Most common sports injuries relating to the legs

Hi, this is Dr. Austa Roso, a physical therapist here at Ishitani Health Center. Today, we'll talk about the most common sports injuries related to the legs. We often see a lot of injuries in the hips, knees, and ankles. With the lower extremities or even the lower back, you can encounter a variety of issues such as sprains, strains, tendinitis, fractures, or tears, depending on the sport you're playing.

Today, we'll focus on hip and groin pain or soreness, and then we can cover other parts of the body as well.

Most commonly, people complain about hip flexor tendinitis and pulled groin muscles, which often stem from the hip flexor area. This can be due to mobility tightness issues or overuse resulting from a lack of strength, endurance, and stability in the front of the hips, glutes, or core, as well as some alignment issues in the body.

To stretch out your hip flexor and focus on mobility, you can do this standing. If you have pain in the front of your hip, take a lunge step back with that leg, keeping the front knee bent and the back knee straight. Lean forward slightly to feel a stretch in the hip.

If this position is too strenuous, you can use a soft cushion or pillow on the floor. Kneel down with the painful leg on the cushion, keeping your back straight and extending the opposite foot forward. Lean back until you feel a stretch along the front of your thigh (the upper quad muscle) and your hip flexor.

Aim for three sets of 30-second holds, or one repetition of 60 seconds, or as long as you feel relief. You can hold the stretch as long as you need, but I wouldn’t recommend holding it for more than two to three minutes at a time.