Phil is a fighter involved in mixed martial arts (MMA) and Muay Thai, two combat sports that require excellent fitness and flexibility to perform effectively. He came into Dynamic Sports Physical Therapy in New York City complaining of hip pain that he felt while executing his roundhouse kicks, which was preventing him from practicing and competing to his full capacity.
Taking note of his hip pain, we performed a full-scale evaluation of Phil’s physical condition and abilities to determine the source of the problem. We noticed that there were some issues with the way that his hip moved, as it did not bend or rotate as well as it should normally. It was also found that Phil had poor control of the muscles surrounding his hip, and there was some pinching within the hip joint when he moved it. Finally, his femur (thighbone) did not glide very well in the joint during movement either.
Based on this evaluation, we established an exercise treatment program to address these issues. The program consisted of the following components:
- Foam rolling exercises that targeted his adductors, a muscle group along the inner thigh
- Manual therapy techniques performed by the hands of his physical therapist to increase the mobility of his hip joint and tissue extensibility, which helps to increase overall flexibility
- A variety of mobility drills for his adductors, including quadruped rocking
- Exercises to improve his motor control, such as half-kneeling hip hinge, tall kneeling rotation, and quadruped airplanes
Phil was instructed to perform these exercises every day, and after doing so for two weeks, he reported that his condition had gotten better. By this time, Phil did not experience pinching while performing any movements with his hip, and he felt that his roundhouse kicks had actually improved after completing treatment.
At Dynamic Sports Physical Therapy in New York City, we were pleased to see Phil improve so rapidly and return to MMA and Muay Thai without experiencing any pain, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors. If you’ve been dealing with pain that’s getting in the way of your performance, a few weeks of treatment may be all you need to improve. Call us at 212-317-8303 to find out how we can help you or to schedule an appointment.
