Pain in thigh/hip when squatting

[hurshabb]

During squats a few days ago, I noticed a pain where the thigh meets the hip. It has stuck around, so I figured I would ask if anyone has had something similar occur.

I feel it the strongest immediately after I raise out of the bottom of a squat. I can also produce it lying flat on my back on a bed and while attempting to raise the leg while keeping the leg straight. It seems to originate at the crease of the upper thigh and hip, is fairly narrow and only travels an inch or two toward the knee's direction.

Does it sound like a pulled muscle? Should I just lay off the squats for a few days until the pain subsides?

[Dr Clay]

During squats a few days ago, I noticed a pain where the thigh meets the hip. It has stuck around, so I figured I would ask if anyone has had something similar occur.

I feel it the strongest immediately after I raise out of the bottom of a squat. I can also produce it lying flat on my back on a bed and while attempting to raise the leg while keeping the leg straight. It seems to originate at the crease of the upper thigh and hip, is fairly narrow and only travels an inch or two toward the knee's direction.

Does it sound like a pulled muscle? Should I just lay off the squats for a few days until the pain subsides?

it sounds exactly like you have a tight hip flexor. When you go down into the bottom position of the squat, the hip flexor is put in a shortened position. But because the muscle is hypertonic (tight) to begin with, the muscle has a tendency to, in essence, go into spasm when it's put in the shortened position. Then, when you try to come up from the bottom position of the squat, the hypertonic muscle does not want to let go and lengthen as it normally should.

This is a very common problem in fact, I've had it myself.

So how to give rid of it? Stretch your hips and stretch them often. Likewise work on toning and strengthening your glutes by doing some glute rehab type work. This combination should have you pain free within a few weeks.

Hope that helps.

Best,

[pilut]

I've had this same pain on and off for a couple months and it has really prevented progress on squats. I couldn't find info on the exact same symptoms, but the best I could figure is working on flexibility and warm-up. It didn't help immediately, and it's recurred after I thought it was gone. But this is the 2nd post I've seen here with the very same symptoms and I know to work more on flexibility and warm up better. Thanks!