Hip pain is a special kind of pain. It’s both debilitating and frustrating at the same time. Pain may not even be felt exclusively in the hip – pain may also be felt radiating from the thigh or even the groin area. If you’ve been living with any level of hip pain for any length of time, it’s likely time to see a New York hip doctor!
If you’re suffering from hip pain, then it’s important to focus on doing exercises that boost your hip mobility and can alleviate your pain. While we recommend making an appointment with us at OrthoManhattan to see a top New York hip doctor, we also want to share some of our recommended daily exercises that you can do at home without equipment that boosts your hip mobility in the meantime.
Seated Rotation Exercise
The seated rotation exercise is useful for stretching and strengthening your piriformis muscle, which is located in the buttocks behind your gluteus maximus. To begin this stretch, sit down with both of your legs extended in front of you. Next, take one leg and cross it over the other and slowly start to twist towards your bent leg, placing your hand on the ground for support. Then, take your opposite arm and place it on the bent leg, proceeding to twist further, while gazing over your shoulder to lengthen the stretch. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, and then move onto your opposite side. We recommend repeating this exercise 4 times.
Knee to Chest Exercise
To stretch your gluteus maximus and gluteus medius, we suggest the knee to chest exercise. This exercise should be performed daily, and you’ll want to do 2 sets of 4 each time. Start by lying down on your back with your legs straight in front of you. Then, proceed to bend one knee while putting your hands around your shin. Pull the knee towards your chest as far as you can comfortably. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, and then give yourself a 30-second break, followed by stretching your other leg.
Supine Hamstring Exercise
As the name suggests, this exercise stretches and strengthens your hamstrings. This stretch should be felt behind your knee and in the back of your thigh. Start by lying on the floor with both of your knees bent. Then, place your hands on one of your thighs below the knee and gently pick that leg off the floor while bringing your knee to your chest. Once there, begin to straighten your leg by lifting it towards your head until you feel it stretching your hamstring. Hold this exercise for 30 seconds to a minute and then rest for 30 seconds. Proceed with your other side, and then repeat this exercise at 2 sets of 4 daily.
Standing Iliotibial Band Exercise
To start this exercise, you’ll want to place yourself next to a wall for support. Once there, take the leg next to the wall and cross it behind your other leg. Lean into your hip until you start to feel a stretch on the outside of your hip. Hold this position for 30 seconds and complete 2 sets of 4 of this exercise daily.
If you’ve recently suffered a hip injury or are getting sick and tired of living with hip pain, make an appointment with a New York hip doctor at OrthoManhattan. Either give us a call or submit a contact form in the top right corner of this page – appointments are available in-person as well as from the comfort of your own home via TeleVisit.