Hip flexor muscles allow your thigh to move toward your torso, an essential part of bipedal motion as well as sitting down or standing up. As such important muscles, they are easily injured. Pain symptoms can vary, but hip flexor injury is typically characterized by difficulty walking, running or lifting your leg. Pain that lessens with more activity is indicative of an iliopsoas injury. Talk to your doctor about your pain to determine which muscles are affected.
Exercise and Hip Flexors
You use your hip flexor muscles during almost any type of exercise. Sports such as basketball, soccer and tennis -- where you are changing directions quickly and relying on explosive sprints to perform well -- put your hip flexors under extreme pressure. Tight, short or weak hip flexors can lead to injury, particularly if you overexercise or push beyond your endurance or strength. A sudden trauma, such as during a tackle in football, can also tear or rupture one or more of your hip flexor muscles.
Hip Flexor Muscles
The hip flexor group consists of three muscles -- the rectus femoris, psoas major and the iliacus. The latter two muscles are together known as the iliopsoas muscle, which begin at your spine and pelvis, travel through the hip and attach to your thigh bone. The rectus femoris is also part of your quadriceps muscle group, running from the front of your pelvis to your knee. Injury to any of these muscles can lead to pain that can radiate from your back to the front of your leg. Pain is felt during movement, but in some cases is less noticeable after a few minutes of activity.
The "Great Pretender"
Injuries to the iliopsoas muscle are difficult to diagnose -- as pain can manifest in the back, hip or leg -- and difficult to treat. Because symptoms often mimic other ailments, the iliopsoas is known as the "great pretender," according to California chiropractor Ken Rich. However, a key factor in diagnosis is a pain upon rising or moving slowly, which dissipates after a short time. You may not feel pain after a few minutes of running -- that is, until you stop and try to move again. Pain upon rotating your thigh outward or when pushing off for a sprint are also indicative of iliopsoas damage.
Treatment
Your doctor may recommend a regimen of rest and ice to control inflammation and pain. Treatment is dependent on the extent of your injury -- i.e. if it is a minor strain or a serious tear. Rehabilitation exercises are often recommended to stretch and strengthen the area. Including a five- to 10-minute warm-up and stretching session before you work out can help reduce your risk of muscle strains. Strengthening your core muscles can also alleviate a portion of the stress placed on the hip flexors during exercise.
