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ReVITALize Rehab Club

Physical Therapy Clinic | CA | ReVITALize Rehab Club

Author: Danh Ngo

  • 10 Possible Reasons Why You Have Extremely Tight Hip Flexors (and What to Do About It!)

    Do the front of your hips feel tight or achy? Maybe your chiropractor or physical therapist has told you that you have tight hip flexors, but what does that even mean?

    Extremely tight hip flexors not only affect your hip joints but your back and knees.

    Continue reading to learn the possible causes of your tight hip flexors and how to loosen them up. 

    What Even Is a Hip Flexor?

    Your hip flexor is a group of muscles that let you bend walk, kick, and otherwise move at your hip joint. They connect your upper thigh to your hips. Tight hip flexors can result in back pain, knee pain, and of course hip pain. 

    10 Reasons for Extremely Tight Hip Flexors

    Causes of tight hip flexors range from inactivity, too much activity, and your body’s overall structure. If your hip flexors are tight, chances are it’s because of one of the following reasons.

    1) You Have a Desk Job

    Whether your back in the office or working from home, if you are sitting at your desk from 9-5 and only getting up for lunch, you probably have tight hips. As we sit for long periods of time, our hip flexors

    A common fix for those working desk jobs is to get up and stretch every 30 minutes or so. Get a drink of water, go pet the dog, do something to get out of your chair.

    2) You Travel for Long Hours (Plane or Car)

    If you commute for long hours or frequently take long plane rides, this could be the root of your tight help flexors. 

    While you may not be able to get up and stretch as you would at work, make sure you take the time to stretch your legs and hips after traveling.

    3) Overall, You’re Sitting for Too Long

    You may be thinking, “I’m on my feet all day at work, and my hip flexors still hurt. What gives?” 

    Think to yourself, after a long day of work, do you sit on the couch for hours binging a TV show? Sitting is still sitting even if it’s not for work!

    4) You Might Be Exercising TOO Much (Overuse)

    You could also be feeling pain in your hip flexors from overuse. Overuse can result in tears or strains. In this case, the best thing you can do is rest and ice the area.

    5) You’re Not Stretching Before or After Running 

    When you run, you are constantly contracting the hip flexor muscles without ever extending them. This, in turn, tightens the muscles.

    Because of this constant contraction, it’s imperative that you stretch before and after running. Stretching before running gets the hips warmed up and stretching afterward gives relief to your hip flexors.

    6) You Have Bad Form When Walking or Running

    Yes, there is such a thing as bad form when walking. Subconsciencely, you may be overcompensating for weak glutes or other tight areas by placing tension on your hip flexors. It’s possible that you may be walking with bad posture, which then trickles down to your hips.

    7) You’ve Started a New Heavy Lifting Routine

    Lifting exercises like deadlifts and squats might leave your hips feeling tight if you aren’t properly warming up and cooling down. You might be feeling the lifting in your hips due to weak glutes and lower-body muscles. 

    8) You Have a Tipped Pelvis

    A tipped pelvis is one part of your overall posture. You can see if you have an anterior pelvic tilt by doing the Thomas Test.

    9) You Have Weak Glutes

    When your glutes are weak, your body relies on the hip flexors for simple movements like walking and sitting down. Over time, this tightens up your hip flexors if you are working on stretching your hip flexors or strengthening your surrounding areas.

    10) You Have Tight Hamstrings

    Tight hamstrings pull on your hip flexors. To remedy this, you will need to stretch both your hamstrings and hip flexors.

    How to Loosen Up Tight Hip Flexors

    Your tight hip flexors might be the result of multiple reasons from above. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for all hip flexor issues. After pinpointing the root cause of your tight hips, try out the following stretches and strength exercises.

    Stretches for Tight Hips

    Try out some of the following stretches to loosen up your hip flexors.

    Low Lunge: extend your left leg behind you and bend your right leg at a 90-degree angle, making sure to have the calf perpendicular to the floor. Bend the back knee so that the knee touches the floor. From here, you can keep both hands on the floor or bring them up to the right knee. Repeat on the other side after a few cycles of breath.

