subject: Improving hip range of motion [print this page] Tight hip flexorsTight hip flexors. Decreased hip rotation. Valgus knees...
These are just a few of the things that immediately come to mind if you were to ask most trainers about common patterns of hip dysfunction. And if you have been an avid reader of FITNESS INSIDER, you know there are many more problems than the ones listed above and a multitude of contributing factors. In this edition of FITNESS INSIDER, we will look at what may be the greatest driver of hip dysfunction - the loss of optimal centration.
So just what is centration and how does it related to everything from degenerative joint disease of the hip to valgus knee position?
You can think of centration as the ability to maintain an ideal axis of rotation throughout functional movement patterns. In simpler terms, think of a wheel rotating on an axle of a car. When the alignment is balanced, the wheel spins or rotates effortlessly on the axle. However when the alignment is off, the wheel does not spin efficiently which leads to premature wear and tear of the tire.
Similarly, the muscles around the hip joint help to maintain the optimal alignment for the femoral head to rotate effortlessly in the acetabulum. While no muscle is more important than another, the muscles closest to the joint, mainly the psoas major, piriformis, gluteus minimus and medius, and deep hip rotators are most responsible for centrating the hip.
And when centration is lost, bad things happen.
As mentioned, loss of the ability to centrate the hip joint is the greatest cause of hip tightness, loss of performance, and premature degenerative changes at the knee. And while exercises such as clam shells can help improve isolated posterior gluteus medius function, they rarely produce any long term carryover effect once the individual is standing.
So just what is the most effective exercise for improving centration of the hip and improving performance?
Check out this video for the beginning pattern for restoring hip centration and improving your client's functional performance.
The loss of joint centration is the leading causes of movement dysfunction. Improving joint centration is key in restoring optimal function of the hip complex. The exercise demonstrated in this video is just one example of how to use primitive patterning to restore centration and get the client moving towards ideal function.
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