What’s causing that “Snapping” or “Popping” in your hip?

Have you ever wondered why your hip pops when you do leg lifts or core exercises? It may not be painful (although it can be) but it sure is annoying! And much like a check engine light in your car, it can be a sign that there is something not quite aligned that may cause issues down the road. 

You may have heard that it could be your hip flexor tendon causing "impingement in your hip joint", but what does that mean? 

One common culprit is your hip flexor aka iliopsoas muscle group which runs from your lower back and pelvis, deep in your abdomen and attach near to the front of your hip. This muscle group helps flex your hip, such as when marching. If this muscle is tight or not moving properly it can cause a "popping" or “pinching” sensation in the front of the hip during certain hip movements as it "snaps" over the prominent hip bone. Think of it like an elastic band that is pulled taught over your knuckles, and if you were to straighten your fingers it would pop to the other side of the knuckles.

Common causes of Snapping Hip SYndrome

The muscles of the hips, glutes, low back and core all play a part in working together to support that area. Snapping hips can be caused by multiple issues, and before you start releasing and strengthening muscles at random, it is important to figure out the root issue - otherwise you could be putting windshield wiper fluid in your gas tank and making the issue worse! 

Here are some common causes of snapping hip: 

1. Poor Pelvis Stability

If your pelvis is not properly stabilized, the large muscles attaching to the pelvis have a very hard time activating. This can lead to muscle imbalances and compensations patterns 

2. Weak Hip Flexor

Sometimes the hip flexor is tight because it is overstretched and “protecting” itself, while an opposing muscle may be overworking and pulling in into that position - in this case, strengthening the hip flexor can help it loosen its grip and relax into a more shortened and suitable position. 

3. Weak Opposing Muscles

Sometimes the hip flexor is working overtime to compensate for weak glutes or hamstrings so strengthening these muscles can help restore balance. 

4. Weak or tight Diaphragm

Believe it or not, the attachment points for the deep hip flexors and the diaphragm are very close together - they both attach on the spine in a slight overlap! So if the diaphragm is not functioning or not able to relax properly, it can cause compensations within the hip flexors.

While these may be contributors to snapping hip syndrome, every person is different. It is important to determine which muscles are overworking, underworking which requires a detailed assessment. At our clinic we have trained therapist that will be able to identify the underlying cause of your symptoms and build a personalized plan to address them.

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