A hip impingement is a movement restriction of the hip joint due to bony changes of the acetabulum or the femoral head. Due to these bony malformations, the acetabular cup and head do not fit exactly on top of each other and the neck of the femur can abut against the acetabulum. This can lead to cartilage damage and, as the condition progresses, arthrosis can develop. A hip impingement can result in deep pain in the groin region, especially when the hip is strained or bent, and in restricted hip movement.
Exercises
1) Strengthening of the gluteal muscles Starting position: lying on your side on a pad, the lower leg is bent, the upper leg is stretched out in extension of the upper body Execution: – Tense your abdominal muscles to stabilize the lower back – Lift the upper leg sideways until it is stretched out parallel to the pad – Move the leg up and down in small movements without putting it down in between – Be careful not to bend the hips! – 15- 20 repetitions on each side, repeat 3 times 2) Strengthening the gluteal muscles Starting position: lying sideways on a support, both legs are bent at an angle of approx. 90° in the knee joint, in the hip slightly less than 90°, the heels lie on top of each other Execution: -lift the upper knee upwards by unfolding the hip – the heels remain on top of each other (outer rotation of the hip) – increase: tie an elastic band (Theraband or similar) around the thighs just above the knee – 15- 20 repetitions per side, repeat 3 times 3) Bridging Starting position: supine position on a pad, the legs are in approx. 90° knee flexion angled Execution: – lift the buttocks from the floor until they are level with the thighs – hold the position briefly, then lower the buttocks again until they are just before the floor and repeat the exercise – increase: Stretch one leg forward, exercise with one side only and try to keep both sides of the pelvis on the same level – 15- 20 repetitions (per side) 4) Stretching Hip flexor Starting position: Kneel on a pad, feet resting with the back of the foot on Execution: – Place one foot in front of you on the pad, so that there is an angle of about 100° – Push the pelvis forward until you feel a pull in the front of the back thigh – Hold the position for about 5) Stretching Adductors Starting position: Sit on a pad, legs are angled like when sitting cross-legged but the soles of the feet are next to each other, the angled knees point outwards Execution: -grasp your feet with your hands and try to bring the knees as far as possible towards the floor – the back is straightened up – Increase: with the elbows you can put additional pressure on the inside of the knees – hold the position for about 60 seconds Further exercises can be found here Physiotherapy for hip pain
