Golf Tip - Stretch for Greater Hip Flexibility

Did you know that tight hip flexors can cause back pain? Many of our jobs require prolonged periods of sitting which place our hip flexors in a shortened state. Depending on our sitting posture it can even been more exaggerated and result in the tightening of our lower back muscles and weakening of our glutes and abdominal muscles. This muscle imbalance can then show its ugly head in our activities of daily living or when we are playing sports. I see this alot with the golfers that I work with. Why does this impact the lower back? Simple. Even though the hip flexors attach to the front of the upper thigh bone, they run through the hip joint and attach to the lumbar vertebrae. When the hip flexors get tight, they pull on the lower back. Many times this can be misdiagnosed and the patient is told to stretch the low back and strengthen the abs, but the problem persists. One of the best ways to get rid of this low back pain is to simply stretch the hip flexors daily. The "Hand Up Stretch" is one simple exercise to stretch your hip flexors:

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Hope this helps.

John R. Thomas, DPT, OCS, CSCS, TPI CGFI-JR2
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
Certified Strengthening and Conditioning Specialist Titleist Performance Institute Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
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