hip/groin pain wont go away!

[seriouslifter]

i still do everything, but what bothers probably the most is starting out with squats. when i push up from the bottom i can kind of feel left hip pain, but its not bothering me enough to fully stop. i try to stretch hip flexors and hams, but that doesnt do anything. it just feels like its so tight. i wish i could honestly do splits, that would probably loosen up my hips so good and be pain free. i take a joint supp also, but that doesnt seem to do anything for that area. the funny thing is my pain is in my lower left side back area before and i think it just climbed down to my hip area, unless i never really noticed it and its always been in that hip/lower back area. if this also helps, if i lie on my back and lift my leg up and down like a leg raise and how to the side i can feel the pain. what are the best stretches? like i said i feel like i need to do a nice split to really loosen it up.

[seriouslifter]

bumpp

[Grind4Mine]

I think its great you're taking the initiative to stretch, but dont neglect the hip AD and ABductors, butterfly stretch to hit the AD's and piriformis stretch works well for the AB's.

Can you describe the exact area of the pain and what type of pain is it? Dull numbness, shooting pain?

Starting in the back and traveling down the lower butt would sound like some sciatica, but ill subb for later to hear a better description.

[seriouslifter]

I think its great you're taking the initiative to stretch, but dont neglect the hip AD and ABductors, butterfly stretch to hit the AD's and piriformis stretch works well for the AB's.

Can you describe the exact area of the pain and what type of pain is it? Dull numbness, shooting pain?

Starting in the back and traveling down the lower butt would sound like some sciatica, but ill subb for later to hear a better description.

i first had lower left back pain from hurting it while ago (few years) deadlifting. something popped and i guess it never healed. i even got bone scan and showed nothing, also facet joint injection and nothing helped. so for few months i noticed having this hip/groin pain some side as the lower back pain on left side. Its like down there right above near buttox. so the hip pain is like on the inside where it meets the groin. its not on the outside hip. its like deep in like i said where your leg/hip splits to the groin. if i lie on my back and do leg raises i can feel shooting pain moving in certain directions trying to hold the leg up with the supporting muscles. walking is fine. its when i squat. like i said if i could do a full split i bet i would not have this pain because everything would be nice and stretched in that area.

[seriouslifter]

I think its great you're taking the initiative to stretch, but dont neglect the hip AD and ABductors, butterfly stretch to hit the AD's and piriformis stretch works well for the AB's.

Can you describe the exact area of the pain and what type of pain is it? Dull numbness, shooting pain?

Starting in the back and traveling down the lower butt would sound like some sciatica, but ill subb for later to hear a better description.

i do the sitting bufferly and the piriformis stretch. it seems like when i do the stretch when your standing and then you put 1 leg forward and the other back and you kind of lean in and down and stretch. i feel that one is better targeting that hip like your doing a split and lower back, but nothing is cured.

[Grind4Mine]

Yea im sorry I cant give ya a better response but really sounds to me like you probably have a tear somewhere ine the groin muscles and by not laying off completely it is either lingering or even prgressing

Doesn't really sound like a nerve issue which I guess is good news and I know giving it rest is a dreaded cliche around here but It's really the only thing that will help along with making a stretching regimine a big part of your workout routines from here on out.

At the start of each ball season I get the nag in my groin, not enough to stop but me but just enough to piss me off the next morning. Going into the butterfly only seems to aggrevate it more for me though but against my own advice I continue to play and it seems to somehow work itself out over time.

I guess in the end though if it keeps up can't hurt to check in with the doc maybie even get a script for some PT

[mc-]

i still do everything, but what bothers probably the most is starting out with squats. when i push up from the bottom i can kind of feel left hip pain, but its not bothering me enough to fully stop. i try to stretch hip flexors and hams, but that doesnt do anything. it just feels like its so tight. i wish i could honestly do splits, that would probably loosen up my hips so good and be pain free. i take a joint supp also, but that doesnt seem to do anything for that area. the funny thing is my pain is in my lower left side back area before and i think it just climbed down to my hip area, unless i never really noticed it and its always been in that hip/lower back area. if this also helps, if i lie on my back and lift my leg up and down like a leg raise and how to the side i can feel the pain. what are the best stretches? like i said i feel like i need to do a nice split to really loosen it up.

could i suggest instead of a stretch to try a bit of a nerve glide?

Here's a video of what i mean (scroll down to the first vid in the page) [link]

it's important to feel like the arm opposite to the side that hurts is really pushing out from the shoulder, but without that side turning forward. so keep the torso in the move nice and steady and just feel like your pushing the arm away from the socket.

you'll see what i mean when you watch

let me know if you notice a difference.

mc

[Dr Clay]

I suspect you'd just have tight - really tight - hip flexors, especially on the left.

