Stronger Hips, Stronger You: Understanding 3 Common Hip Conditions - Long Beach, CA

The hips are the foundation of almost everything you do—sitting, standing, running, lifting, even simply walking across the room. When they’re not functioning well, your whole world can feel smaller.

At Elite Motion Chiro, we see hip issues every week here in Downtown Long Beach —athletes, weekend warriors, office workers, parents, and anyone in between. This month, we’re spotlighting three of the most common hip musculoskeletal conditions, pain associated with these conditions and sharing what you can do to start improving your mobility, comfort, and overall function today.

1. Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)

FAI occurs when the ball-and-socket joint of the hip doesn’t move smoothly because of extra bone or poor joint mechanics. This can cause a pinching sensation in the front of the hip, stiffness, and pain when squatting, running, or sitting for long periods, along with dull pain in the side of the involved hip.

Signs You May Have FAI

• Sharp or pinching pain in the front of the hip

• Dull ache on the side of the hip

• Discomfort when sitting or driving

• Pain during squats or hip-flexion exercises

• Clicking or stiffness in the joint

What You Can Do at Home

• Modify deep hip-flexion movements: Avoid deep squats or hip angles that cause a pinch. Reduce depth temporarily—not forever.

• Strengthen the glutes, adductors, hip flexors and core: bridges, clamshells, lunges, cossack lunges and anti-rotation exercises help strengthen the hips.

• Open the posterior hip capsule: Gentle hip mobility drills, like the 90/90 hip stretch can improve joint mechanics without forcing painful ranges.

2. Hip Flexor / Iliopsoas Tendinopathy

When hip flexor problems arise—often from prolonged sitting, high-volume running, or when they try to perform tasks that they were not meant to perform—they can become irritated and tight.

Common Symptoms

• Achy pain at the front of the hip

• Discomfort lifting the leg (stairs, running, kicking)

• Tightness that doesn’t go away with stretching

What You Can Start Doing

• Reduce repetitive strain: Temporarily cut back on high-impact or high-volume activities that provoke symptoms.

• Strengthen, don’t just stretch: The hip flexors often feel tight because they’re weak. Gentle strengthening (marches, isometric holds, anchored lying hip flexor crunches) with principles of progressive overload helps to increase their resiliency, calming symptoms. Isometric exercises are especially great for tendinopathies.

• Glute pump / warm ups before intense activity: priming the posterior chain to allow it to do it's job.

3. Lateral Hip Pain / Gluteus Medius Tendinopathy (often mislabeled as “IT Band Syndrome”)

This condition happens when the stabilizing muscles on the outside of the hip are irritated or overburdened—common in runners, lifters, and anyone who stands with their weight shifted to one side.

Symptoms You Might Notice

• Pain on the outer hip when standing, walking, or lying on that side

• Soreness during side-lying leg lifts or prolonged walking

• Tenderness over the bony part of the lateral hip

Steps to Improve It

• When side-sleeping, turn slightly facing up, at about a 45 degree angle.

• Strengthen lateral hip muscles: side steps, curtsy lunges, and controlled single-leg work to help rebuild tolerance. Isometric exercise should be at the top of your list.

• Modify walking or running volume: a short reset, followed by slowly increased mileage and intensity prevents chronic flare-ups.

Hip pain and discomfort doesn't have to continue holding you back.

Whether you're recovering from a new injury, or an old injury continues to hold you back, our chiropractors take time to assess the root cause of your injury, getting you back to the activities that you love.

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How Elite Motion Chiro Can Help You Recover

At Elite Motion Chiro, we believe great care blends hands-on treatment and active rehabilitation. Our Long Beach chiropractors may be just what you need. Here’s how we approach hip pain:

✔ Thorough Assessment

We dive deep to understand your case—movement assessments, strength testing, orthopedic tests, and clear explanations of what’s actually going on. Our Long Beach chiropractors take time to understand you and your injury.

✔ Targeted Chiropractic Treatment

• Chiropractic adjustments to improve hip, lumbar, and pelvic movement

• Soft tissue therapy to reduce muscular tension and improve mobility

• Myofascial release to restore healthy tissue function

✔ Active Rehab for Long-Term Results

We build a personalized movement plan that helps you:

• Improve hip mobility and strength

• Reduce pain

• Decrease number of pain episodes

• Return to lifting, running, or daily life with confidence

✔ Guidance on Training Modifications

Our chiropractors help you stay active while healing—not sit on the sidelines.

Your Hips Can Get Better—Let’s Work Together

If your hip pain is affecting your workouts, your mobility, or just your quality of life, you don’t need to guess your way through it. Getting ahead of hip issues now can prevent bigger problems later.

Book your appointment today with our chiropractors at Elite Motion Chiro in Long Beach, CA and start moving better, feeling stronger, and performing at your best.

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