Iliopsoas Tendinopathy in Mona Vale
Iliopsoas tendinopathy is a cause of pain around the front of the hip and groin. Symptoms may develop gradually following repetitive hip loading and can affect running, walking, gym training and other activities involving repeated hip flexion.
At Helix Recovery, we'll assess your hip movement, strength and activity demands to identify factors contributing to your symptoms and develop a personalised treatment and rehabilitation plan.
What is Iliopsoas Tendinopathy?
The iliopsoas is a powerful hip flexor formed primarily by the iliacus and psoas major muscles. Its tendon passes across the front of the hip before attaching to the upper femur.
Iliopsoas tendinopathy occurs when the tendon becomes painful and less tolerant of load. Symptoms can develop following increases in running, kicking, gym training or other activities involving repeated hip flexion.
Iliopsoas problems can also occur alongside other hip conditions, so accurately identifying the source of anterior hip or groin pain is important.
Common Symptoms
Pain around the front of the hip or groin
Pain when lifting the knee toward the chest
Discomfort with running or kicking
Pain when climbing stairs
Pain during exercises involving repeated hip flexion
Tenderness around the front of the hip
Clicking or snapping in some cases
How We Assess Iliopsoas Tendinopathy
Pain around the front of the hip can arise from several structures, including the iliopsoas tendon, hip joint, labrum and surrounding muscles.
Your assessment may include hip movement, hip flexor strength, resisted testing and functional movements relevant to your symptoms. The lower back and surrounding hip structures may also be assessed where appropriate.
This helps determine whether the iliopsoas is likely contributing to your symptoms and guides your treatment plan.
How We Treat Iliopsoas Tendinopathy
Treatment depends on how long symptoms have been present, their severity and the activities you want to return to.
Treatment may include:
Osteopathic manual therapy
Shockwave therapy
Progressive exercise rehabilitation
Hip flexor and surrounding hip strengthening
Gluteal and lower-limb strengthening
Activity and load modification
Gradual return to running, gym and sport
Shockwave Therapy for Iliopsoas Tendinopathy
Shockwave therapy may be incorporated into treatment to help reduce pain and address sensitive tissues around the hip.
Where appropriate, it can be used alongside osteopathic manual therapy and progressive exercise rehabilitation while strengthening focuses on improving the capacity of the iliopsoas and surrounding hip musculature.
Because of the depth of the iliopsoas tendon and nearby neurovascular structures, treatment location and technique are selected carefully rather than simply applying shockwave directly over the front of the hip.
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No. A hip flexor strain usually follows a more acute injury involving muscle or tendon fibres. Iliopsoas tendinopathy more commonly develops gradually as the tendon becomes less tolerant of repeated loading.
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Yes. The iliopsoas tendon can sometimes produce a snapping or clicking sensation as it moves across structures at the front of the hip. However, painless clicking is also relatively common and doesn't necessarily indicate an injury.
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Not automatically. Stretching may feel helpful for some people, but repeatedly stretching an irritated tendon isn't always beneficial. Mobility exercises should be selected according to your individual presentation.
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Usually. Aggravating activities may need to be temporarily modified while strength and load tolerance are progressively rebuilt.
Common Questions
Ready to Move More Comfortably?
Whether anterior hip pain is affecting walking, running, gym training or sport, we'll identify the factors contributing to your symptoms and develop a treatment plan tailored to your goals.