    Butterfly: Sitting on the floor, bring the bottoms of your feet to touch. From here, let your knee drop to the side, letting gravity push them down.

    Standing hip-flexor and quad stretch: While standing, transfer your weight to the right foot. Bend your left leg so that your knees still touch and your foot is behind you. Catch your left foot in your left hand and pull your foot into your glutes. Repeat on the other side. 

    Check out one of our previous blog posts for more stretches for tight hips. 

    Strengthening

    If your tight hip flexors are from weak surrounding muscles, you need to start strength training. Try out these quick exercises to get you going.

    Mountain climbers: While in a plank position, start driving your knees forward one at a time. Set a timer and see how long you can go. This exercise also builds core strength.

    Glute bridges: Start lying on your back with your knee bents and feet on the floor. Your legs should be hip-distance apart. Slowly, tuck your pelvis and lift your hips and squeeze your glutes. Slowly lower down. 

    Skating Squats: This exercise both strengthened your glutes and lengthens your hip flexors. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and squat. As you come up from the squat, extend the right leg back. Return to the squat position and repeat on the other side. 

    Add these exercises to your daily routine and slowly you’ll start to feel stronger. This added strength will ease the tightness of your hip flexors. 

    Extremely Tight Hip Flexors Can Be Fixed

    The first step to fixing extremely tight hip flexors is knowing the root cause. Knowing what’s causing your tight hips helps street you into possible stretches and solutions. Hopefully, one or many of the exercises from above gives you some relief.

    Interested in individual physical therapy for your body? Then reach out to ReVITALize Rehab Club. Our team provides a holistic approach to get you feeling better.

  • How to Avoid Back Pain When Weight Lifting: 8 Top Tips

    Did you know that building up muscle is a great way to heal or prevent back pain? That’s right, having strong and flexible muscles can help prevent major injuries.

    The problem is that if you’re not lifting properly, you can actually cause pain and injuries in your back. This may seem counterintuitive, but the trick is making sure that you’re lifting weights the right way.

    To make your life a little easier, we’re going to talk about the things you can do (and what not to do) when lifting weights so that you can learn how to avoid back pain.

    Read on for eight important tips that will protect your spine and back muscles as you begin or increase your weight lifting routine.

    1. Start Small With Smaller Weights and Fewer Repetitions

    One of the easiest ways to injure yourself while weight lifting is to go too far too fast. In other words, you don’t want to go from never lifting weights to free-lifting one hundred or more pounds.

    When you’re performing any kind of weight lifting, you should always honor your edge. Start with smaller weights and perform 10-15 repetitions. After a week or so, you can use heavier weights or perform more repetitions. Allow your body to build strength slowly to avoid straining or tearing your muscles.

    2. Warm Up Your Muscles First

    Before you hit the weight room, make sure that your muscles are warmed up. Start by stretching each part of your body from your legs to your hips to your arms, neck, and shoulders. It can also be beneficial to perform a bit of lit cardio before you start lifting weights, as this will get the blood flowing and loosen up your muscles and joints.

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  • Five steps when exercising with an injury.

    Where do I start if I am trying to exercise with an injury?

    Exercising and becoming physically fit should not be difficult to do, but it is for most people at the beginning phase. You have the Ixcela’s fitness template and have read through what you need to do to get your body right. You are excited, but nervousness and overwhelm hits you like a brick. The idea of going to the gym or working out at home is where most people start and end. When you have an injury, being confident in how and what to do becomes harder to achieve. Well, you have come to the right place. As a Sports Medicine Physical Therapist specializing in bridging injury management with performance, this article will give you a first glance template on how to exercise with an injury.  

    Here are five steps when exercising with an injury.

