Treating the hip adductors with trigger point therapy
Don't ignore tightness, restriction, and overload in the hip adductors
Whilst this is especially relevant to athletes and those who regularly participate in sport, the same conditions can arise from activities related to occupations and even common activities such as gardening or sitting crossed legged for extended periods.
So try not to ignore your adductors and abductors. Where possible, develop a stretching program that includes the muscles that contract and stretch your inner thighs, as well as those that help your hip abductors both stabilize the pelvis and move the leg out to the side.
You can also have a go at finding the trigger points that become active in these muscles, and apply massage and pressure to the area as described below.
Adductor longus stretch
Sit with the soles of your feet together and bring your feet towards your groin.
Hold onto your ankles and push your knee towards the ground with your elbows. Keep your back straight and upright.
Muscles being stretched
Primary muscles: Adductor longus, brevis, and magnus.
Secondary muscles: Gracilis, pectineus.
Injuries where this stretch may be useful
Avulsion fracture in the pelvic area. Groin strain. Osteitis pubis. Piriformis syndrome. Tendonitis of the adductor muscles. Trochanteric bursitis.
Additional information for performing this stretch correctly
Keep your back straight and use your elbows to regulate the intensity of this stretch.
Trigger point self-treatment
This technique involves locating the heart of the trigger/tender point. When this is compressed it may well trigger a specific referred pain map (preferably reproducing your symptoms). This technique involves applying direct, gentle and sustained pressure to the point:
Identify the tender/trigger point you wish to work on.
Place the host muscle in a comfortable position, where it is relaxed and can undergo full stretch.
Apply gentle, gradually increasing pressure to the tender point until you feel resistance. This should be experienced as discomfort and not as pain.
Apply sustained pressure until you feel the tender point yield and soften. This can take from a few seconds to several minutes.
Steps 3-4 can be repeated, gradually increasing the pressure on the tender/trigger point until it has fully yielded.
To achieve a better result, you can try to change the direction of pressure during these repetitions.