The hip flexor or iliopsoas muscle connects from the lower spine to the femur, and its principle function is to lift the knee up in activities such as stair climbing or sprinting. Hip flexors can become inflamed and sore due to numerous causes ranging from over-activity, tension and postural problems to insufficient warmups. Speak to your doctor or health care practitioner if hip flexor pain becomes debilitating and interferes with hip mobility.
Warmup and Stretching
If your hip flexors remain tender after stretching, this may indicate an inadequate warmup. A proper warmup prevents muscle injury because it heats up the muscles gradually and improves suppleness and range of motion. Warmups need to include an aerobic component that builds intensity gradually, such as walking on a treadmill with an incline. Take the time to warm up before physical activity and you may find the pain in your hip flexors subsides.
Core Weakness
Pain and soreness in the hip flexors after stretching may also mean that your hip flexors are overcompensating for inadequate core muscles, specifically the transverse abdominus located beneath the rectus abdominus and the internal and external obliques. If these muscles do not adequately stabilize the trunk, then the hip flexors may become overactive and develop a strain.
Tension
Tight hip flexor muscles after stretching can indicate that the muscles have been overused, perhaps during uphill running or situps and crunches using improper technique. Tight hip flexors also often plague those with sedentary jobs. Sitting for long periods of time can shorten the hip flexors and lead to tightness and reduced flexibility.
Posture
Postural issues such as lordosis and kyphosis also shorten the hip flexor muscles and cause them to work beyond their capacity. A lordotic-kyphotic posture combines hyperextension in the lumbar spine with an excessive forward bend. Pain in the hip flexor after stretching can signal posture problems that may have long-term debilitating effects on the range of motion in the hip.
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