The pain you are describing sounds EXACTLY like a tight, shortened illiopsoas that just won't relax when you start to come up from the bottom position of the squat. I have had this myself and have treated many others with the same thing.

Of course I can't say for certain this is what you have, but you would be surprised (I sure was) how much pain a tight hip flexor can cause.

To loosen this muscle sooner rather than later, you need to stretch it OFTEN -- not just once or twice per day. I'm talking more like once per waking hour.

Hope that helps. All the best,

[seriouslifter]

I suspect you'd just have tight - really tight - hip flexors, especially on the left.

The pain you are describing sounds EXACTLY like a tight, shortened illiopsoas that just won't relax when you start to come up from the bottom position of the squat. I have had this myself and have treated many others with the same thing.

Of course I can't say for certain this is what you have, but you would be surprised (I sure was) how much pain a tight hip flexor can cause.

To loosen this muscle sooner rather than later, you need to stretch it OFTEN -- not just once or twice per day. I'm talking more like once per waking hour.

Hope that helps. All the best,

thanks the video above you that stretch seems like on the side it hurts, its so tight going in that movement and really trying to stretch, but i like that stretch

[seriouslifter]

could i suggest instead of a stretch to try a bit of a nerve glide?

Here's a video of what i mean (scroll down to the first vid in the page) [link]

it's important to feel like the arm opposite to the side that hurts is really pushing out from the shoulder, but without that side turning forward. so keep the torso in the move nice and steady and just feel like your pushing the arm away from the socket.

you'll see what i mean when you watch

let me know if you notice a difference.

mc

i dont understand with the arm movement, but the leg positioning for that stretch does feel like my hip flexor is so tight on that side. im going to keep doing that movement

[Fresch]

Initially lumbar pain, then groin pain and also tight adductors?

Could be referred pain form L5 +/- a pelvic tosion +/- a symphyses pubis issue.

Possible both a gluteal and a iliopsoas bursitis.

Have you consulted any health professional for this?

[seriouslifter]

Initially lumbar pain, then groin pain and also tight adductors?

Could be referred pain form L5 +/- a pelvic tosion +/- a symphyses pubis issue.

Possible both a gluteal and a iliopsoas bursitis.

Have you consulted any health professional for this?

yes about the lower back problem, i tried chiro, PT, even got a bone scan and it showed nothing.

[seriouslifter]

how long should i hold the stretches for? i usually do it for like 10 seconds. should it be 30 seconds?

[Fresch]

30 seconds minimum!

[mc-]

i dont understand with the arm movement, but the leg positioning for that stretch does feel like my hip flexor is so tight on that side. im going to keep doing that movement

the arm movement is the key part of the move rather than the stretch. Note, it's working the OPPOSITE side to where there's perceived tightness.

Here's what to check: do that stretch (unlike the video person don't lean forward keep your upper body upright throughout the movement)

Note how far you go.

THen, upright again, do the arm movements - those biggish circles with your hand folding back as far as you can - both directions.

THen, try the stretch forward again, and see how much further you go.

This move is less a stretch than working your nervous system in a complementary joint to help signaling for the muscles to feel safer to let go.

Recent work with my colleagues is showing that we can get better effects by working the nervous system around the joints first - rather than trying to stretch the muscles - to let the muscles go.

Ya need to ask yourself - what causes those muscles to fire inappropriately? that's what's happening - they're turning on when they don't need to, right? that's what makes them "short" or "tight" - if you were unconscious, they'd move in their full ROM, so what's the dif when you're alert?

So how make it safe to let go? stretching has been a traditional practice for this. I'm finding that mobility work around the joints works faster, longer and is an easier practice to maintain anywhere.

so focus on the arm movement and simply use the stretch as an ROM test

best

mc

[Lector606]

Have you tried using a foam roller? I spend 5-10 minutes before most workouts using the foam roller on my legs, glutes and back, stretching out my hip flexors and doing some basic activation exercises for the glutes/core. I use a tennis ball instead of a roller when I get to my hip flexors, and then do a couple minutes of leg swings, focusing on relaxing my body and exhaling when I try and increase the range of motion. I think that a lot of people who don't benefit from flexibility work probably have trouble actually relaxing their muscles. It takes a fair amount of focus at first.

