While hip pain isn’t the most common condition we see at Back and Body in New York, it is still commonplace and often reflects the symptoms of another area of concern in the body. While exercise is one of the best ways to stay in good shape and healthy, we realize it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. However, if you are suffering from pain in your hips, come in and see us and we should be able to help. As well as applying the relevant treatment to you, we may also prescribe some exercises for you to do to help with that therapy. Exercise and therapy together generally returns better results.
So here’s a few exercises we may recommend you try. To begin with, there are two muscles that help with motion in the hip, the tonic and phasic muscles. The tonic muscles are those that help to jeep us upright and are thus tight and taught. Hamstrings and hip flexor muscles are examples. The second muscles are the phasic muscles which work when needed and are thus weaker. Abdominal and buttock muscles are examples of this group.
Tonic Muscle Exercises
Hamstrings stretch
- Lie on your back. Put your left leg on a door frame and have your right leg extend through the doorway.
- Push your left leg against the frame and then move closer to the door. This will stretch the hamstrings.
- Hold the position for two minutes before doing on the opposite leg.
Iliopsoas Stretch
- Put your left leg forward in a front straddled position
- Rotate the pelvis forward (left side). It needs to become square with the right side.
- Attempt to flatten the curve in the low back. Rock the pelvis forwards which will help to stretch at the left hip and groin.
- Lean back and to the right and continue this stretch.
- Hold for 5 seconds and do the same on the other side.
Phasic Muscle Exercises
Buttocks Exercises
- Squeeze your buttocks together several times throughout the day. You can be sitting or standing to do this.
- Another good one is to lie on your back and have your knees bent out with feet flat. Rise your buttocks off the floor and hold for 10 seconds.
Abdominal Exercises
- Lay on the floor with hands behind lower back.
- Keep one knee straight and bend the other up.
- Rise your chest up by 2 or 3 inches and hold for 10 secs.
- Repeat until you find your abdomen muscles are tired.
There are plenty more exercises that we can prescribe. These can really help to improve outcomes of treatment and even help to prevent future pain or problems.
In pain? Want a tune up? Call us today (908) 325 – 3000. We can treat and help you.
