What happens when your hips don’t move very well – this could just be an issue on one side?
Your body has to make up that movement elsewhere eg your lower back or knees, resulting in pain.
So if you’ve been wondering why your knee or back hurts, check how well your hips move.
Rotation of the hips is the part you’re least likely to think of but is a crucial element.
How well do your hips move?
Do they move the same on both sides? Most of us are asymmetrical. We will have differences. If there is a big difference, then you should work on the side that moves less well.
I’ve gone through various examples of movements in different positions. We are not limited to these positions. We move far more dynamically in real life.
Is your body cheating you?
One thing I will add is, your body is very good at cheating. If you want to cheat your way through movement, it’s easily done. For example, in hip extension if you don’t have the movement in your hip, you will arch your lower back or bend your knee or rotate through your pelvis. You may look like you have the movement, but do you really?
Key things to look out for when testing movement in your hips:
Are you adding rotation into a movement - this could be coming from anywhere and is a common compensation?
Are you using your back?
Why does everyone seem to get the same exercises when they have hip or lower back pain?
Many of the clients I see who have been to physios for knee or back pain are given exercises such as bridges, clams and fire-hydrants. All great exercises, but why are they all getting the same exercises or variations of these?
Generally, because these people have weak glutes.
Most of us have weak glutes because we spend our lives seated. We aren’t using our glutes, and thus the pelvis is not being supported adequately, however, resolving pain issues isn’t so simple and those exercises are only the first piece of the puzzle.
We need to look at the movement our hips are able to make.
We need mobile hips in order to carry out basic day to day movements such as walking, running, reaching up into a cupboard or bending down to pick up a pen from the floor. Everyone needs good movement and lots of different movement. We are not robots, so our bodies should easily be able to mould into different positions.
Today, we’ll look at how your stiff hip could be causing your knee pain.
If you regularly get knee pain towards the inside of your knee and you lack the ability to extend or internally rotate through your hip, there’s your problem. Every time you walk or run, your hip makes lots of subtle movements to get your leg into the optimal position for the movement. If it isn’t able to move freely, it creates new movements.
What can you do?
Take a look at how your hips move, how you lunge and how controlled your movement is.
Sometimes a few stretches of the restricted area can improve your movement, other times you need more focused retraining of the whole area.
Next Piece of the Puzzle
The bridges, clams and fire hydrant exercises are there to help build endurance into those gluteal muscles, however, the next stage would be to put them together.
Sometimes, people are given exercises that put it all together, but they have no awareness of what they are doing so the important part of the process is completely missed.
Why Working with me is Different
When people work with me, they are taught about awareness and to tap into what they are feeling is working. You need to develop this awareness because we use it in the next stage.
If you have no idea that your lunge is twisted, you will never straighten it. If you are aware it is twisted, you can feel what you are using and change it to what you should be using through the awareness you developed doing your earlier exercises.
Do you struggle with your prescribed exercises And feel you’ve made no progress?
Book yourself a complimentary exploratory call to discuss how you can progress to moving better.
I am Sabrina Qua - Soft Tissue Therapist, Movement Coach and Personal Trainer based in Worcester Park, Greater London, who helps people reduce their muscular aches and pains through an integrative approach, so they can live active, enjoyable lives.