One sided psoas/hip flexor tightness with lower back pain on same side

Training Injuries
1

Hey guys, long time lurker first time poster.

So about five months ago while doing a RDL I felt some pain in my left hip flexor. That day I got some minor low back tightness on the same left side as my hip flexor - that discomfort and tightness subsided a few days later so I went back to my routine and during a barbell squat I felt my left hip flexor again and the following day, my left hip flexor and left lower back tightened up.

Since then, I’ve had a lot of cracking and popping in my mid back and SI joints - which I’m guessing is due to my one-sided psoas or hip flexor tightness. I’ve also had accompanying lower back pain at the base of my spine near my tailbone along with the left sided mid back tightness.

I saw a doctor and he screened me for a hip impingement or any other injuries through diagnostic tests and he seemed convinced that it wasn’t structural.

I’ve been in PT for a few months and I’ve seen some decrease in overall pain and tightness with glute strengthening exercises, core strengthening, and some hip flexor strengthening exercises. But I still can’t seem to get to the base of the problem. My left hip flexor or psoas seems to be locked and pulling on my spine which is causing some sort of pelvic shift.

Another weird symptom I noticed is that my left glute - which is the side that my hip flexor or psoas is tight on, feels less full or inhibited compared to my right glute, which feels kind of tight and full. I never paid that much attention to discrepancies between my glutes before this injury so it’s hard for me to tell if there’s always been some sort of difference between them before that. Also the kneeling hip flexor or couch stretch for the hip flexor or psoas seems to aggravate it rather than loose it at all.

I imagine I have some sort of muscle imbalance in my glutes or hips but I can’t seem to pinpoint what is going on and where I need to put my focus towards(is it my right glute that feels tight and possible guarded that my left psoas is compensating for etc.).

Anyone have any experience with this sort of injury and can offer some insight? Any advice is greatly appreciated

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Check out this side lying move, where you practice using abs and hamstring to get your hips and back neutral, to get out of any hip shift or anterior pelvic tilt and hopefully take pressure off your Psoas.

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Thanks @FlatsFarmer ! I appreciate it. I’ve seen some of Connor Harris stuff around. I’ll give this a try, his micro movements are sometimes hard for myself to follow. I’m always questioning if I’m doing them correctly haha

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Hey @th13 I made a video for you! Feel free to try this or skip it. A personal trainer taught it to me when I was having trouble with the same area.

Please forgive the food baby — we got pizza in the office today!

Also, here’s another thing that has helped:

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Wow @Dani_Shugart thank you so much for taking the time to record that video. You rule! I am going to pick up a monster band tonight and give this banded hip distraction a go. It looks like it could be helpful with the psoas/hip flexor tightness/jammed up feeling. I will report back!

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Please do! I know how horrible that area can feel. Hope you get some relief soon! :smiling_face:

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Once you are sure you can control your pelvis and ribs to stay neutral and not fall into ATP to stretch your Psoas, test your Hip Extension.

Make sure you can get your leg extended behind you. Without dumping your pelvis forward and losing your abs and putting tension on your Psoas.

If you’re lacking hip extension during the easy test, you can see how doing lifting moves, or even walking too fast can beat up your Psoas.

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And an easy Hip Extension drill with easy progression. Just in case Extension is an issue.

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