Lower back pain that doesn’t seem to go away, especially after long periods of sitting, walking, or standing, is often misattributed to weak back muscles or spinal issues. In many cases, the real culprit lies in the front of the body: the hip flexors.
What Are Hip Flexors and Why Do They Matter?
The hip flexors are a group of muscles located at the front of your pelvis and upper thigh. The iliopsoas (made up of the psoas major and iliacus) is the most significant of them. These muscles are responsible for lifting your thigh toward your chest, stabilising your spine, and helping you maintain an upright posture.
When functioning properly, hip flexors allow fluid movement between the upper and lower body. But when they become tight or shortened, they pull the pelvis into an anterior tilt. This changes the entire posture of the spine, increasing pressure on the lumbar discs and compressing the lower back.
How Tight Hip Flexors Contribute to Lower Back Pain
Tight hip flexors can have a direct mechanical effect on your lumbar spine. Here’s how:
🔸 Anterior Pelvic Tilt: The shortening of the hip flexors tilts the pelvis forward, increasing the curve (lordosis) in your lower back. This excessive curve places stress on the lumbar vertebrae, often leading to persistent discomfort or sharp lower back pain.
🔸 Muscle Imbalance: When the hip flexors are tight, the opposing muscles—glutes and hamstrings—tend to become weak or underactive. The back muscles then overcompensate, leading to fatigue, strain, and chronic pain.
🔸 Compression of Lumbar Discs: With the pelvis tipped forward, the space between vertebrae is reduced. Over time, this may cause disc issues, nerve irritation, and shooting pain down the legs.
🔸 Restricted Movement: Tight hip flexors limit your range of motion in the hips and lower spine, causing stiffness and reduced performance in gym-goers, athletes, and anyone with an active lifestyle.
Common Causes of Tight Hip Flexors
🪑 Prolonged Sitting: The most common cause, especially in people working desk jobs or driving long hours. The hips remain flexed for hours, and the muscles adaptively shorten.
🏋️ Improper Training Form: Exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts performed with poor form can overstress the hip flexors and create imbalances.
😴 Sleeping Position: Curling up in a fetal position or sleeping on your stomach can contribute to tightness, especially if done nightly.
🚶 Poor Posture: Forward head posture and slouching increase strain on the hip flexors and spine, setting the stage for chronic pain.
Massage Therapy to Release Tight Hip Flexors
At Muscle Therapy By Tom, releasing the hip flexors is a core part of treating lower back pain. Tom uses advanced soft tissue techniques that directly address deep hip muscles like the psoas—which often cannot be released effectively through stretching alone.
✔️ Deep Tissue Massage: Targets the iliopsoas through the abdominal wall with precision to restore normal muscle tone and function.
✔️ Myofascial Release: Loosens the connective tissue restrictions around the hip and lumbar region, allowing freer movement and reduced pain.
✔️ Neuromuscular Techniques: Helps reset nerve signals that cause muscle guarding, especially useful for clients with recurring tension.
✔️ Postural Assessment & Correction: Identifies contributing lifestyle habits or gym form errors that keep hip flexors tight and back pain returning.
Signs Your Hip Flexors May Be Behind Your Back Pain
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Tightness or cramping in the front of the hip
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Feeling “locked up” when trying to stand after sitting
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Lower back aching after walking or standing
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Limited hip extension during lunges or running
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A swayback or forward-tilted pelvis posture
If you recognise these signs, stretching alone won’t be enough. Targeted therapy and correction are essential.
Why This Matters to Runners, Lifters & Desk Workers
Whether you’re smashing your next deadlift at The Gym Group Slough or sitting through back-to-back Zoom meetings, tight hip flexors can sabotage your movement and leave you battling pain that never quite resolves. Tom works with athletes, office workers, and everyday gym-goers to unlock hip flexors, strengthen the posterior chain, and restore natural alignment.
📍 Tom is based at The Gym Group Slough and provides professional sports massage therapy designed to relieve pain, restore movement, and prevent injury recurrence.
🖥️ Book your hip and lower back assessment today at
👉 www.muscletherapybytom.co.uk
Pain-free movement starts with balance—and that balance begins at the hips.