Consider the following:

• Do you always feel tight and sore during and after running activities?
• Are constantly stretching your hamstrings or hip flexors trying to relieve tightness in the area?
• Have you noticed though it only gives short term relief?
• Have you considered that stretching may not be the solution?

I can guarantee stretching is not the answer for long term relief! There are so many reasons these issues occur. So, addressing the root cause is the answer!

You may ask, what is the root cause? This is where a detailed assessment is crucial. It may be down to a lack of strength or mobility in certain muscles or joints, or it may be due to a previous injury. But one structure I pay particular attention to with people complaining of recurring tight hamstrings and/or hip flexors is the pelvis, and how well the pelvis is moving.

The pelvis has a significant role in many aspects of human movement:

• Force production in running
• Change of direction movements.
• Lower & upper body mechanics in walking (gait)
• Speed mechanics
• Posture

The pelvis has many muscles attached to it. These include your hamstrings, groins, pelvic floor and hip flexors. How strong or weak and how they interact with each other will dictate how well the pelvis moves and vice versa. When running, walking, lifting, or playing a multi-directional sport, the pelvis has to be able to move in several directions with ease. If this cannot happen, chances are you are going to place undue pressure on certain muscles attached to it, including the hamstrings, hip flexors, or groins.

When we run or we must be able to lift our knee and leg off the ground, so we flex at the hip joint while at the same time the other hip must extend. The faster we go, the more we must be able to do these two movements to a greater extent. See below:

For this to happen the pelvis also must be able to tilt anteriorly (forward), posteriorly (backwards) and rotate both to left and to the right in its simplest terms (see below).

Many people who suffer from constant tight hip flexors and hamstrings are unable to do this efficiently. Hence, no amount to stretching the tight muscles will solve the issue long term. If we can get the pelvis to move efficiently those tight muscles will follow and will be under less, constant stress.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us if you or somebody you know has such an issue.

MOVE WELL – FEEL WELL