Weird Right hip

Runemist34 started this discussion · 3/21/2011

So, just a little question...when stretching for either the side or front splits, I find that my right hip is giving me trouble. The left side feels normal, just like I'm stretching a muscle (which I am supposed to be) but the right...feels like I'm fighting it. Not like muscle, but a little more like bone? Kind of like just before you crack a joint, that feeling of it fighting a bit...only this is really strong! I am always sure to keep my hips aligned and straight on, and as far as I'm aware, my technique is the same both ways. I'm always warm, and usually I stretch after working out for a bit. Curiously, it is when I try to stretch my legs in a side split (so either leg out to the side) when facing down to the floor (thus using gravity to press my hips downward) and when I stretch forward for the hip flexors on the right side is when it feels bad. When, say, I have my feet together and knees out, and I lean over (or when my feet are out, and I'm leaning forward) I feel fine...mostly, I assume, because I'm not stretching my hips! So, should I be worried? Is there something I should be aware of or changing? Or am I just getting mixed signals, and still stretching what I should be?

8 replies

Cinara · 3/21/2011
I have the exact problem with my left hip, and I would advise not doing what I did, which was over-stretching while saying to myself "Come on, you bitch, you'll never be good unless you get this split flat" and then stretching some more. In my case, I've sprained and strained just about everything in my hip (seriously, it's tight from just above my knee up into my abdomen and back around to my glutes) plus I have some bursitis. There are a lot of muscles in the pelvis and many of them can be get tight. Plus some can "catch" on the bony prominences of the pelvis and femur, especially when tight, and that might be what you're feeling. I've also heard that adductor muscles (the ones you stretch in a side split) don't respond that well to excessive stretching and you need to take it easy with them. I don't want to give specific advice since I'm not qualified, but physio has worked quite well for me. I've been taking NSAIDs, using heat packs, gently stretching hip flexors and gluteals, doing pelvis stabilising exercises, getting physio massages plus dry needling, and avoiding stetching my side splits until I recover. Wow, I'm doing a lot. So maybe get it checked out now, before you end up with a crazy all day regimen like I have at the moment :)
Pixie0909 · 3/21/2011
I have bad hips aswell, tight muscles everywhere, Physio is really helping. As Cinara said when the muscles get tiht they can catch on bony bits which makes it feel as though its resisting a stretch, you may also hear/feel popping and clciking during certain movements. You should really get it cheched out though because it can create more problems later on. For example I never thought it was anything worth getting looked at, turns I have a tendon that slips over my hip joint and gets 'caught' this has put all the other muscles out of whack (hamstrings, knees, glutes) so I cant even lightly jog without 2 weeks of knee pain afterwards. Because I ignored it I now have a world of problems so you would be best off getting it checked now :)
polin 4 fun · 3/21/2011
I too have a funky hip, my left. It started with the too tight, lots of popping or snapping noises... all started about 14 months ago. And with everything I've done and tried to help, things have gotten worse. Come to find out... torn labrum and tendinosis in 3 tendons, plus a hypertrophied ligament (it's 3 and a half times the normal size)... moral of my story, please get it checked early! I wish I had, maybe could have avoided A LOT of pain and sleepless nights, plus a longer recovery! Good luck with your hip and take it easy on it, it sounds like it is giving you its best warning...
Runemist34 · 3/22/2011
Wow, I didn't expect to hear so many stories of people's hips being upset! Perhaps I shall check in with my doctor and see what he thinks...I realize hips are one of those ultra-complex things, and are hard to figure out. If it continues to give me issues, I'll check it out with him. I'll try one or two more times, and see if it's just a temporary thing (this happens with me), perhaps my technique isn't as perfect as I think, or if it really is an issue!
Caitlin · 10/12/2011
Ok, so I know this post was from quite a while ago, but my left hip is really quite strange, so I thought I'd search the forum for other people's experiences... I'd be interested to know how everyone's doing now, a few months down the mine and if their hips are any better/worse. Did you find the physio was the way to go? Or did something else work better in the end? The one that bothers me is my left, and when I try to move my leg is a circular motion, rotating the leg in the hip joint, either lying down or standing up, it really grinds/pops/catches. It actually literally feels like the ligaments are crunching against each other or against something else. And stretching for the front splits is absolutely fine, but when I stretch for the centre split (either leg out to the side) it just feels wrong. Tight, but not muscular tight, more like something is caught. It also means I can't do an extended cradle as I struggle with anything that needs a straddle. It's very annoying! I will go to the physio soon (if that's what's recommended) but it'd be nice to have some idea what I'm in for too, and to know what other people have found helped or hindered their recovery.
