Do you have sharp pain in your hips when you go into a deep squat? This may occur due to your anatomy, glute weakness, hip flexor tightness, poor motor control and/or inefficient sequencing of muscles firing.
We call this pinching sensation “impingement.” In the case of hip impingement, what may be happening is the ball of the femur bone is pushing into the anterior (front) portion of the hip joint as you go into a deeper squat.
Imagine your hip joint as a soccer ball in a fishbowl. The soccer ball is the head of the femur, and the bowl is the labrum of the hip. Ideally, we want the soccer ball to be in the middle of the bowl, but muscle imbalances may cause the ball to go forward to the front of the bowl or towards the front of your hip joint. This can cause inflammation in the front of the hip, and as a result, a pinching sensation may occur during a deep squat.
We’ve listed some exercises below to help you get some relief if you experience pinchy hips when performing squats.
Self Mobilization/Stretching
Self Posterior and Lateral Hip Mobilization
Glute Max Strengthening
Bridges
Bridges with Modification
Squats with Lateral Mobilization
Try these exercises out. Feel free to reach out to one of our physical therapists to get a thorough assessment of your hips if you’re experiencing these symptoms in any of your daily or recreational activities.