    • Show up daily.
    • Cardiovascular health is a building block for muscle growth or fat loss.  
    • Find strength-based exercises to our non-injured limbs and body regions.
    • Know your purpose, and this makes it is perfect to start light with a strength-based exercise. Add intention to your movements.
    • Full mobility is always a priority as you start and level up.
    1. The key to everything is to show up daily. Everyone knows this idea, but acting on this idea can lead to numerous excuses and reasons. Our brain drives engagement and subsequent actions. When you are not feeling well, it is more comfortable to accept the status quo. The science of neuroplasticity, or our brain’s ability to change how we function, requires the feeling of challenge or uncomfortableness. This uneasy feeling is driven by the release of the neuromodulator epinephrine, similar to the hormone adrenaline. Epinephrine excites us when released but converted to a sense of uncomfortableness when the task is novel and scary. Most people know that exercise can give a sense of well-being called exercise high. Endorphins are our own’s body way of reducing pain. You have to start and maintain a certain intensity to reap the benefits of endorphins.  
    2. Many people know that cardio-based exercises are essential for heart and lung health but have not connected the importance of blood flow to muscle or joint health. You cannot recover without adequate blood flow and oxygen to carbon dioxide ratio. After an injury, it is common to rest, but the tendency is to rest too long. As a Sports Medicine Practitioner, rest should last only 2-3 days after an injury. You want to maintain a high level of physical tolerance. This is what conditioning-based exercises will help. It is crucial to re-establish your desired conditioning level with various low-impact total body movements that you can tolerate.  
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  • How to find your purpose by meeting your driving needs

    People have six human needs that must be met to feel satisfied, which will help you to find your purpose. When these needs are not being met by constant fixtures in your life, such as your career or personal relationships, they leave you feeling despondent. This brings down your mental state and can often manifest itself into physical pain, as pain is a reflection of your mind indicating to you that there needs to be a change in your lifestyle. It is a sign that the life you are living is damaging to your body – and often your psyche, as well.

    So, what are the six human needs?

    The first four are the basic ones that every person will figure out how to meet in one way or another during their lifetime. They are certainty, variety, significance, and connection.

    Certainty is the need to feel secure and in control of your life. Changes and surprises are often met with stress.

    Variety is the need for surprise and variability that keeps your life fun and helps stave off the sense of boredom that often comes with a repetitive, predictable lifestyle.

    Significance is the need to feel important and powerful in your life – whether that be working hard to gain recognition from your peers and superiors, or putting people down to make yourself feel metaphorically larger or more powerful than them.

    Connection is the need to love and be loved, though this sometimes gets adapted into the need to form connections with others, if you have grown to fear the act of loving people.

    The last two are much less often reached, and those are the spiritual needs – or, the ones that create a sense of fulfillment in life.

    Growth is the need to progress in life. If you aren’t progressing or working towards a goal, you are stagnant – which leads to feelings of boredom and discontent. Progress elicits a feeling of happiness in you, since it often means that you have a sense of purpose and drive to achieve something. Ironically, achievement of those goals only provides a very temporary satisfaction, before you realize that you no longer have a strong goal to progress towards.

    Contribution is the need to share experiences with others, since you can only feel so much pleasure yourself.

    It is important to note that although everyone has these same needs, not every person values them equally. People have a primary and secondary need – driving needs –  that are prioritized above the others and act as your main driving force to give your life direction. These needs are so vital to your sense of happiness that you will give up your goals and values to meet them in any way that you can. Even if two people have the same driving needs, they are not always met in the same way. For example, one person may not feel that they are meeting their certainty need until they are wealthy enough to feel financially stable, while another person may feel secure enough in their life by simply having a roof over their head.

    Most people meet their needs in a way that works in the moment, but not long-term – so their satisfaction and comfort is short-lived. Any time your mind perceives that doing something – whether positive or negative – meets at least three of your human needs, you’ll get addicted to doing it, as it causes you to feel intense satisfaction and fulfillment in your life.

