Most common sports injuries relating to the hip

Hi, this is Dr. Austa Roso, a physical therapist at Ishitani Health Center. Today, we'll be talking about the most common sports injuries relating to the hip. People often complain about pulled muscles, groin pain, and anterior thigh pain.

If you watched the previous video where we discussed stretching the hip flexor, now we’ll focus on the strength aspect—how to make it stronger and more stable without overstraining it, which can help the healing process.

If you have good mobility and have been seen by a physical therapist, my helpful tip is to start with leg raises. We’re going to do an isometric hold while keeping the core tight. From a side angle, stand here and bring one knee up to a 90° angle. Hold it here for 30 seconds, and you can do this three times. You should feel muscle activation in this part of your leg, and the opposite leg is also working on your balance. This is a good way to start developing muscle strength and endurance in that hip.

For progression, you can lay down on a stable surface, like a yoga mat or a bed. Keep one leg straight while bending the opposite knee. If this is my painful side, I’m going to contract my quad muscle and raise the leg up and down slowly while relaxing my head. Make sure to keep the knee completely straight and locked out as you bring the leg up, controlling the descent.

Aim for two sets of 10 repetitions and work your way up to three sets of 10. It's very important to keep your knee completely straight throughout the exercise, and try to feel muscle activation in the quadriceps of the moving leg.

That’s all for today! My name is Dr. Austa Roso from Ishitani Health Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Please feel free to visit us, or email or call us if you have any questions. Thank you!