One of the most common complaints my patients have is hip pain or a “pinch” in the front of their hip at the bottom of their squat.
THE HIP PAIN IS NOT FROM A TIGHT HIP FLEXOR!!!
The hip flexors are in the shortest possible position. Their length is NOT being challenged... They are not in use!
The "Butt Wink" is a term for when your tailbone tucks underneath your body during a squat.
The hip pain or “pinch” you feel is your femur (thigh bone) pressing into your ilium (hip bone). Your hip labrum and cartilage that are positioned between these bones get pinched. If you continue to load this area, you will break down the cartilage and/or tear your hip labrum.
( 0:29 seconds in -- This demonstration is a classic case of "Butt Winking").
50 more air squats anyone?
Now that we have established what is happening, we need to figure out why you are feeling the hip pain.
You need an examination from an expert to determine if it is a joint shape problem or a tissue problem.
An adhesion in the Adductor Magnus muscle or posterior hip capsule can cause this problem. Luckily, this can be fixed with treatment.
The other possibility is a joint shape problem. This is not fixable and will require you to modify your squat.
Talking Hip Pain with Dr. Wengert
Dr. Andrew Wengert is trained in the most advanced conservative treatments for correcting problems in the muscles and joints, and offers the clinical excellence you need to recover.