    If your needs are not being met, you will experience displeasure, loneliness, and a sense of purposelessness that can cause your spiritual state to worsen to the point where your body will be much less willing to want to heal itself from any physical ailments you may be experiencing. Your thoughts and your emotional state is vital to your road to recovery, because your body is much more likely to be inclined to heal itself when it feels like it has a need-driven goal to work towards. Changing your mindset to be more conscious of what your driving needs are and catering your lifestyle to fulfilling those needs will greatly improve both your physical and mental wellbeing and help you regain a sense of purpose for your life.

  • Improving Mobility: Your Complete Guide

    Inhibitions to our mobility can be devastating. In most cases, though, it’s possible to retain most, if not all of our mobility and get back to a place where we can be functional and enjoy the ins and outs of daily life again. 

    We’re going to explore some ways of improving mobility in this article, giving you some insight into what you can do and how it might help you. 

    Let’s get started.

    Methods of Improving Mobility

    Naturally, there are a number of ways that you might have your mobility reduced. As a result, you might be wondering how to improve hip mobility, improve ankle mobility, improve shoulder mobility, or just get general help with mobility.

    In most cases, our difficulties lie with issues in the joints, legs, hips, and spine. A lot of these problems come from an injury or from sedentary lifestyles that contribute to the slow decline of our body’s functions. 

    Each particular issue will require some unique physical training if the problem is significant enough, but there are a few principles that you can carry through in your life to address your mobility. 

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  • Sports Injury Treatment: Top Tips and Tricks

    Are you sick and tired of worrying about spraining your ankle or twisting something out of place every time you play a sport or work out? The occasional sports injury can happen regardless of preparation, but if you don’t know how to treat it, it could spiral into something far worse. So what tricks can you use to treat these injuries?

    Well, we’re glad you asked. It’s time to delve into our guide for the top tips and tricks to know about sports injury treatment! But to understand the proper treatment, we first need to look at prevention steps you can take. 

    Sports Injury Prevention

    One of the best ways to prevent sports injuries is to pace yourself and stay away from over-exerting your muscles. This is because the way you build muscle is by damaging your muscle fibers through use. Your body then repairs these fibers stronger than they were before, allowing you to repeat until you’ve reached a certain level of strength. 

    If you over-exert yourself, you throw off that balance and do too much damage to your muscles too fast, resulting in the muscle spraining or tearing. Keeping your expectations from getting too high will also prevent you from pushing yourself too hard. Try to schedule days off to give your body that chance to repair.

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  • Sciatica: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

    Are you experiencing pain, numbness, or weakness in the area going from your lower back all the way down your leg? And does it get worse when you move, cough, or sneeze? Then, you might have sciatica.

    This is a fairly common ailment that affects many Americans each year, with varying degrees of intensity. If your sciatica is mild, chances are that it will go away on its own over time. But if you’ve been battling with sciatica for a while, it’s now time to do something about it once and for all.

    You’ve come to the right place: keep reading and we’ll give you the lowdown on sciatica. We’ll explain what it is, what causes it, how to treat it, and how to prevent it from re-occurring.

    What Exactly Is Sciatica Pain?

    The term “sciatica” refers to pain in a very specific area that goes from your lower back down to your leg, foot, and toes, passing through your glutes. This occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed or irritated.

    The type of pain, as well as its severity, caused by sciatica, can vary. Some people experience a pins-and-needles kind of pain and numbness, while others may feel in real agony.

    Sciatica shouldn’t be confused with lower back pain. While the lumbar area can be painful in people who suffer from sciatica, localized lower back pain with no other symptoms is usually not enough for a diagnosis of sciatica. Also, unlike lower back pain, sciatica pain generally focuses on one side of the body.

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  • 8 Effective Stretches for Loosening Up Tight Hips

    Does pain prevent you from doing the things you love? If your lower back, knees, or ankles are constantly aching, you could have tight hips. The number one cause of hip tightness is sitting still, a habit that is hard to avoid in today’s world. 

    If you spend many hours at a desk, in a car, or in front of the television, it’s important to make time for movement. Waking up your hip flexors will relieve pain and help you get back to enjoying your favorite activities. 

