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| WHAT IS A HIP FLEXOR STRAIN? |
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| A strain is a stretch or tear of a muscle or tendon, a band of tissue that connects muscle to bone. The tendon may be inflamed. Inflammation of a tendon is called tendonitis. The hip flexor muscles allow you to lift your knees and bend at the waist. |
| HOW DOES IT OCCUR? |
| Hip flexor strain occurs from overuse of the muscles that help you flex your knee or do high kicks. This injury occurs in bicyclists, athletes who jump or run with high knee kicks, athletes like soccer players who do forceful kicking activities, and people who practice the martial arts. |
| WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? |
| You will have pain in the groin region, where the thigh meets the pelvis. |
| HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED? |
| Your doctor will examine your hip and thigh. You will have tenderness at the muscle and tendon. |
| HOW IS IT TREATED? |
| Treatment may include: |
| - putting ice packs on the injured area for 20-30 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain goes away |
| - taking anti-inflammatory medications prescribed by your doctor |
| - doing rehabilitation exercises to help you return to your activity |
| When you are recovering from your injury, you will need to change your sport or activity to one that does not make your condition worse. For example, you may need to swim instead of bicycling or running. |
| WHEN CAN I RETURN TO MY SPORT OR ACTIVITY? |
| The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or activity as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury, which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone recovers from injury at a different rate. Return to your activity will be determined by how soon the injured area recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury occurred. |
| In general, the longer that you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer it will take you to get better. You may safely return to your sport or activity when, starting from the top of the list and progressing to the end, each of the following is true: |
| - You have full range of motion in the injured leg compared to the uninjured leg |
| - Your leg has regained normal strength compared to the uninjured leg |
| - You are able to jog straight ahead without limping |
| - You are able to sprint straight ahead without limping |
| - You are able to do 45 degree cuts, first at half speed, then at full speed |
| - You are able to do 90 degree cuts, first at half speed, then at full speed |
| - You are able to do 10 yard figure-eight runs, first at half speed, then at full speed |
| - You are able to jump on both legs without pain, and jump on the injured leg without pain |
| HOW CAN I PREVENT A HIP FLEXOR STRAIN? |
| Hip flexor strains are best prevented by warming up properly and doing stretching exercises before your activity. If you are a bicyclist, make sure your seat is raised to the proper height. |
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