Since I started doing these things I've noticed a big improvement in my lifts. My hip flexors were really, really tight before and I think it was pulling me forward and preventing me from using my glutes when I was deadlifting and squatting. Unfortunately, I also outgrew about four pairs of jeans because my ass grew so damn fast. That part sucked hahahah

[mc-]

Have you tried using a foam roller? I spend 5-10 minutes before most workouts using the foam roller on my legs, glutes and back, stretching out my hip flexors and doing some basic activation exercises for the glutes/core. I use a tennis ball instead of a roller when I get to my hip flexors, and then do a couple minutes of leg swings, focusing on relaxing my body and exhaling when I try and increase the range of motion. I think that a lot of people who don't benefit from flexibility work probably have trouble actually relaxing their muscles. It takes a fair amount of focus at first.

Since I started doing these things I've noticed a big improvement in my lifts. My hip flexors were really, really tight before and I think it was pulling me forward and preventing me from using my glutes when I was deadlifting and squatting. Unfortunately, I also outgrew about four pairs of jeans because my ass grew so damn fast. That part sucked hahahah

a few things to consider about the foam roller:
it can feel great, but if you have to keep doing something, then it's not really solving the problem. most folks i know once they start foam rolling are nailed to it.

Here's a nice discussion of what's happening with it (link).

There are better ways to get at the effect you get with the roller without reefing on pain points - that will have this letting go effect of what's perceived as "tightness."

All these issues tend to work neurologically. they're signals. So foam rolling is a very local way to temporarily change the signal. Do any of you guys do any kind of dynamic joint mobility work before you lift, instead? It's painless and very effective. examples here (link).

mc

[anmol_khanna]

i still do everything, but what bothers probably the most is starting out with squats. when i push up from the bottom i can kind of feel left hip pain, but its not bothering me enough to fully stop. i try to stretch hip flexors and hams, but that doesnt do anything. it just feels like its so tight. i wish i could honestly do splits, that would probably loosen up my hips so good and be pain free. i take a joint supp also, but that doesnt seem to do anything for that area. the funny thing is my pain is in my lower left side back area before and i think it just climbed down to my hip area, unless i never really noticed it and its always been in that hip/lower back area. if this also helps, if i lie on my back and lift my leg up and down like a leg raise and how to the side i can feel the pain. what are the best stretches? like i said i feel like i need to do a nice split to really loosen it up.

its good that you are doing the righ things with hip flexors and stretches. You mention about buttock pain and groin pain. I think it is a referred pain from lumbar spine and you need to do core work. Take few weeks off squats or any leg work and keep correct with upper body form. Some exercies that may help you are
- bridges
- spine curls
- crunches
- cat stretch

I have had similar issues for past 7 months now. In my case they say I have Osteitis pubisc + bad back. No gym

[Jwilliams2]

This happened to me in track season when i blasted off the line and i guess injured my groin/hip it lasted about a good 4 months although i never stopped doing track or squatting even though it hurt a little but it now just went away. i tried ice, stretching, and it didnt do to much. Best thing to do is just wait i guess

[mc-]

This happened to me in track season when i blasted off the line and i guess injured my groin/hip it lasted about a good 4 months although i never stopped doing track or squatting even though it hurt a little but it now just went away. i tried ice, stretching, and it didnt do to much. Best thing to do is just wait i guess

sorry for the injury and glad it's better

i can really believe that icing and stretching didn't do much.

1) icing is just an anaesthetic so you don't feel anything. it does very little to reduce aedema or swelling - that was a surprise to me but thar ya go.

2) stretching is pulling on a sore part so how effective is that likely to be?
when there's a pain signal, usually there's a wee bit of an inflamatory soup happening around the painful tissue. You may notice that if you ever have swelling and you poke at it, it hurts more than when there's no swelling? same thing here quite often. If you have an already sensitive area, reefing on it more often produces negative feedback and can make it worse, so great that you backed off.

3) you can do more and other than WAIT.
there's two kinds of proprioceptors that are really important in movement: mechanoreceptors that tell us where we are in space and nocireceptors that react to noxious stimulus. When you're feeling pain, nocireceptors have to be triggered. And that's a chemical reaction, and pain is an event signal.

To turn off the pain signal, the body needs to know you've acknowledged there's an issue and are doing something about it. You laid off stressing that area. Ok, that's one approach.

Sometimes, just moving better is another approach. Seriously. This is why i go on about movement assessments as a lot of pain in one place can be related to movement restrictions in other places. Work the joints where there are tons of mechanoreceptors to signal that things are moving well again, the pain signal goes down.

Another thing about mechano's - that if there's a restriction in movement somewhere, mechanos are not necessarily getting fired. that also means that muscle action will not be happening where there is no signal, which means effects on strength. which means sometimes weirder movement patterns when the muscles supposed to be taking up load aren't. Hence checking movement, getting into better movement can help not only deal with pain, but also have an immediate effect on strength.

Here's a wee example about this called the arthrokinetic reflex (link) and relationship to strength.

best
mc