Three muscles -- the rectus femoris, the psoas major and the illiacus -- comprise the muscle group called the "hip flexors." They activate when you draw your knees toward your chest and when you sit. Activities, such as sprinting, martial arts, dance and football, may tighten or tear your hip flexors. Therapeutic treatment depends on the type and severity of the injury.
Ice Treatments
Ice treatments provide early therapy for hip flexor injuries. Apply ice packs for 20 minutes at a time, three or four times a day, during the first two days after your injury. Ice massage is even more effective, says certified athletic trainer Barton Anderson, creator of the Sports Injury Info website. Pour water into paper water cups, and store them in the freezer. Once the water freezes, tear away the top part. Hold the paper side of the cup, and massage the areas of discomfort. Continue for about 10 minutes.
Heat Therapy
After three days on ice therapy, your doctor or physical therapist may prescribe heat therapy, as long as the swelling has subsided. Moist heat is most effect, because it penetrates the muscles and joints, advises physical therapist D.K. Mangusan Jr. Soak towels in hot water, heat them in the microwave and apply them to the affected area. While this method provides effective treatment, the towels do not retain heat for more than a few minutes. Commercial hot moisture packs last longer, but you need to wrap them in a towel to prevent them from burning your skin.
Foam Rollers
Foam roller therapy, called "self-myofascial release," integrates the benefits of massage therapy with flexibility training. This technique uses cylindrically shaped rollers, made from foam. To release your hip flexors, lie prone with your injured hip flexor against the roller. Support your bodyweight on your forearms, and gently roll back and forth, massaging the affected area. Place the uninjured leg on top of the injured one, or off to the side.
Preventive Exercise
A muscle imbalance called "reciprocal inhibition" increases your susceptibility to hip flexor injury. It occurs when a tight muscle on one side of the body reduces the functional strength of its antagonist -- the muscle located on the opposite side of the body. Your gluteus maximus is the antagonist of your hip flexors, explains kinesiology expert Rodney Corn. Overworking hip flexors cause weak gluteals, so strengthening your butt muscles is part of the therapeutic process. The one-legged hip bridge, sometimes called the "Cook Hip Lift," is a common reciprocal inhibition correction exercise. Lie supine with your knees bent. Place a tennis ball near the lower right side of your pelvis, and bend your right knee, bringing it toward your chest. Contract the left side of your butt, and lift each vertebra to form a bridge. Perform the exercise on both sides.
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