Snapping Hip Syndrome. What Is It?

Ever get that weird “snapping” sensation in the front of the hip?

Does it catch you off guard, but does not necessarily hurt?
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What is happening is not as big of an issue as it may sound. 

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The most common way this is reproduced would be laying on the back, and lowering a straight leg back down to the ground.

Generally, the “snapping” sound is connective tissue that is taught around the greater trochanter (see picture below) and when changing positions, the tissue snaps around the bony prominence like a rubber band. 

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“External snapping hip syndrome most commonly is caused by the iliotibial band snapping over the greater trochanter of the femoral head during movements such as flexion, extension, and external or internal rotation”. (reference below)

This can be a result of poor hip positioning the predisposes the tissues to behave in the above stated manner.

One simple solution may be to learn how to improve your pelvic tilt.

This is simple, but not always necessarily easy.

Here’s how we teach it

Changing the orientation of the pelvis can change the behavior of how muscles move and their leverage points so the “snapping” can be reduced.

A painless snap is fairly common, but what if it’s painful?

Seeking the advice of a qualified medical professional would be in your best interest.

Schedule a Free Discovery Call with a PT, and we can guide you through options and see if you are appropriate for treatments.  
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(Calls are limited to only 5 per week, so act fast!) 

Free Discovery Call

References
Musick SR, Varacallo M. Snapping Hip Syndrome. [Updated 2021 May 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448200/