03/16/2026
Anterior hip pain in athletes - especially golfers and runners
is often labeled a “hip flexor strain.”
It’s frequently something else.
A common cause:
Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
The hip joint runs out of space
during flexion and rotation.
That usually shows up with:
• Deep hip pain in the front
• Pain with rotation or pivoting
• Discomfort during running or swings
• Pinching with deep hip flexion
FAI isn’t rare.
Studies show 10–25% of athletes
have cam or pincer morphology.
Many never know it until load increases
Stretching deeper into internal rotation
often makes symptoms worse.
Because that’s the position
the hip already struggles with.
Instead, we’ve had better success with:
Gradual loading into internal rotation/flexion
Building tolerance
rather than forcing range.
Activity modification matters early.
Running volume.
Golf practice frequency.
Deep hip flexion positions.
Load management changes symptoms fast.
Surgery is sometimes needed
but many athletes improve with
targeted rehab and load management.
Good surgical outcomes exist
when it's truly indicated.
Anterior hip pain shouldn’t stall your training.
There’s usually a plan that works.
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