Hip pain and increasing hip mobility

[Kyle Sprecher]

I am a newbie to the Gymnastics Bodies community and just started Foundation 1. I am loving the emphasis on mobility and am really hoping the program can help with my hip. I am a long time soccer player and transitioned to long distance running. Probably as a result of imbalance and immobility, I developed intense hip pain. I've had two arthoscopic surgeries and even an osteo chrondo plasty (open hip surgery). Despite many, many PT rounds, I still have a lot of immobility and pain in my hip. And my early first workouts still bring out a bunch of pain in my hip.

Has anyone experienced chronic hip pain and found that the F1 or SS courses help over time? I'd love to think that through the right disciplined approach of mobility and strength exercises I could overcome the pain and movement restriction of my hip. I'd love to avoid surgery, if possible. Any stories / recommendations for how to approach training with a chronically pained hip?

 

[Jon Douglas]

Hi Kyle,

In the first instance, avoid training to pain. If it's already chronic, it does not require more inflammation at this time

How has your recovery been post surgery? What exercises cause the pain? Specific information on what your PT visits have turned up will also help.

I have seen a lot of issues corrected here by patience and consistency, but its not always easy to find the exact balance of volume, intensity and recovery, and surgery can change the game somewhat

[Kyle Sprecher]

Thanks for the reply, Jon.

My last scope was back in 2009. I've had several bouts of PT. Basically I'm recovered to the point of where I was prior to surgery, but no better. PT that has included Active Release Technique (ART) has been most helpful in giving me good range of motion. But my hip always reverts, gets locked up, experiences pain. Exercises that cause the pain include any sport where I am cutting quickly side to side, like soccer. Also, any external rotation where I rotate my leg counter clockwise causes pain in the joint area. If I lay down on my stomach, put my right heel 90 degrees in the air to my body, and rotate my heel towards my glutes, that is a killer for me. It will feel like a dagger in my hip area sometimes. PT has shown too that my left hamstring is extremely tight, much tighter than my right. Hip flexor is also tight. Lower right back is also tight.

Things that help my hip feel better include rest, ART, and traction (where the leg is pulled outward from joint area).

My plan is to continue F1--stopping short of causing pain with the mobility stuff--and invest in the SS to see if the stretch protocol can help the hip area. I open to any feedback and advice!