    Are you wondering how to release tight hips? Practicing a series of yoga-inspired hip flexor stretches daily is a great idea.

    Keep reading to learn more about the hip flexors and 8 effective stretches for loosening up tight hips. There’s no equipment required, so try these movements anywhere! 

    What Are Hip Flexors?

    Your hip flexors are a group of muscles that connect your upper legs to your hips. They help you walk, kick, bend at the waist, and swivel your hips. 

    Tightness in the hip flexors and related areas of the body is often caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Pain is a signal that you need to take better care of your body by exercising and stretching every day. 

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  • 4 Factors Causing Your Neck Pain From Running (Part 2)


    Running is an exercise that many people go-to due to the convenience and cost-effective aspect of the sport.  Holistic Sports Medicine Physical Therapist in Long Beach, Dr Danh Ngo dives into what makes the neck vulnerable when running in Part 1.  This article, we detail a neglected system that is important for recovery after a run.  We have seen 100’s of runners, and many have nagging injuries because they are not targeting key areas within the body that produce the spring in the running motion.

    In part one (click HERE) in this article, we introduced the 4 factors that can slow or halt a runner from.  The four factors are tissue pliability (flexibility), coordination (ability to control your body to keep your body in motion with the least amount of energy use), recovery, and endurance plus strength.  The first part of this series has 10 simple exercises that will address the two key factors of tissue pliability and coordination.

    Energy efficiency is important when it comes to having a long-running career.  You can achieve energy efficiency through two methods.  The two methods is to leverage and use the human body’s design the way it is intended or to develop your own running style over a very long time period that it becomes “muscle memory”.  Our preferred method is to leverage the human body’s anatomy and use your muscles and fascial highway to your advantage.  Fascia is a sheath of connective tissue that brings muscles together to produce more force like a whip or spring.  The muscle memory concept is acceptable and is called “Tissue Adaptation Time”.  The TAT principle is how we rehabilitate runners back to a healthy form.  The problem with the latter reason is that your muscle memory becomes lost when you sustain an injury.  You have to relearn your muscle memory again, and if it took you 10+ years to learn, then you might be in trouble if you are naturally impatient.

    When the foot hits the ground and your thigh pulls your leg back, like a paddleboarder moving on the water, this stores energy and becomes released by your hip flexors with minimal energy.  Your hip flexors are a group of two muscles that connects from your low back spine and discs and connects to your inner thigh bone and inner pelvic rim.  Another great example of energy efficiency is your lower leg and foot complex.  In our article “Instruction-manual-on-how-to-run-like-tony-starks-iron-man“, we talk about the Fibularis Longus and Posterior Tibialis Tendon cross-weaving around each other to produce a sling like spring.

    With that being said, we believe the biggest room to improve or the most neglected system that many runners ignore is the ability to recover from a repetitive pounding activity like running, sprinting, or jogging.  If you run more frequently during the week, your lack of recovery tactic (more…)

  • What Is a Pinched Nerve?: The Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

    Are you dealing with pain? Do you suspect that a pinched nerve is at play?

    The symptoms of a pinched nerve include muscle weakness, sharp pains, burning sensations, numbness, and diminished sensations. You may also notice that your hands or feet fall asleep more often. The pain may feel as if pins or needles are prickling your skin. 

    What is a pinched nerve?

    It’s discomfort stemming from irregular pressure on your nerves. The pain is temporary in most cases. In more serious cases, you may need surgery.

    You can treat the discomfort from home, but you should see a medical professional if home remedies don’t work after a few days. 

    This article will explore pinched nerve complications in greater detail. Read further to know more. 

    What Causes a Pinched Nerve? 

    A pinched nerve occurs in the event of excessive pressure placed on the nerves. The pressure comes from the surrounding bone, tissue, muscles, and cartilage. The damage typically stems from injury. 

    The pressure hampers the functioning of the nerves, resulting in pain and discomfort. Also, a pinched nerve can happen anywhere on the body. 

