How common is hip pain?
Hip pain is a very common. In a study done at Johns Hopkins Medical School, 14.3-percent of adults 60-years and older reported significant hip pain on most days over the course of a 6-week period.
Hip pain can be connected to a wide variety of problems and is generally localized to one of 3 regions of the body:
- anterior (front) hip and groin - near the hip flexor attachment
- posterior (back) hip and buttock
- lateral (outer side) hip - running along the IT band
- In the hip joint itself
Some common causes of hip pain are: bursitis, osteoarthritis, labrel tears, tendonitis, sciatica.
What's the difference between tight hips and hip pain?
Whether you are looking for hip pain relief or how to release tight hips... the solution is the same. The Bendable Body exercises that can be used to improve hip mobility are also the fastest way to relieve hip pain.
John loves to tell the story about what ended his yoga practice... perhaps some of you can relate. He took yoga for 3 years with a world renowned instructor. Over the course of those 3 years he always sat on 3 blocks because his hips were so tight if he sat on the floor with his knees open he would practically fall backward. The reason he stopped his yoga practice is because the mobility in his hip joints never improved in 3 years... he never got off 3 blocks! And that's what leg him to the Bendable Body Method of stretching.
Regardless if you want to be able to sit on the floor with your legs knees open, or get into a deep squat, or get rid of your hip pain... you need to change the densest fascia in your legs that is at the root of the problem.
There are a number of muscle groups in the legs that will help hip pain, but 1 in particular is essential. The medial hamstring associated with the pancreas meridian in Chinese Medicine.
How to stretch the hip?
If you’re wondering how to stretch your hips, the first thing we want to tell you is: don't stretch directly into the hip joint itself! If you have hip pain, stretching into the joint will just make it worse. If your hips are tight, over stretching the joint will give you a false range of motion that will ultimately lead to pain and injury.
The best stretches for the hip.
There are a number of Bendable Body fascia focused stretches you can do for hip pain, but the most helpful target the medial hamstring. The medial hamstring regulates movement in the hip joint. When you stretch this muscle group with resistance and remove some of the accumulated dense fascia so the the muscles work better... you take pressure off of the hip joint and you increase healthy mobility in the joint as well. In this video we show you some stretches for the medial hamstring that are great for the hips!
(((Thank You))) for sharing this
You are so welcome!
I really enjot these demo stretches. I want to learn more.
What is the best stretch for neuropathy in feet and legs.
I would work on your hamstrings. Have you been participating in the Free Training Series? I hope you can come to the live event. https://bendablebody.com/video-training-series-all-access/#comment-1325
Yes I’ve been doing the exercises almost everyday. Helps with the pain but aggravated the numbness in my feet. For awhile afterwards.
My guess is it will take time for you to see improvements in all the areas that you need to see them. You will also have to learn to isolate the stretch in the target area – another thing that takes time. When you do this – it will most probably free up your feet and involve them less in the stretch. I hope this helps and I hope you keep at it!
I really enjoy these demo stretches. I want to learn more.
What is the best stretch for neuropathy in feet and legs.
Been doing these regularly and it was good to have this tutorial that gave some more info! Really enjoying the blog posts! Thanks!
I am so glad. Are you participating in the free training Series?
Are all the stretches ok for osteoporosis ?
Absolutely!!!
Sita, I am scheduled for hip replacement in 60 days. I have no cartiledge in my left hip and litte in my right. (Left is being done first). Are there any of these stretches that I should avoid. Id like to show all of this to my physiotherapist for concurrance.
So as long as you are resisting and not going far in range – your joints should be totally protected. We have worked with people many times in your condition. Stretches that you would avoid are the ones that you feel you can’t comfortably get into the start position. Are you a member – I can’t remember. If you are probably the more advanced stretches could be avoided. I hope this helps.
John and Sita, I thought this was very interesting, especially when combined with your post about balancing pairs. I have been in the Membership and doing the one-year program (I’m going into week 49). Up until the time I started this I’ve had pain that seems to begin in my glute medius/minimus and extends down along on the IT band on both sides (both quad and hamstring) and into the lower quad just above the knee (sometimes I feel the knee discomfort most in the medial part of my knee). I cannot go into a lunge with my right leg bent (right side is the painful side) without a lot of pain. And when I right leg is straight, especially when doing the lateral hamstring stretch with bottom of left foot against the wall, there are a variety of snapping and popping sounds and sensations in my right leg that aren’t really painful, just weird. I know that I have a functional leg length discrepancy and that my pelvis is twisted. I have found that trying to stretch my outer hip area doesn’t really work (in spite of knowing about balancing muscle pairs from your earlier guidance, I sometimes would add hip stretches, trying to stretch or force away the paid — duh!). Do you have any thoughts? BTW, BB has made a big difference for me; otherwise, I wouldn’t have stayed with it through the entire year, and I will keep this as part of my health and fitness routine. So, thank you for that!
Hey John, It may or may not be sciatic nerve – so I would do the following: Sexual on your back, Liver and all 3 hamstrings on your back. Keep us posted!