Clicking in right hip

[k-dog]

I was wondering if you might shed any light on why I have clicking in my right hip. The internal rotation of my right hip is significantly less than the internal rotation of my left hip (judged by goniometric measurement -- right 15 degrees, and left 28 degrees.)

My most significantly tight muscles are my hip flexors and adductors. I work very hard at stretching these muscles and doing functional movement patterns afterwards to help train the new range of motion.

But when I get into deep right adductor stretches, I will sometimes get a click and crack out of my hip when I release the stretch. The more I stretch, the more that happens. In general walking or movement, the clicking does not happen. Am I doing harm stretching this area which I know to be locked up?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Bill Hartman]

Work hard to restore the internal rotation of the hip without irritating. Loss of abduction and internal rotation is most common with hip degenerative changes.

I wouldn't freak out about it and would expect the "click" to resolve as your hip mobility improves as long as it's not degenerative. An x-ray would tell you if it is. If it's at all painful, get it checked.

Also keep in mind that your limitation may be in the joint capsule and not the musculature. The capsule is the ligamentous structure so it requires a significant behavior modification to resolve. Regular stretching protocols won't do much.

Spend some money on a good soft-tissue practitioner (ART, Rolfing, Sports Massage) and see if they can locate any specific issues.

Foam roll your trouble spots before mobility training.

Bill