This entry was posted on 10/24/2007 8:50 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
Below is a list of the imbalances I am aware in my hip that I will be reviewing with a physical therapist on Thursday evening. The problem is not bringing me immediate pain but does cause me to avoid frequent deadlifts or squats near my 1 rep max. I believe it is also impacting the efficiency of my stride when running.
Symptoms:
1. When deadlifting, the right foot and hip rotate outward. I then rotate my torso to the left to compensate.
2. When going into a deep squat, the right knee will click if I am not fully warmed up and stretched out. The right foot also tends to rotate outward further than the left. I believe the hip follows.
3. When walking for several hours, the whole right side of my body pumps up and fatigues, as though I am supporting myself with flexed muscles instead of relying on my skeletal structure. Stretching afterwards, there is much more tension built up on the right side of my body.
4. When I stretch the hips out and use a fit ball on the deep rotators of the hip, it makes my right shoulder (the one we worked on) feel better and move more freely
5. When pushing weight out of a squat, I favor the left leg
6. When lying relaxed on my back, the right leg rolls to the outside, so the outside of my right foot rests on the ground
7. The right hip flexor does not seem as flexible when stretching (demo stretch).
8. If I stand up from a low platform using one leg (say 14-16"), the left leg is stronger and more stable
9. Lying on my back doing the "bicycle" exercise, straightening the right leg causes something in the hip or lower back to click
10. When running, the right knee takes longer to warm up. The outside of the left ankle also tires more quickly, as though it is bearing greater load than it should.
11. After a period of inactivity, if I lay on my back with my knees bent and twist them all the way to one side, my spine cracks and pops. It feels great. I can do this once or twice a day.
I have attempted to fix the issue myself by developing the flexibility in my hip flexors and extensors, through a variety of lunge and floor based stretches. About two weeks ago I realized the adductors in my legs are much tighter than the rest of my hip muscles and also started stretching those. This seems to have let me get into a deep squat with a wider stance, but it is too early to have observed any other benefit.
