscles connected to the knee can also pull the knee out of alignment.

When doing stretching knee exercises, be careful to go slowly and not to overstretch. You do not want to tear a muscle.

You need to increase the duration of your knee exercises gradually to avoid overuse injuries and knee pain. Be patient. You will see results.

Strength must be built up gradually. When muscles, tendons or ligaments are stressed slightly beyond their limits, microscopic tears occur. This is normal, and as these tears heal the muscles actually become bigger, firmer and stronger. These microscopic tears must be given adequate time to heal or chronic problems can develop. Try not to exercise the same muscle groups two days in a row to give your body a chance to recover. Doing strengthening knee exercises three or four times a week is enough. Stretching knee exercises can be done more often.

The goal is to prevent injury and knee pain, not cause it.
Don’t ignore pain. Pain is your body’s way of protecting you from hurting yourself further. It is not unusual to experience mild stiffness and aching of the muscles that lasts up to a day after exercising. But hardly being able to move for a few days after exercising means you have overdone it. It’s difficult to know when to quit when you doing knee exercises. Often, the pain doesn't’ set in until a day or two later. It happens. If it does, you will have a greater understanding of your body’s limitations.
When you have overdone your knee exercises.

Rest is important for inflamed muscles/tendons. Applying ice wrapped in a cloth can help reduce inflammation and pain and speed up healing. See Treatment for Overuse Injuries. Knee pain should be completely gone before fully resuming your knee exercises program, however, lightly exercising the sore muscle may help decrease muscle soreness.

If you are currently experiencing knee pain or have a knee condition/injury and/or have a very limited range of motion, or are simply not sure which knee exercises are safe for you to do, see a physical therapist (physiotherapist). A doctor or physical therapist can assess your condition and give you a customized treatment / exercise plan.

Main Muscle Groups Affecting Knee Stability
 
Several muscle groups support the knee. The two main muscle groups that control knee movement and stability are the quadriceps and the hamstrings.

THE QUADRICEPS is a four-part powerful muscle that run along the front of the thigh and attach to the front of the shinbone, just below the knee. The quadriceps control the straightening of the knees and movement of the kneecap. The quadriceps is used to extend the leg, and is essential for standing up, walking upstairs, walking uphill, and running.

THE HAMSTRINGS are muscles that run make up the back of the thigh, and attach to the back of the shinbone, just below the knee. The hamstrings are used to bend the knee and are also needed when you are pushing against something.

Other Muscles Affecting Knee Stability
 
Other muscles that affect knee stability, to a lesser degree than the quadriceps and hamstrings are the calf muscles, the hip abductors located on the outer thigh, and the hip adductors located on the inner thigh. The body functions as a unit (remember - the hip bone's connected to the knee bone) and even muscles not near the knee can contribute to knee stability.

The iliotibial band (fibrous tissue on the outer thigh, extending front the hip to below the knee) also affects knee stability. The glutes (back of hip muscles / buttocks) inserts into the thigh bone and iliotibial band and also help stabilize the knee.

*It is important to do strengthening exercises for all the muscles that support the knee. For example, if you concentrate on strengthening exercises for the quads, and neglect strengthening exercises for the hamstrings a muscle imbalance can be created.


Imbalances in Muscles Supporting the Knee
 
A physical therapist (physiotherapist) can help determine if you have a muscle imbalance in the muscles supporting the knee and create a personalized exercise program.

Imbalance of the quadriceps is common, especially in women - The quadriceps is divided into 4 divisions. If the inner division if weak, the stronger outer division tends to pull the kneecap toward the outer side of the leg. Tightness of the quads can also pull the knee towards one side so stretching as well as strengthening of muscles that support the knee is important.

In some cases, the quadriceps is significantly stronger than the hamstrings. (The quadriceps should only be about 25% stronger than the hamstrings). This can cause weakness of the knee. If this is the case, concentrating on strengthening exercises for the hamstrings, and stretching exercises for the quadriceps are very helpful.



Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (RICE)
*See a doctor immediately if your knee is giving out or if there is swelling or redness. Otherwise, see a doctor if the pain persists or is getting worse after 3 days

Rest: (Not total rest) Reduce your activity until the swelling and pain subsides, usually 3 or 4 days. Avoid activities that cause pain. Do not return to the activity (kneeling, running, jumping) that caused the problem until your physician advises you it is safe to so. It is usually recommended you return to activities that caused the injury gradually and stop if pain occurs.

Ice: Apply ice wrapped in cloth every 15 minutes per hour the first day then every 3 to 4 hours for the second and third day. Leaving the ice on for over 20 minutes can cause frostbite. (Moist cold - applying a wet towel between the skin and the ice pack - penetrates more deeply and quickly than dry cold)

Compression: Wrapping the knee in an ACE bandage (elastic bandage) can limit swelling and relieve pain. If the leg becomes colder than the other leg, the bandage is too tight. Remove the wrap before bedtime. Bandages are also useful for holding on a bag of ice.

Elevation: Elevate knee above the level of heart (place on pillow) while icing to further reduce inflammation.

Applying Heat
After four or five days, providing the swelling has subsided, applying heat to the knee may be beneficial. Heat helps to increase the blood supply, which promotes healing and also helps to relax tight muscles. Apply heat for 15 minutes several times per day. (Moist heat penetrates more quickly and deeply than dry heat) Wait at least an hour between heat applications to prevent the overheating of tissues.

* NEVER apply heat to an inflamed joint. There already is increased blood supply with inflammation. Heat will increase the inflammation.

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