Nutrition / Fitness content provided by G-Force

Injury Prevention: The Hip Flexor // by Dr. Eric Pierra

A muscle group that is frequently overlooked is the hip flexor. It is made up of two muscles and plays major part when you strike the ball. Some of the other muscles involved are the quadriceps and abdominal muscle. Stretching this hip flexor muscle group will help avoid a strain injury that could potentially take a prolonged period of time to heal.

This muscle is commonly strained when striking the ball frequently or miss-hitting the ball and striking the ground with front of the cleat. The pain is felt around the hip area and needs to be differentiated from an abdominal or groin strain.

The best bet for injury prevention is stretching. You should feel the stretch in the front of the hip joint. Each stretch should be held for a count of at least 15 seconds, but no longer than 30 seconds, repeating three times each side. A muscle should be stretched to the point of feeling a stretch, not pain. Other important muscles to stretch are the hamstrings, quadriceps and groin. A key to all stretching is to perform it before and after major activities (i.e. practices and games).

If you start feeling pain when you strike the ball, start paying more attention to stretching and icing after activities. If the pain persists, seek professional advice. A strain could take a prolonged period of time to treat and rehabilitate.

You can email questions to info@sfrc.us.


Eric A. Pierra, DC
Director, Sports, Fitness & Rehabilitation Center
Team Chiropractor, LA Galaxy
Team Doctor, Cal South ODP