Hip & Thigh
Hip Flexor Strain
Also called: Iliopsoas strain
Overstretch or overload of the muscles lifting the thigh — sprinting, kicking, slipping into extension, or a sudden load on a hip tightened by chronic sitting. Ranges from a mild pull to a significant tear; graded by loss of strength and function.
Common signs
- Sharp front-of-hip/groin pain at the moment of injury
- Pain lifting the knee, climbing stairs, or long striding
- Tenderness deep in the front of the hip
- Bruising in larger strains
Seek help now if
- A pop with immediate inability to lift the leg (significant tear)
- In adolescents: sudden pain at a bony point with kicking/sprinting — growth-plate avulsion needs imaging
- Numbness or vascular signs
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
What to do first
- Relative rest, gentle pain-free range early — total rest stiffens it
- Ice initially, then heat as acute pain settles
- Begin gentle isometrics as soon as tolerable; early loading speeds tendon-muscle repair
If it's become chronic
- A graded program: isometric → shortened-range → full-range → speed/sport-specific — skipping stages is the classic re-injury path
- Chronic tightness/recurrence usually reflects weak deep core and glutes making the hip flexors overwork
- Address the sitting hours that shorten the front of the hip
Natural healing options we use
- Manual therapy and instrument-assisted work as healing allows
- Chiropractic care for lumbopelvic mechanics
- Progressive loading program
- Attended e-stim; protein and collagen support for repair
About imaging
Clinical for most; MRI/ultrasound for suspected high-grade tears; X-ray in adolescents to check the growth plate.
Daily self-care
- Daily pain-free mobility work
- Break up sitting religiously
- Return to sprinting/kicking only through a graded progression
How we can help
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Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.