I keep experiencing a pinching sensation in the front of my left hip. I thought it could be caused by almost complete glute shutdown and tight hip flexors. It’s been a little over 3 months of glute activation and strengthening work, and stretching. But my piriformis is tight no matter how much stretching, foam rolling, and lax ball work I do; and I still get the pinching feeling.
It pinches and cracks whenever I lift my leg high enough to step into a bathtub, or a high step, or step onto a bench. It also does the same thing if I lay on my back and raise my leg. The circled parts in the above picture is where it hurts.
PB at first I thought it could be Femoral Anterior Glide Syndrome because there was pain in the front of my hip at lockout when I deadlifted and only in the bottom of a squat. The ROM in both lifts where the glutes are heavily recruited, and I just wasn’t feeling anything in my glutes, and to make matters worse my QL and erector spinae were constantly tight and killing my lower back. I’ve done activation, strengthening, and stretching work to were I really feel my glutes working in these lifts again.
I was the first person to post in the first link you provided. I think my psoas are weak, and my rectus femoris and Vastus lateralis are tight except for right after foam rolling. I’ll try your psoas strengthening exercise:
Stand facing a wall, with your hands out front (straight arms) resting on the wall. Your feet should be 3-4 feet away from the wall so your body is not completely vertical… sort of angled towards the wall (i.e. 75-80 degree angle with the wall). As you push the heel of one foot into the floor, simultaneously raise the opposite knee into your chest (or try). Hold that stance of hip flexion for 5 seconds, then drop the knee down and do the same thing for the other leg and hold for 5 secs. Repeat this again for each leg one more time.
Basically since all this started, my left hip and knee have begun to hurt, and now my right calf is constantly cramping. I’m a wreck!!! sorry for the wall of text
Sorry I didn’t realize you posted in the other thread. Definitely try the psoas-strengthening exercise, I have a few others if you want. Here’s what I have to say:
You said your lower back is tight. What kind of glute strengthening stuff did you do? Have you ever tried any of Bret Contreras’ stuff?
I think if you keeping hammering away at your rectus femoris/quad tightness, your pain should go away considerably. But you really have to work at it. This means daily foam rolling (a GOOD one so you feel the pain) of the IT band, and quads (left, middle, right), and daily static stretches (even before lifting legs).
My calves always used to cramp too. I found out that it was because of just too much scar tissue buildup. Consider getting The Stick for Christmas: http://www.thestick.net/online/item6.htm (there are other similar products). I actually went to their HQ to buy one last year since they are based in Atlanta (and I was visiting). The lady at the front desk used the stick on my calves and HOLY SHIT, you immediately feel 1000x better. Better blood flow, everything in your body feels loosened up. Any other problems on your right leg other than this?
For the lower back and glute, I did some exercises that BBB recommended. Then checked my ego at the door and worked light weight deads, pull thrus, hip thrusters, and the glute trainer at the gym.
The calves and quads have been stretched, foam rolled, PVC rolled, and rolled on a lacrosse ball daily, sometimes 2x a day.
I’ve looked into the stick before, but I had 1" diameter pvc at home, so I used that to roll my calves. I just gonna get the stick because it’s easier and has a little more flex to it.
