Hip Flexor Strain: Common Causes & Treatment Options

Key Takeaways

• Hip flexor strains are injuries that occur when the muscles at the front of your hips and upper thigh are overstretched or torn, usually from overuse or abrupt movements.​
• Common hip flexor strain symptoms include pain in the front of the hip or groin, muscle stiffness, mobility difficulties while walking or running, and swelling or bruising in extreme situations.​
• Treatment typically can range from resting and applying ice to full-blown physical therapy and rehabilitation in severe cases. Talk to a qualified medical professional for tailored guidance based on your circumstances.
• Recovery time varies based on the strain’s severity—mild cases may clear up in a few weeks or less, while significant injuries may have lingering effects for months.

Understanding and Dealing with Hip Flexor Injuries

Hip flexor strains involve overstretching or tearing the muscles that enable you to lift your knee and bend at the waist, usually due to sudden movements or overuse. Since hip flexors are crucial for everyday movements, such as walking, running, and kicking, this injury can greatly hinder someone’s quality of life. 

Hip flexor strain symptoms can range from mild pain in the front of the hip or groin to swelling and bruising in extreme cases. Similar to the disparities between potential symptoms, hip flexor strain recovery times can also vary depending on the injury’s severity and factors like the person’s age. Early recognition is key and can facilitate the hip flexor strain treatment process—by catching a mild hip flexor strain early, you might be able to solve the issue with rest, cold compressions, and elevation, while neglected or severe scenarios may require fully fledged physical therapy and rehabilitation.

The guide below covers potential hip flexor strain recovery options to help tailor your expectations and point you in the right direction. Nevertheless, you should contact a qualified medical professional for a customized treatment plan with the highest possible efficacy.

Common Causes of Hip Flexor Strain

The following situations can lead to the overstretching or tearing of the hip and thigh muscles, ultimately resulting in a hip flexor strain.

Overuse and Repetitive Motion

Participating in activities that demand repetitive hip movements can eventually spur overuse injuries like hip flexor strains. Some examples of sports and hobbies that involve continuous hip flexation, frequent kicking motions, or sudden directional changes include:

• Running and cycling
• Dancing and gymnastics
• Football and basketball
• Martial arts
• Rowing

To avoid putting significant stress on the hip flexor muscles and the hip joint as a whole, performing gentle stretches before attempting the activities above is essential. Ask your medical provider for soccer warm-ups, football warm-up drills, or preparatory movements for whatever activities interest you.

Sudden Movements or Trauma

Abrupt, rapid movements, such as sprinting from a stationary position or making sudden stops while already in motion, can cause the hip flexor muscles to stretch beyond their limits, potentially generating strains. Trauma-inducing direct impacts can also lead to hip flexor strains, making it one of the most common hip injuries from falling.

Tight Hip Flexors and Lack of Flexibility

Being stationary for too long through prolonged periods of sitting can cause the hip flexor muscles to become tight, reducing their range of motion. Engaging in high-impact physical activities without adequately warming up these tightened muscles can further increase the risk of straining your hip flexors, re-highlighting the importance of pre-workout stretches.

Weak Core and Imbalance in Muscle Strength

If you have a weak core or muscle imbalances, you may be more likely to exhibit improper movement patterns that place additional stress on the hip flexors. For example, weak abdominal and gluteal muscles can cause the hip flexors to overcompensate during movement, increasing the risk of injury.

Hip Flexor Strain Symptoms

Regardless of how the injury is sustained, hip flexor symptoms can be very obstructive to a person’s day-to-day life. Some examples of ways this injury can manifest are:​

• Pain or discomfort in the front region of the hip or groin
• Muscle stiffness
• Tenderness in the upper leg
• Difficulty walking, running, or lifting the knee
• Swelling
• Bruising

A person’s symptoms can vary in intensity depending on the severity of the strain. For instance, swelling and bruising usually only occur in extreme cases.

Diagnosis and Severity Levels

Healthcare providers usually diagnose a hip flexor strain through a physical examination where they will assess the patient’s pain levels, range of motion, and muscle strength. In some situations, advanced imaging tests like MRIs or ultrasounds may be used to identify the extent of the injury. 

The three grades that strains are usually classified into upon diagnosis are:

• Grade 1 (mild) – This grade usually constitutes minor tears that affect a small amount of muscle fibers. The person may experience slight discomfort without significant loss of strength or mobility.​
• Grade 2 (moderate) – This grade is classified as the partial tearing of muscle fibers, and it can lead to moderate pain, inflammation, and diminished strength and mobility in the individual.
• Grade 3 (severe) – This grade is reserved for complete muscle tears that cause severe pain, significant swelling, substantial loss of function, and sometimes bruising.

