Nagging Anterior Hip Pain? This Blog is For You!

By: Kelsie Mazur, DPT

I often hear from my patients that they're constantly rolling out their hips, stretching them daily, or buying the latest trendy tools from Instagram—like lacrosse balls, massage guns, or foam rollers—to relieve that nagging front-of-the-hip pain. While the idea of stretching or massaging tight muscles may feel like a quick fix, the reality is, what feels like "tightness" in the hip might not always be the problem. In fact, overusing these tools or obsessively stretching the hip can sometimes make things worse. So, what’s really going on?

The sensation of tightness or a “pinching” feeling in the front of the hip is often a misperception. Your nervous system can create the sensation of tightness when it's actually a result of poor coordination, weakness, or instability in the hip and surrounding muscles. This “tightness” is actually a protective response from the body—often due to weakness or an imbalance in the hip muscles. When muscles aren’t firing correctly or aren’t strong enough, the body might send signals that feel like tightness or discomfort. This is when people tend to grab for the lacrosse ball or the foam roller and dig into the area, thinking they need to “release” the tension.

But here's the catch: what you really need isn’t more stretching or rolling. You need to focus on hip stability and strength. The muscles around your hip, particularly your glutes, hip flexors, and core, need to be trained to work together efficiently. Stability training helps coordinate these muscles, teaching them to function properly, so they can support the joint and prevent further discomfort or injury. 

​​The muscles responsible for stabilizing your hip are absolutely crucial in preventing that nagging pain or pinching sensation. These stabilizers, including your glute medius, deep hip rotators, and hip flexors, are designed to control movement and support the pelvis during activities like walking, running, or even standing. When these muscles are weak or not firing correctly, the load and forces that go through the hip joint can become uneven, leading to instability, compensations, and ultimately, pain. This instability often gets misinterpreted as tightness, which is why you may feel the need to stretch or roll out the area, but the real solution is strengthening these stabilizers. When these muscles are strong and coordinated, they help maintain proper alignment and reduce the stress on the joint, leading to a more stable, pain-free hip. By focusing on strengthening and activating these key muscles, you’ll improve your overall hip function and reduce the chances of that persistent discomfort coming back.

Instead of reaching for the next tool or spending hours rolling on the floor, it’s time to switch gears. Strengthen, stabilize, and train coordination. With the right guidance, from a skilled Doctor of Physical Therapy this approach can help reduce the pain and allow for better long-term relief. So, before you reach for that massage gun or lacrosse ball next time, remember: your hip might need strength, not stretch.

Did you know that we offer free 1-on-1 injury screens? Wattage Physical Therapy will take an in depth look at your ergonomics, posture, muscle tone, muscle weaknesses, and movement patterns to create a plan for YOU. If this article intrigues you, you can directly email me, Kelsie at Kelsie@wattagept.com. I would be happy to help you start the process of living a life free from pain.