    • Examples: If you have a herniated disk, the nerve pressure may cause pain that shoots down your leg. If you have nerve pain in your wrist, you may have pain or numbness in your fingers. 

    If the surrounding tissue causes pain within your hands, for example, you may suffer from carpal tunnel complications. The carpal tunnel entails a thin passageway that’s surrounded by ligaments and bones on your palm.

    Otherwise known as carpal tunnel syndrome, you’ll experience pain when there’s compression on the median nerve. Tissue problems within your hands can also cause bruised tendon sheaths. 

    Regardless, this form of injury can occur due to repetitive activity, intense sports, or work stress. Moreover, obesity can cause carpal tunnel. 

    Risk Factors

    Overall, excess body weight can cause a pinched nerve in any part of the body. Besides obesity, people contending with diabetes are more likely to suffer from nerve compression.

    Diabetes can damage the nerves due to high glucose for extended periods. Otherwise known as diabetic neuropathy, this pain can affect different parts of the body. 

    Also, those who lie down for extended periods are prone to pinched nerves due to the prolonged nerve compression. 

    Pregnant women are especially vulnerable due to the weight gain that pressures the nerves and nerve pathways. Further, women are more likely to have carpal tunnel because they have narrower carpal tunnels. People with certain conditions are also at risk, such as:

    • People who have thyroid disease: In particular, hypothyroidism can cause fluid accumulation that places pressure on the nerves around the legs and arms. In other cases, thyroid issues can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. 
    • People who have arthritis: The inflammation stemming from rheumatoid arthritis can put pressure on your nerves and joints. 
    • People who have bone spurs: This type of trauma causes the bones to thicken, compressing the nerves. Further, this condition can impact your spinal cord and cause nerve issues. 

    Pinched Nerve Treatment 

    Rest is the best remedy for an impacted nerve. Rest as much as you can, as your body recovers more efficiently as you sleep. When sleeping, avoid putting pressure on the affected area. 

    Plus, avoid exerting the injured area. If you have a pinched nerve within your wrist, try not to use your hand until it heals. 

    Additionally, correct your posture. Poor posture can also cause a pinched nerve. Stand or sit up straight at all times. You can also use a cushion or headrest to alleviate the pressure. 

    If you work at a desk, consider an ergonomic workstation instead. These workstations come in many forms.

    • Example: You can use a standing workstation to avoid sitting down. 

    Other stations have an ergonomic keyboard and mouse to ease the pressure on your wrists and hands. 

    If you’re contending with long-term pain, consider the following measures:

    • Taking medication: You can use over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen. If you’re on medication, however, consult with your doctor before using over-the-counter alternatives.
    • Stretch frequently: Light stretches can suppress the pressure and tension. Yoga is a great option. That said, avoid strenuous stretching.
    • Consult a physical therapist: A trained professional can give you a gentle massage to quell the discomfort. 
    • Wear a splint: A splint will take the pressure off the nerves. You can also wear the splint at night to sleep better and minimize the pain. 
    • Use cold and warm packs: The combination of heat and cold will increase circulation and ease the pain. Ice and heat packs can also mitigate inflammation. 

    Prevention Tips

    Overall, avoid repetitive activities that can strain the nerves and tissues. When engaging in repetitive tasks, take frequent breaks. 

    You should also maintain a healthy weight to minimize pressure on your nerves and joints. Refer to the official BMI index to see which weight category applies to you.

    Incorporate flexibility and strength training routines into your workout schedule. Regular exercise will circulate blood flow, make your body more flexible, and strengthen your muscles.

    How Long Does a Pinched Nerve Last?

    In most cases, a pinched nerve will last only a few days or weeks. This type of pain stems typically derives from stress, routine activities, and injury. Pinched nerve symptoms include pain, numbness, and tingling sensations. 

    You can treat a pinched nerve by relaxing and stretching. You can also see a physical therapist or doctor for a comprehensive treatment plan.

    Interested in reading more? Read more on our blog to learn about what we do.