Playing a sport is a great thing for so many reasons. It helps people connect with others, and sports also help us have fun while improving our fitness. Yet, playing sports can also lead to many different types of pain. 

The pain you feel after playing sports can range from minor aches and pains to long-term or chronic pain. Hip pain is a common type of pain that athletes experience. One medical study reports that hip or groin pain prompted about 10% of the visits to sports medicine doctors. 

Physical therapists can help you address any hip pain you’re currently experiencing, and they can help you learn how to prevent hip pain while playing sports, too. 

Three tips for how to prevent hip pain while playing sports: 

1. Address scar tissue — Overworking or overstretching hip soft tissue can lead to microscopic tears. These tears might not be very painful, but they can cause scar tissue, or adhesions, to form in your hip. In turn, adhesions can limit hip flexibility and trigger future pain that’s more serious. Physical therapists can help identify and break up adhesions before they cause future issues. 

2. Warm up your hips — Like other parts of your body, your hips work better when you warm them up. Learning the right warmup exercises can be a major part of the blueprint for how to prevent hip pain while playing sports. Physical therapists can help you learn which exercises are right for you. Some of the exercises your physical therapist may recommend include: 

• Lateral lunges.
• Rotational lunges.
• Knee-to-chest walk.

3. Stretch your hip muscles — Stretching is vital after a hard training session or game. Many athletes find that stretching helps their hip muscles recover after hard use. Doing post-game stretches can also help you avoid aches and pains the next day. A physical therapist can help you develop a post-training and game stretching routine that fits your unique needs. 

Find out how you can prevent hip pain while playing sports at Rehab Access

Want to learn more about how to prevent hip pain while playing sports? Our team at Rehab Access Physical Therapy is happy to oblige you. We can do a free screening to determine if you have any existing hip issues. Then, our specialists can create a personalized treatment plan designed to address your issues and prevent future pain. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can treat hip pain or sports injuries or to schedule your initial appointment.