Cinara · 10/12/2011
My hip took a long time to get better so the physio referred me to a sports doctor because of suspected torn cartilege. Luckily one MRI later it was determined that my cartilege is fine (no surgery whoo!) but I had inflamed psoas tendons. Luckily by this time my hip was almost better so I didn't worry about further physio. The Dr advised me that training on my injured hip would delay healing and cause it to hurt more, but wouldn't do more serious damage. So given my "walk it off"/ "you're always saying you hurt something..." youth I just kept training. My hip was pain free for awhile although the clicking never went away. I was training harder than ever (4-5 hours of pole a week plus 45 minute walk and 30 minutes of flexibiity every day) with no problems, and even managed to get my right leg split. Since things were so good I decided to try again with a splits and flexibility class, which is what originally caused the problem. I promised myself I wouldn't push myself as hard, and with my depression improving I knew I probably wouldn't be calling myself a bitch and punishing myself with the stretching quite so much Unfortunately my hip started hurting again after a few weeks of splits and flex. I'm not sure what the exact trigger is: whether it's the partner resistance stretching, the dynamic stetching, too much work on box splits or just getting too competitive and pushing myself too hard. The main thing is I know I can improve my flexibility without formal flex classes so hopefully avoiding them will keep my hip happy. I'll just have to accept that building flex will take me a lot of time, and my extreme childhood flexibility is gone. I'm probably going to try going back to the physio again. I'm not sure how much it's been helping, but I know that they're evidence-based and will not cause harm. As an anecdotal caution, both my husband and I have been to (separate) chiropractors who have failed to diagnose (or even send off to x-ray) our respective spinal fractures and then just went ahead with spinal adjustment! So personally, I would recommend going with conventional evidence-based treatment first, to rule out medical diagnoses, and if for some reason doctors and physios aren't enough on their own, try alternative medicine (chiro, accupuncture, etc) second.
polin 4 fun · 10/12/2011
Well, I had an arthroscopic surgery (my first surgery ever) on my weird left hip. After doing a year of chiropractic (my profession), massage, acupuncture and a bit of physical therapy my hip was getting more and more painful. I then did 10 weeks of a 3 day a week physical therapy regimen with not doing any physical activities other than swimming, and the pain was still increasing. I finally folded and went to see a hip specialist 6 hours away. My surgery was 11 days ago and I could not be any happier. I am already off crutches, and though tight, my range of motion is 70% better than before my surgery. All the soft tissue damage I had done (labrum and tendons) had caused my body to build its own splints. So I then had some severe impingement. Well, he obviously cleared orreleased the impingements and fixed the torn tissues. I really wish that I would have checked it out much earlier, but for the long duration of pain, the resolution seems much quicker by finally doing the right thing!!
lilblondie · 10/25/2011
Wow ... just found this topic. Sorry to hear from all you ladies but glad I'm not alone!! Mine is my left hip. I just got back from a hip arthogram/MRI -- my doctor suspects a torn labrum. I also injured myself through overzealous stretching in a flexibility class (in my case, doing a "swim" or roll forward through straddle splits). I figured it was a groin pull, treated it like any other muscle pull and continued training, while it got worse and worse. I kept teaching classes, including stretching, and even went to yoga and contortion classes. By the end I had a severely reduced range of motion and whenever I would turn out and lift the leg, I experienced SHARP pain in the hip. At this point, it's always a dull ache. I have trouble sitting at work and sometimes even lying down. Hopefully hearing back from the arthrogram tomorrow!! Oh and @Rumenist: My pain is in exactly the positions you describe. The "butterfly" stretch (feet together, knees apart) is fine. If I stand with wide feet or sit in a straddle and lower my chest, that's when the pain happens. I have some discomfort in the left front splits too (my bad hip). I really think you should see a doctor.