1. Stretch Your Hip Flexors
After a hip flexor injury, you may notice this muscle group is tight. You can compare your hip flexor flexibility side to side by lying on your stomach and brining your heel toward your buttocks. Is one heel much closer to the buttocks than the other side? A tight hip flexor will not allow your heel to reach your buttocks.
If your hip flexor is tight, add this kneeling hip-flexor Stretch into your daily regimen: Begin by kneeling on a padded mat. Lunge your non-injured leg forward and keep your injured knee on the mat. You should feel a stretch in the front of the thigh of your injured leg. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three to five repetitions per day.
2. Focus on Proprioception, Balance and Strength
Prioprioception is an awareness of position, location and orientation in space of your body. A loss of proprioception may result after a hip flexor injury. Regular practice of balance exercises can improve your proprioception and, therefore, prevent future sidelining injuries. Try standing on your injured leg without using your arms for assistance. Focus your eyes on a single point on the wall or floor to enhance your balance, as focusing will improve your balance. Work up to balancing on a single leg for 20 to 30 seconds, two to three times per day. To make this exercise even harder, try standing on one leg and reaching for a chair placed two feet in front of you. Tap the chair with your pointer finger, then return to the starting position. Repeat five to 10 times per day. This exercise will also help you strengthen your hip musculature, which plays an important role in balance.
3. Return to Activity
As a general rule of thumb, the longer you wait to treat your symptoms, the longer it will take to recover from a hip flexor injury. While you are rehabilitating, you may need to take a break from the activity that caused your injury and participate in a different one. As you are ready to return to the initial activity, do not jump back in at full speed. Continue cross training and participating in non-provocative activities. When your physical therapist determines you have full range of motion and strength of your injured leg and good balance, you will be ready to return to full activity.
4. Prevent Future Hip Flexor Injury
A hip flexor injury usually occurs from the overuse of the muscles that flex your hip joint, or bringing your knee toward your chest. Athletes who perform a great deal of kicks, for example soccer players and martial artists, are commonly victim to this injury. Proper rest and a good warm up of stretching and brisk walking will help you prevent this injury from happening again. Continue a stretching and strengthening routine specific to your sport after you have completed rehabilitation. If you experience a return of symptoms, rest immediately and make sure you are being compliant with your home-exercise program. Check back with your physical therapist if the symptoms do not go away within a few days.
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