The grade of your injury will help determine the best course of action for hip flexor strain treatment.

Hip Flexor Strain Treatment Options

Thankfully, not all hip injuries demand extreme medical intervention like hip replacement surgery. In fact, hip flexor strains are usually treated with the following four approaches and clear up within a few weeks or a few months, depending on the severity.

R.I.C.E.

As an initial treatment attempt, you should try the R.I.C.E. protocol, which includes steps like:​

• Rest – Avoiding intense activities that exacerbate pain is important to allow the muscle to heal.
• Ice – Applying ice packs to the affected area for 20-minute blocks roughly every few hours can help reduce swelling and pain in the long term.​
• Compression – Using an elastic bandage that gently compresses the area can give your hip additional support and mitigate swelling.​
• Elevation – Keep your hip and thigh elevated as often as possible to help decrease swelling in the area.

Pain Management

Luckily, you can reduce pain from the comfort of your home in several ways. Many people rely on over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Ibuprofen or aspirin, to help alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. Another popular pain management technique involves using heat therapy, like warm compresses, which are known to relax tight muscles during the recovery phase.

Stretching and Strengthening Exercises

After the acute pain subsides, practicing gentle stretching exercises can make restoring flexibility to the hip flexors easier. Still, you should balance mobility-focused exercises with low-impact strengthening workouts that are targeted at the hip flexors, core, and surrounding muscles. Over time, these strengthening exercises can improve stability and prevent future injuries. However, everyone should get medical clearance before trying movements that could potentially worsen their hip-related injury.

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

Although they may not be needed for minor tears, rehabilitation programs may greatly benefit cases of moderate to severe strains. Consult a physical therapist for personalized, hands-on guidance and exercise recommendations. Some practices your physical therapist may recommend trying at home include:

• Kneeling hip flexor stretch – Involves kneeling on your affected leg and placing the other leg in front with its foot flat on the floor.​ Keeping your back straight, you will gently push your hips forward for 15 to 30 seconds at a time.
• Lying quadriceps stretch – Requires you to lie on your side with the affected leg on top and bend your top knee to bring your heel toward your buttocks while holding your ankle with your hand.​ Gently pull for 15 to 30 seconds.
• Standing lunge stretch – Necessitates standing upright and taking a significant step forward with one foot to lower your hips until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees. Hold this position for 30 seconds at a time.

Since most hip flexor injuries can be resolved with the abovementioned treatment methods, you should be wary of someone recommending surgery. If this happens, seek another qualified medical professional for a second opinion on your hip surgery.

Gradually Returning to Activity After Treatment

Even after practicing the treatment methods mentioned above, you may struggle to regain the mobility and strength to return to the activities you love. Therefore, you should approach things with patience—gradually returning to activities is the best way to minimize hip pain from cycling, running, and other hobbies. Start slow and increase the intensity of your workout incrementally over several weeks.

Prevention Tips

If possible, it is best to avoid hip flexor strains altogether. Some preventative measures you can take to minimize the risk of hip flexor strains:

• Avoid prolonged sitting without movement
• Incorporate dynamic stretches into your daily routine to promote flexibility
• Pay attention to how your body feels mid-activity and stop if you feel pain
• Implement proper warm-up techniques to prepare the muscles for activity 
• Perform cooldown routines to reduce re-injury risk
• Focus on exercises that can enhance the strength of the abdominal, gluteal, and leg muscles to support hip movements

Overcome Hip Injuries with the Joint Replacement Center of Scottsdale

If you’re experiencing hip flexor strain symptoms, such as pain or mobility restrictions in the front of your hip, you should immediately contact a reliable medical professional. Early detection can help you diagnose the issue and implement hip flexor strain treatments as soon as possible. 

Some people experience significant benefits from the R.I.C.E. method, while others need professional-led rehabilitation programs. Hip flexor strain recovery times can also vary greatly from person to person, lasting a few weeks for some and several months for others.

The Joint Replacement Center of Scottsdale has a dedicated team of joint specialists that can provide expert-level guidance on hip injuries. We can create customized treatment plans that meet each patient’s individualized needs. Before suggesting surgery, we always turn to non-invasive alternative therapies like ARPWAVE and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy.

Schedule an initial consultation to address your hip-related injury as soon as possible.